Chronicles of Paranoia: Roe Bait for the Bubbas Are Republicans really going to make a big fuss about abortion for the 2014 midterms? The New York Times, remembering how well this issue worked for the GOP in 2012–as Senators Aiken and Mourdock can attest–is licking its chops promoting the story, which makes me suspicious. But apparently Reince Priebus, the revered statesman suicidal K Street puppet party chairman, indeed attended the big anti-Roe March for Life, and he fiddled with the start of the GOP retreat to let others attend. Plus he’s made time for conservatives to introduce a pro-life declaration at that event. So maybe this isn’t just a story being blown out of proportion by wishful liberals. …
If Republicans are planning to make abortion a major voting issue in 2014, isn’t it clear this move is really about … immigration? The party’s resurgent K-Streeters need something to mobilize their sheep rubes party base to vote, and they’re already planning to sell out that base on immigration by sneaking through a form of insta-amnesty (legalization of illegals) not far before the election. With the immigration cave-in attempt potentially discouraging formerly reliable voters (and encouraging splinter talk), the hope seems to be that holding fast on abortion will buoy spirits and turnout in a non-presidential year.
This is a routine application of the American political rule: Sell Out Only One Issue At a Time. When Bill Clinton was dissing his party’s liberals on welfare reform, you didn’t see him bailing on affirmative action too, did you? (“Mend it, don’t end it!”) Right now, the Amnesty betrayal is Job 1 for the GOP Establishment, in part because it is the most lucrative choice. Eventually, as the party’s “rebranding” proceeds, it will be the pro-lifers’ turn to be condemned as overzealous extremists preventing the election of President Barbour.
In time, of course, the K-Streeters will run out of issues to sell out on. But nobody ever accused them of being far-sighted. Or, given the success of the 2012 (in the Dems’ words) “war on women,” even short-sighted. …