NARAL Ad Attacking McCain, Palin on Abortion May Backfire, Rally Pro-Lifers

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 2, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

NARAL Ad Attacking McCain, Palin on Abortion May Backfire, Rally Pro-Lifers

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 2
, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — One of the leading pro-abortion groups in the nation has a new web site ad it is running on news web sites in battleground states. However, the NARAL commercial may backfire and energize pro-life voters behind John McCain and Sarah Palin because it highlights their pro-life views.

The ad isn’t what political observers might expect from NARAL — with something akin to the ads the Obama campaign aired saying McCain is too extreme and featuring little in the way of the candidates’ own words.

NARAL includes eerie music and claims that McCain and Palin are extreme on abortion. It focuses on the candidates’ opposition to Roe v. Wade, the case that allowed virtually unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy, and Palin’s opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest.

But most of the ad allows the candidates to tout their pro-life views — which could come back to haunt the pro-abortion group.

The ad begins with music that appears to come from any B-rated horror flick and calls McCain and Palin, "dangerous, extreme and radical" on abortion. It then features a montage of the two explaining their pro-life views.

"I favor the ultimate repeal of Roe v. Wade," McCain says in one clip.

"I’m proud of my pro-life record of 24 years," he adds in another videotape.

"I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies," McCain says in a third clip.

In another, Palin, the Alaska governor, says she would be delighted to support a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortions.

"I would, I would. And it’s not secret that I am pro-life, I don’t try to hide that nor am I ashamed of that. And, yes, a proposal like that I would stand by it," Palin says.

The spot attacks Palin for opposing abortion in cases of rape or incest and features a spot from her 2006 gubernatorial campaign where Palin answers a question about what she would do if her daughter were a victim of sexual abuse.

"Again, I would choose life," Palin says.

The montage also features a quote from Palin during her gubernatorial campaign saying she as "pro-life as any candidate can be."

The NARAL spot finishes with pictures of the candidates and a graphic saying McCain and Palin are "dangerously out of touch."

"Exercise your right to choose: Stop McCain-Palin," the NARAL spot concludes.

NARAL president Nancy Keenan says more than 30,000 people have viewed the ad on YouTube or news web sites and she sent a fundraising appeal on Thursday to her supporters asking for more money to play the ad on more web sites.

Keenan tells her members, "We hope to keep this video up in swing states like Pennsylvania, Colorado, and North Carolina where the race it too close to call."

With such a high percentage of the ad appealing to pro-life voters, playing it in key battleground states may backfire and rally pro-life voters behind McCain and Palin and against pro-abortion candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

View the NARAL ad at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WL_MvRu6S

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