Pro-life Democrats increasingly are being told that they are not welcome in their political party.
On Sunday, presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is considered to be one of the more moderate Democratic contenders, made it pretty clear that pro-life Democrats are not welcome during a Fox News town hall meeting.
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, told the Catholic News Agency that they have had enough.
“We need pro-life Democrats all over the country to go to these candidates and ask the question: Do you want pro-life Democrats in the party? Because if not, we won’t vote for you,” Day said.
She told CNA that the candidates’ loyalty seems to be to the billion-dollar abortion industry, not voters.
“[They] are so afraid of the abortion lobby, and even making any inroads to Democrats for Life, pro-life Democrats, they’re afraid that they’re going to lose all their money and support,” Day said.
It was Day who asked Buttigieg about welcoming pro-life Democrats on Sunday.
“There are about 21 million of us, and if so, would you support more moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity and inclusion really does include everybody?” Day asked.
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“… would you be open to language like that in the Democratic platform that really did say that our party is diverse and inclusive and we want everybody?” Day continued.
Buttigieg’s answer basically was no.
“Well I support the position of my party, that this kind of medical care needs to be available to everyone,” he said, “and I support the Roe vs. Wade framework that holds that early in pregnancy there are very few restrictions and late in pregnancy there are very few exceptions, and again the best I can offer is that we may disagree on that very important issue and hopefully we will be able to partner on other issues.”
Day said Buttigieg’s abortion stance is out of touch with most voters, including a large number of Democrats.
“I just wanted to know if he [Buttigieg] thought there was room for us in the party. And he doesn’t,” she told CNA.
Last year, when asked about restricting abortions in the third trimester, Buttigieg told Fox News’ Chris Wallace that he would not. “I trust women to draw the line,” he said.
Here’s more from the report:
Many voters, Day told CNA, say they support a woman’s choice for abortion, but when it comes to the details of abortion policy, they can not be classified as “pro-abortion.”
“A lot of people think that that [abortion] choice should still be there,” but when they learn of detailed policy positions such as legal abortion for all nine months of pregnancy, or the removal of safety regulations of abortion clinics, “when it comes right down to it, most people agree with me,” Day said.
“The abortion extremism,” she said, “this is not going to be a good long-term strategy for them.”
The Democratic Party has grown increasingly extreme on abortion, and there are few pro-life Democrat lawmakers left in office. Like Buttigieg, all of the top Democrat presidential candidates support abortion on demand up to birth and want to force taxpayers to pay for them.
But that is not where most voters stand on the abortion issue. Two new polls from Marist and Gallup show strong public opposition to abortion on demand.
According to Marist, more than six in 10 Americans (62%) say that if the Supreme Court revisits Roe v. Wade it should allow states to determine restrictions (46%) or make abortion illegal (16%). Only 33% of Americans say Roe v. Wade should be interpreted to allow for legal abortion any time without restriction.
Gallup found that 58% of Americans are not satisfied with current abortion laws, and more want stricter laws that limit or ban abortions.
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said Democrat voters also support abortion restrictions.
“Recent polling shows 44% of rank-and-file Democrats want to vote for a candidate who supports common-ground limits on abortion,” Dannenfelser said. “The modern Democratic Party is the party of abortion on demand through birth, paid for by taxpayers, and even infanticide.”
In addition, the new Marist poll found that 65 percent of Americans are more likely to vote for candidates who support limiting abortions to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy, said Catholic Association policy advisor Grazie Pozo Christie, MD.
“The Democrats’ aggressive stance on abortion makes them the party of exclusion, leaving countless Americans with moderate views in the cold,” Christie said.
The Democratic Party has not always been so extreme on abortion. The party, which prides itself in fighting for the vulnerable, once welcomed strong pro-life politicians who fought for the rights of unborn babies. In recent years, however, it has shifted to align itself closely with the abortion industry, which contributes millions of dollars to Democratic candidates.
Pro-life Democrat leaders include U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski, of Illinois, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana state Rep. Katrina Jackson.
