In the November 19 New York Times, a symposium of political strategists are asked to advise former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani about his upcoming presidential candidacy. Mark Halperin and Rich Galen advise His Honor to emphasize his “big tent” niche, including his support for abortion-rights. More interesting, and disturbing, is the counsel from Republican operative Mary Matalin and former Bill Clinton aide Paul Begala. The advice: surrender on abortion.
Matalin writes:
On liberal social positions: carefully evolve, but don’t be a phony. Social conservatives are conviction voters. And social moderates will reject political opportunism. Indicate your respect for conservative convictions and try to ‘refine’ your own. A late-life reversal on late-term abortion is entirely plausible and mandatory. Try to keep focus on constitutionalist judges.
Begala is even more explicit:
You can’t switch on everything. So surrender to the far right on one issue: abortion. But the only way to do it is whole hog. Use your trump card: 9/11. Tell them the death you saw on that day gave you a greater appreciation for the sanctity of human life. You’re Saul on the road to Damascus. Praise the Lord and pass the delegates.
Now this symposium is purely inside baseball, of interest only to those of us who watch the primary election jockeying this early. Mayor Giuliani didn’t ask for this advice and, chances are, he won’t take it. His career so far seems to demonstrate that he really believes what he says he believes on abortion rights, gun control, and the other issues at odds with social conservatives. And he doesn’t seem to be the kind of man who will bend his beliefs so easily and cynically.
My first inclination is to chalk this up to two battle-weary and cynical political operatives: one who was able to advise Bill Clinton and one who is able to be married to James Carville. But I fear this counsel is quite telling, and often repeated.
How often have we seen just this strategy? Surrender on abortion. Evolve, with a wink and a nod to the Country Club crowd. Appease the pro-life voting bloc, and then legislate or govern with almost no concern for the unborn except a symbolic action here and there. And how often do we allow this kind of cynical political process to convince us that we are pro-life, lulling us away from preaching and teaching the sanctity of life, from pleading with lawmakers for the lives of the unborn, from counseling young women and adopting their babies?
How many of these Damascus Roads will we see before we have one of our own?
