Brownback: chronology trumping ideology
Rich Lowry at National Review said it better yesterday than I did in my “Thumbs down: Brownback” post last week:
The Brownback campaign is essentially premised on pro-life purity…. I admire those views and think they are very important…. But it’s not any of the particularly whole-life issues… that are driving his campaign.
Instead, it’s attacks on other candidates for not being pro-life enough, or more precisely for not being pro-life soon enough. I find this pointless. I don’t believe that Mitt Romney is ever going to go back to being pro-choice. But, fine, maybe his conversion in 2004 is of too recent vintage to be believed.
Then, there’s Fred Thompson. The former Tennessee senator converted to pro-life sometime after 1994. That’s long enough ago to grandfather anyone in to his new position. But it’s presumably not long enough for Brownback, who is running his campaign less on ideology than on chronology.
What would be long enough?….
For people for whom the pro-life issue trumps all, the imperative has to be beating the pro-choice Rudy Giuliani. A fractured pro-life field probably helps Rudy, and at this point, Brownback can only help keep it fractured….
In practical terms for pro-lifers, Brownback’s campaign is balanced somewhere between pointless and counter-productive.
The campaign is also the very embodiment of a tendency toward impractical perfectionism among pro-lifers, as Brownback tries to hunt down and slay every convert to the pro-life cause. But converts are to be welcomed; pro-lifers will never prevail without them.
Sometimes a campaign can be about delivering a message over and above any concrete political considerations. But the truth is that the Brownback presidential campaign is doing the senator’s moral cause no favors. If anything, say to say, his cause is being hurt by the association.
Lowry said Brownback should get out of the presidential campaign and stick to being a good US senator. He has other baggage, the foremost being he supported amnesty for illegal immigrants. He also opposed the troop surge.
I agree.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
He supported amnesty for illegal immigrants?
Wow! I’m even more of a committed Brownbacker now than I was before.
Ugh. Why is it that the only true conservative in the race is constantly slammed by his own?
If you knock out Brownback, you are left with pro-abortion Rudy, weak McCain and flip-flop Romney (the republican John Kerry).
Brownback has incredible support in the pro-life community and is the only one who has consistently been with and fostered the pro-life movement for years, decades. This is reason enough to make him President but if there is concern that he is making others uncomfortable with his campaign style that focuses on the very issue we need to focus on, then too freaking bad. We need a leader, not a floozie, which is exactly what we’ll get if we kick Sam out of the race.
Andrew, I think Brownback may only have incredible support in the pro-life Catholic community.
I don’t think you’re thinking objectively on this. “Why is it that the only true conservative in the race is constantly slammed by his own?” It’s the opposite, Andrew. The Lowry column was about Brownback slamming others, pro-lifers at that. It’s not like you to tolerate that behavior.
To boot, Brownback has never gotten traction either, and he’s had plenty of time. He’s a good man, but it ain’t gonna happen. And he’s going about trying to make it happen the wrong way.
Actually, it’s the bigger picture that’s at stake here.
The universal lament after the November 2006 elections was that conservatives lost the House and Senate because they did not stick to their core principles. Radio talk show hosts, bloggers and commentators were quick to point this out and harp on it.
Fast forward to 2008 and we are seeing essentially the same thing. You have a field of candidates who are either not pro-life or at best very weak and who are continually getting the most attention from the very same people who were upset after the 2006 elections.
One great example of this is Hugh Hewitt, who has ridden the anti-Brownback ticket for many, many months, long before Sam himself went negative.
Besides, it is a mystery to me why people are upset at Brownback for pointing out the obvious about the other candidates. This is similiar to people getting mad at me for showing them a graphic image of abortion when instead they should be upset at the people who caused the image in the first place.
One more thing to end this: the Catholic pro-life community? Really, is there any other? (low blow, smile)
Ah, yes, the pro-life reformation movement, haven’t you heard? Or have you been too busy buying indulgences to notice? :)
Oh Jill,
Don’t be silly! We get our indulgences for free now…
Andrew, I think I love you.
You articulated my position better than I could have. And that veiled low blow- I wish it weren’t true. I was a hardcore evangelical pro-life activist- I did lobbying, sidewalk counseling, and like all good protestant girls- I worked at a sola fide CPC. And when I got out of the CPC and got my hands dirty, I was disgusted and discouraged by the fact that I knew of 4, yes 4 fellow protestants willing trudge in the trenches of pro-life activism (vs. the pro-life passivism of sitting in the baby-powder smelling, sterile suburban CPC offices waiting for abortion-minded women to find us).
There is no Catholic Pro-lifers vs. Protestant Prolifers “pissing contest” here (I apologize for the lack of a better term). It’s reality. Myself and my 4 friends are more critical of Protestant pro-life INactivism than the Catholics were. I think Catholics just accept that they are 90% of this movement. Wish it weren’t so- but it is.
I recently reconciled to the Church (this Easter actually) and I feel like I’ve now lost my platform to criticize Protestant absence/effectiveness now that I no longer am one. But my point stands that you don’t have to be a Catholic to recognize that Catholics are the prolife movement. Anyone that’s even Marched on DC on Roe v. Wade day can see the disproportionate showing of non-Catholics.
MK, haha. And hey, aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?
Jacqueline, Andrew is indeed lovable. But you are only allowed to do so as a sister… :) He’s married to another Jacquelyn. In fact, I wondered for a time if you were her until I looked up how she spelled her name again.
As for Catholics carrying the water on the pro-life issue, it’s true. Lots of reasons why. Doesn’t make it right.
Oh my gosh! I just spoke to my own friend like a stranger! We work together in Dallas, and I’m friends with his Jacquelyn. :)
It’s a small (cyber) world, I tell ya!
Hate to get off-topic, Jill, but have you seen pictures of Andrew and Jacquelyn’s newborn baby girl? She’s gorgeous!
Jacqueline, I always knew you were brilliant and this confirms it!
Together we need to convince our protestant brothers and sisters to . . . update their 500 year old jokes about indulgences!
Jacqueline, your email address indicating you were from TX further threw me. Wow, it is a small world!
I’ve heard there are new pictures of Cecelia up from Bro. Francis but now I forget the blog address. Andrew?
New jokes… hm… I just looked on the web. The new ones aren’t so funny. I think we should stick to jokes about indulgences and purgatory and saints and Mary and dusty Bibles.
Sadly, nearly 8 years as a Protestant and I don’t have but a few good Catholic jokes. Now Baptist jokes, I have a ton of those. :)
Andrew knows the 4 people I’m talking about also, you might also Jill. I could have just mentioned them by name. I’m always amazed at the connections in the pro-life world. Even though there are over 100,000 people at the March for Life each year, I always run into the same people from previous years! In fact, in 2004 I ran into Debi of Children of God for Life (we met at Terri Schiavo’s 2003 vigil in Florida) and she asked to watch her table as she gave a speech. Her table was next to Bryan Kemper, whom I met in Dallas when he toured with Rock for Life. The reunions are always great, even the cyber ones.
Just a few weeks ago you posted something my friend Lauren’s husband (Oliver) wrote. I was certain it was him- but I called her to confirm. That stuff tickles me. :)
Hey Baptist jokes are just as good. Let’s hear em.
http://www.ceciliaboo.wordpress.com
is the blog of the Smith family and Cecilia Jane Smith.
My favorite Baptist joke:
Q. Why do you always take at least 2 Baptists fishing with you?
A. Because if you only take 1, he’ll drink all you’re beer.
Hey Jacqueline, you got any non-denominational jokes? I hear those are the funniest…
Aw, Andrew, she’s so cute!
Jacqueline, excellent Baptist joke! It took me a minute because I said at first, “But Baptists don’t drink!”
Yes, the pro-life world is huge but small. Wherever I go, I make instant best friends. And we INSTANTLY have scads to talk about, including talking the same talk… almost like another language.
That’s great about Oliver!