Some Thoughts About "Health"

At last night’s debate, John McCain directly challenged Barack Obama’s position on abortion, articulating a clearly pro-life position without the “Culture of life” euphemisms that we’ve been used to for the last few years.

For a lot of pro-lifer voters, I imagine the moment with McCain was encouraging: high visibility, direct, and unapologetic. Also, utterly unsuccessful. As best as we can tell from polling results after the debate, his comments on abortion alienated and annoyed far more voters than they convinced. The pivotal moment, at least in my mind, was when he replied to Obama’s statements about allowing abortions when a mother’s health was threatened.

McCain repeated Obama’s phrase — the “health” of the mother — even making air-quotes as he said the word health. To most Americans watching, it was a bizarre moment: McCain seemed to be mocking the very idea of a woman’s health being in danger during pregnancy. It looked crass, cold, and uncaring at a time when he needed to appear just the opposite.

Ironically, strong pro-lifers will probably not understand why. To those inside the movement, it’s accepted wisdom that before Roe vs. Wade, doctors in liberal areas circumvented anti-abortion laws by giving medical exceptions for any reason whatsoever. Feeling sick? Your abortion is for ‘health’ reasons. Would you be depressed if you had a baby? Your abortion is for ‘health’ reasons… And so on. (Admittedly, this conflicts with the apparent article of faith that overurning Roe vs. Wade will end abortion, but that’s a side issue.)

Viewed through that lens, Obama’s statement that he would support a ban on third trimester abortions with an exception for a mother’s health looks like nothing more than a slippery, lawyerly trick. He’ll pretend to sign a bill that stops abortion, but he’ll be winking and nudging his Planned Parenthood cronies all the time! Enter McCain’s statement — a snarky one-liner that implied that a mother’s “health” was no reason for an exception. To the passionate Christian activists who’ve consistently voted republican since the birth of the pro-life movement, it was a vindication. He saw through the crap, and wasn’t afraid to call Obama on it!

Unfortunately, that’s not what the rest of the world saw. They saw a powerful man with a lot of money who hasn’t had to worry about his needs for decades mocking the idea that women face difficult choices. They saw a man who — if he becomes president — will be making decisions that affect the health of every American… mocking women in life threatening situations. They saw every ugly stereotype of the misogynistic pro-lifer acted out in high definition on CNN.

The majority of the nation — by a huge margin — sees abortion as a complex and troubling issue with no clear-cut answers. While activists on both side of the issue push for absolute bans or absolute freedom, the vast majority of Americans consider themselves pro-choice with reservations. They want abortion to be legal, but oppose third-trimester abortions unless the mother’s life is in danger. About 20% of Americans believe abortion laws should be more restrictive — a shocking minority given the 50/50 split that most conservative/liberal issues in our country enjoy.

Many pro-lifers would say that public opinion polls have no place when issues as fundamental as human life and murder are involved. Like it or not, though, political discourse in our country is about convincing others, not demanding the right to enforce our beliefs. The Pro-Life movement has lost that battle, and has been preaching to the choir for years. Blaming other Americans for their selfishness or the media for its bias isn’t helping, and moments like McCain’s air-quotes only serve to reinforce the general belief that opposition to abortion equals disregard for women.