As someone who has faithfully watched presidential debates since 1960, I have come to the conclusion that the worst thing that can happen is for a moderator's opinion of himself to be so bloated it makes a revealing exchange of opinions and ideas nearly impossible. That happened in Tuesday night's second presidential debate between pro-life Sen. John McCain and pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama.
It's fine to be low-key, measured, and restrained. But moderator Tom Brokaw of NBC News was positively tedious. He came across as a schoolmarmish scold, more concerned with getting to his own deadly dull questions than drawing out who these two men actually are.
Is it an accident that we are now three debates in (two for the presidential candidates and one for the vice presidential candidates) and no question about abortion? No, of course not.
For all the bravado from pro-abortionists (aka they hold the upper hand on the issue), do they really want Barack Obama defending his straight-ticket pro-abortion voting record? His enthusiastic support for the "Freedom of Choice Act" which would nuke every protective law passed over the past three decades and embed "abortion in all public programs affecting pregnant women," as Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia and chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-life Activities, explained it in a letter sent to every congressional office in September?
Or Obama's resolute role in scuttling legislation to provide legal protection for babies who are born alive during abortions? Or (from the man who keeps insisting he wants to "reduce" the number of abortions) his unwillingness to fund crisis pregnancy centers?
On the other hand, when someone like CBS's Katie Couric interviews pro-life vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin she is quite free to frame her questions in the most difficult manner.
There is no Obama on set to question about the positions he has taken (see above). She is also free to edit. In other words, a lot of the context can be conveniently not shown on television.
I re-read the "unedited" CBS transcript this morning. Not only did Couric ratchet up the "gotcha" question quotient in her second interview with Gov. Palin, Couric shortchanged the audience by omitting the wider setting in which Palin framed her responses.
Palin answered honestly, forthrightly, and compassionately. And, although the questions were intended to make her uncomfortable, Palin's demeanor never comes across as the least bit defensive
Palin immediately acknowledged that people have a different position than she does.
"I am pro-life. And I'm unapologetic about my position. And I understand good people on both sides of the abortion debate. In fact, good people in my own family have differing views on abortion and when it should be allowed. So … I respect people's opinion on this.
"Now, I would counsel to choose life. I would like to see a culture of life in this country. But I would also like to see taking it one step further. Not just saying I am pro-life, and I want fewer and fewer abortions in this country, but I want, then, those women who find themselves in circumstances that are absolutely less than ideal, for them to be supported; for adoptions to be made easier; for more support given to foster parents and adoptive families. That is my personal opinion on this."
As a pro-life feminist Gov. Palin brings a perspective not often heard--and definitely not heard on the CBS Evening News. None of the following quotes from the transcript made it on the air. At one point she told Couric, "I want women empowered to know that we can help them. They can be strong enough, and they can have the resources provided them to give that child life." Later she added, "When you consider what's going on in this world, the most promising and good ingredients in this world … is a child, the hope that a child brings. And just understanding that, being near and dear to my heart, I want to do all that I can to reduce the number of abortions. And to usher in that culture of life."
Then at the end of this line of questioning, Palin said (in her role as vice president) that, "I will do all that I can personally to encourage that culture of life, to remind women that I believe with more empowerment, they--more and more women will realize that they are strong enough--[to be] able to carry a child and still continue a career, still continue education opportunities, all with the goal being fewer and fewer abortions in this world."
Well said, Gov. Palin. Too bad more people couldn't have heard it.
Contact: Dave Andrusko
Source: National Right to Life
Source URL: www.nrlc.org
Publish Date: October 8, 2008
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