Monday, December 30, 2024
Maybe people like having a say on abortion rights
Maybe people like having a say on abortion rights: How many times did you hear that abortion would doom the GOP and President Trump's return to power? It was like…
Click to read:
Maybe people like having a say on abortion rights - American Thinker https://t.co/8XnucH6emQ
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) December 30, 2024
How many times did you hear that abortion would doom the GOP and President Trump's return to power? It was like "our daily bread" in the liberal media. Abortion was going to drive millions of women to the ballot box to settle the score over the overturning Roe.
Well, it didn't happen. It turns out that many men and women like the idea that they can make their own decisions, thanks to Dobbs. The so-called "abortion wave" did not happen. as Politico pointed out:
After campaigns to preserve abortion rights helped halt a red wave in 2022 and won Democrats key races in 2023, many in the party headed into November confident that putting the issue directly on the ballot in nearly a dozen states would juice turnout and pull swing voters to the left -- especially after Harris replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket and made a forceful defense of abortion rights her leading message. Clearly, that didn’t happen. Yes, abortion-rights ballot measures passed in seven more states and won majority support in Florida, though the measure failed because the state requires a 60 percent supermajority for passage. But voters in those same states, on the same ballot, voted for Republicans with a history of opposing abortion rights. Most Arizona voters, for instance, overturned a 15-week abortion ban and checked a box for Trump. Polling before and after the election showed that other issues -- including the economy and immigration -- took precedence for most voters, steering them toward GOP candidates. And many strategists and abortion-rights advocates believe the ballot measures created a “permission structure” for Republicans voters who were worried about the impact of bans on the procedure. There are a handful of states left where citizens can put an abortion-rights measure on the ballot in the future, and groups in Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota are likely to try again after initiatives there fell short or were blocked by courts this year. But the era of Democrats counting on such measures to boost their candidates’ chances is officially over.
Thank God that it's over. Maybe we can finally treat women with a little respect without assuming that all they care about is abortion.
My sense is that two other things happened.
First, voters got comfortable voting for abortion in their states. Here in Texas, we passed a "heartbeat law" and our neighbors in New Mexico voted for their own version of Roe. In the end, everybody is happy and democracy works as intended.
Second, and this may have been more important, voters did not go for the extreme position. You get the feeling that voters understood that there is something wrong with a culture that allows late-term abortions. Most voters saw that for what it was -- killing something that looks too much like a real baby.
So the critics of Roe got it right. Let the voters decide and things will work out. Abortion has finally been taken off the agenda on presidential elections. Yes, no more nominations for judges obsessed with Roe!
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
Happy # 89 Sandy Koufax
The great Sandy Koufax was born on this day in Brooklyn, NY and we wish him a very happy birthday.
Koufax is arguably the greatest lefty ever. His numbers tell the story even taking account the arm injuries that forced him to retire early.
No doubt, his stats from 1961 to 1966 are unique in modern baseball.
Koufax is arguably the greatest lefty ever. His numbers tell the story even taking account the arm injuries that forced him to retire early.
No doubt, his stats from 1961 to 1966 are unique in modern baseball.
In other words, he was the most dominant pitcher during those six seasons.
Overall, he pitched 4 no hitters including a perfect game in 1965;
He won 165 games with a 2.76 ERA;
No one could touch him in the 1963 and 1965 World Series;
Cy Young in 1963, 1965 & 1966; and last but not least,
NL MVP in 1963.
Sadly, arm injuries forced him to retire after 1966 or age 32.
Overall, he pitched 4 no hitters including a perfect game in 1965;
He won 165 games with a 2.76 ERA;
No one could touch him in the 1963 and 1965 World Series;
Cy Young in 1963, 1965 & 1966; and last but not least,
NL MVP in 1963.
Sadly, arm injuries forced him to retire after 1966 or age 32.
On a personal level, he broke my heart when he beat the Twins in game 7 of the 1965 World Series. We ran home from school to watch that game and LA beat Minnesota behind Koufax's 2-0 performance.
A few years ago, I read this great book about Koufax.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
We remember Michael Nesmith (1942-2021)
Most of us remember Nesmith because he was one of The Monkees, the rock group that recorded several hits in the late 1960's.
Nesmith wrote some of the group's hits, as well as "A different drum" recorded by The Stone Poneys. After The Monkees, Nesmith had a few solo hits in the 1970's.
Nesmith wrote some of the group's hits, as well as "A different drum" recorded by The Stone Poneys. After The Monkees, Nesmith had a few solo hits in the 1970's.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
We remember Skeeter Davis (1931-2004)
"Why does the sun go on shining?Why does the sea rush to shore?Don't they know it's the end of the world?'Cause you don't love me anymoreWhy do the birds go on singing?Why do the stars glow above?Don't they know it's the end of the world?It ended when I lost your loveI wake up in the morning and I wonderWhy everything's the same as it wasI can't understand, no, I can't understandHow life goes on the way it doesWhy does my heart go on beating?Why do these eyes of mine cry?Don't they know it's the end of the world?It ended when you said goodbyeIt ended when you said goodbye"
"The end of the world" continues to get a lot of airplay on country and pop stations. It also shows up in movie soundtracks.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
A word about Davy Jones (1945-2012)
Davy Jones was one of The Monkees, the pop group that had a bunch of hits for a couple of years in the late 1960's.
Davy was the girls' favorite. I remember that my sister had Davy Jones posters on her wall. She was a huge fan of the group's music and their weekly TV series.
The Monkees sold millions of records. They were actually a pretty good group and I liked many of their songs, too. However, their success faded as the TV show went off the air.
Davy was the lead vocalist on "Daydream Believer", a # 1 song in December 1967.
He also sang lead on "A little bit me, a little bit you", another chart topper from March '67 and the second Neil Diamond tune recorded by the group. (The other was "I'm a believer")
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Lucy Webb Hayes, the first wife to be referred to as First Lady
Hayes won the extremely controversial election of 1876 against Governor Samuel Tilden of New York.
Hayes lost the popular vote by 300,000 out of the 8 million cast. After weeks of negotiations, Hayes won the electoral college 185-184.
Historians believe that Mr Hayes' election was part of a deal to get federal troops out of the South.
Hayes had problems governing, in large measure because of his disputed election.
Nevertheless, First Lady Lucy was quite a charm. The wife of the president has properly been referred to as "The First Lady" ever since!
Happy # 87 Paul Stookey of Peter Paul & Mary
"In 1961, Stookey was the emcee, comedian and occasional singer at Gaslight, a club in Greenwich Village. One night, he was approached by Albert Grossman, a manager, who asked him if he was interested in joining a new folk trio. He initially said that he wasn't, but afterMary Travers and Peter Yarrow went to his apartment and the three sang together, Peter, Paul and Mary was born."And the rest is music history.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)