Wednesday, October 22, 2008

McCain on "the health of the mother": Mocking Women in Crisis

How come almost no one seems to have noticed that during the last debate McCain mocked pregnant women as he put the term "health of the mother" in air quotes? Watch it here

My tradition makes the life of the mother paramount. It believes that her life takes precedence over the fetus. The definition of that depends on the situation. There are black hatted Orthodox rabbis who allow abortion in the case of a Tay Saks or other genetic diseases because they know this will be devastating to the life of the mother. [A Tay Saks baby spends much of its short life crying in pain.]

McCain obviously believes this is a loophole that heartless mothers have been using this to allow late term abortion on demand. [It is as suddenly in their seventh month these women decide: "Oops, I just realized that I don't really want this baby... I am going to go find me an abortion... and "Oh yes, my health is in danger." Oh those conniving pregnant liberal women!]

This is what he said:
Again…just again, an example of the eloquence of Senator Obama, health (indicates air quotes) of the mother. You know that’s been stretched by the pro-abortion movement to mean almost anything.
I shuddered as I thought McCain might be making the decision as to what constitutes the life of the mother.... this from a man who threw aside his first wife, when he discovered, upon returning from Vietnam, that she had gained weight, shrunk a few inches, looked old, and was handicapped [from a terrible car accident].

One last point on Obama's supposed eloquence: McCain had obviously been coached to make fun of Obama's eloquence. Now, I may have a somewhat higher standard for eloquence than many Americans -- it comes with my profession and is not always a good thing -- but talking about "the life of the mother" does not strike me as an example of "eloquence."... Senator McCain where are your standards???

2 comments:

hockey hound said...

"One last point on Obama's supposed eloquence: McCain had obviously been coached to make fun of Obama's eloquence"

I personally think that the combination of Obama's eloquence and his perceptive manipulation of the average American's latent anger in regard to what has become the insular and INSOLENT nature of the Amerian politician (both Republican and Democrat)will win him the presidency of the United States of America. McCain's mistake, in a purely political context, is in attacking Obama's character, a tactic that many observers (myself included) interpret as simplistic, calumunious, and, for a veteran politician who boasts of his experience in Washington (which also is not a prudent move in this particular presidential race precisely because of the average American voter's latent hatred of what they perceive as an insular Whitehouse)undignified for a future leader of the United States. In my opinion, McCain has forfeited the presidency with his overtly hateful and denigrative statements about Obama. Obama's campaign is thriving simply because he avoids sounding "Washington," if you will. When Obama says the word "change" the average American voter interprets this promise (in my opinion) as his honest attempt to reunite the American public with the American politician at the Whitehouse level.

"The most important office is that of private citizen." -Louis D. Brandeis

Sharon from WI said...

Professor Lipstadt,

You may be heartened to know that McCain's callous remark concerning the health of the mother has be commented upon by more than a few.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cecile-richards/mccain-says-womens-health_b_135205.html?page=4