Child of the Enlightenment

The candidacy of Rudy Giuliani, which I support, seems to be offering a viable challenge to the polarization the nation has seen on the abortion issue since Roe v. Wade. Giuliani represents a bit of a political oddity on the issue seeing he seems to have two very contradictory positions. On one hand, he supports choice. On the other, he opposes the practice at least privately.

So how does this position break the deadlock on the issue? Well I think both sides would admit they could not claim any momentum is flowing in their direction. The issue just is so polarized that no compromise seems possible. This is where the Giuliani formula comes in.

Instead of pushing one side or the other, the Giuliani stance takes the two elements of both sides that command broad public support: permitting choice and discouraging the practice. By supporting choice, Giuliani gains a greater sense of legitimacy when he says he opposes the practice because it comes across as a piece of advice instead of a direct order. This allows him to make an effective argument on why the practice should be culturally shunned, but not outlawed.

I doubt many of the die-hard forces on each side of the debate will support something like this because they have too much ideologically invested in the issue, but I think enough middle ground exists among the American public to accept this triangulation on the issue of abortion.

The result to such a stance in the long run will be a greater societal opposition to the practice, but it will remain legal. More importantly, it will get the debate on the issue moving beyond the current state of polarization.