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RFK Jr. Abortion Comment Highlights Unseen Fissures Within Democrat Party

Posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2023
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by Aaron Flanigan
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AMAC Exclusive – By Aaron Flanigan

robert f. kennedy jr. speaking behind podium, stance on abortion

Earlier this month, Democrat presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., caused a major stir in the political media when he announced to voters in Iowa that he was in favor of federal restrictions on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Although his campaign quickly walked back the comment, it nonetheless signaled that there may yet be some Democrats willing to challenge the party’s increasingly extreme stance on abortion, and perhaps other issues of importance to voters as well.

Although there is virtually zero chance that Democrat presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., will defeat Joe Biden and secure his party’s nomination next year, his presence in the race has exposed just how shaky Biden’s base of support is.

Since his campaign launch in April, Kennedy has openly challenged a wide slate of progressive orthodoxies, ranging from his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccines to speaking out against Big Tech censorship and saying the United States should stop sending more weapons and funding to Ukraine. The fact that more than 10 percent of Democrat primary voters support Kennedy even in the face of a concerted media effort to slander and discredit him demonstrates that there is a tangible desire among Democrats for a more moderate party platform.

Perhaps Kennedy’s most notable departure from conventional left-wing thinking came earlier this month, when he shocked his party by publicly backing federal protections for unborn life after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

After being asked by a reporter whether he would seek to codify Roe v. Wade at the federal level, Kennedy said the following: “I believe that a decision to abort a child should be up to the woman during the first three months”—stating that he would sign a law protecting unborn babies after approximately 15 weeks. “Once a child is viable outside the womb,” he continued, “I think, then, a state has an interest in protecting that child.”

Given that the overwhelming majority of Democrat candidates and elected officials support the right to unlimited abortion-on-demand, Kennedy’s statement took a tremendous amount of courage. Though most conservative and pro-life voters would of course likely prefer tighter restrictions on abortion (many pro-lifers support exceptions only when the life of the mother is in danger, while others also support exceptions for rape and incest), the mere fact that a Democrat presidential candidate in 2023 has openly advocated for federal protections for the unborn should be taken as a hopeful sign for everyone who values the sanctity of life.

Additionally, Kennedy’s use of the word “child” when discussing abortion is an implicit rejection of the left’s claim that an unborn baby is merely a “clump of cells” or “blob of tissue” undeserving of basic legal protections. Though some conservative commentators were quick to note the logical inconsistencies inherent in Kennedy’s claims (pointing to the fact that if an unborn baby is truly a “child,” it should still be worthy of protection before it is viable outside the womb), his willingness to acknowledge preborn infants as children shows that he, unlike virtually everyone else in his party, understands the moral gravity of abortion—and at least on some level, values the God-given right to life.

Predictably, the corporate media and Democrat Party officials responded with outrage. “Republicans can attempt to dress Kennedy up as a Democrat but it’s still just lipstick on a pig,” said one Democrat operative. “RFK Jr. has never tried to appeal to Democrats or the party’s primary voters,” another Democrat strategist said. “His stance on abortion access runs an affront to not only the Democratic Party but the majority of Americans regardless of partisan stripe.”

But the facts suggest that the Democrat Party’s increasing radicalism on abortion is far from a popular stance.

Polling indicates more than 70 percent of voters, regardless of party, believe that abortion should be restricted to the first three months of pregnancy—precisely the same restrictions Kennedy backed earlier this month. Additionally, only 10 percent of voters support the left’s position of abortion-on-demand up until the point of birth, which serves as additional proof that the American people overwhelmingly reject the extreme position that has come to define the Democrat Party platform.

Unfortunately, Kennedy soon caved and reversed his popular position on abortion amid pressure from the left-wing media and Democrat establishment. After clearly stating that he would indeed support federal protection for babies after 15 weeks, his campaign issued a statement saying he “misunderstood the question” and “Mr. Kennedy’s position on abortion is that it is always the woman’s right to choose.”

Kennedy’s campaign has become a hopeful sign that Democrat voters are open to a more moderate path. For this reason, it is not surprising that the left-wing ruling class has branded Kennedy as a “dangerous” enemy in an effort to sink his campaign.

But if Kennedy truly wants his party back, as he has repeatedly stated, acquiescence to the left-wing media is not the answer. A surprising number of Democrat voters, too, are craving a return to normalcy and moderation within their party’s ranks. If this remains Kennedy’s goal, it is not too late for him to make his presence known and stand up to the Democrat establishment.

Aaron Flanigan is the pen name of a writer in Washington, D.C.

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PaulE
PaulE
1 year ago

Unfortunately for Kennedy, the Democrat Party is completely controlled by hard left socialists and Marxists, who have no interest in compromise or going back to the late 1960s in terms of policies or pretending to be something they never were. Those in control of the Democrat Party have an agenda for this country that does not include revisiting the so-called “good old days” of his father and uncle he keeps referring to in all his speeches. I think deep down he fully understands all this, as he does not appear to be a stupid man, and his current campaign is more or less just a sort of nostalgia trip or last hurrah for a time long past.

If it appears Kennedy is gaining too much traction against the Puppet in Chief currently installed in the White House, those in power have already amply demonstrated they have a myriad of means to knock Kennedy out of the race. They can unleash a coordinated MSM attack on him, use the lawfare approach that is currently being directed at President Trump, arrange for several Democrat State Secretaries to refuse to put his name on the ballot, etc., etc.. All the avenues and more that are practiced in current socialist and Marxist regimes around the world.

Evelyn
Evelyn
1 year ago

Happy to hear this. I was once a democrat and I had a button made that said pro life democrat and wore it. I got comments such as isn’t that an oxymoron? How sad was that? I did finally return to republican. JFK was not a democrat at heart and perhaps RFK Jr is really not either. But he should keep up the fight for the USA against the commies of his own party.

Franklin Werkheiser
Franklin Werkheiser
1 year ago

This is my take on abortion. To all of us with a proper sense of what’s right and what’s wrong and with our beliefs in God and Jesus Christ know it is inhuman, it’s murder and it’s wrong. With that being said we are also not in a position to rule and judge others as the Liberal democrats are trying to do to us. It’s up to us to fulfill our Religious beliefs the right way and not pass laws to control those that break Gods Commandments because that responsibility is solely in God’s hands. We should stick to following what we know is right by God and his son Jesus Christ and let those that go this route be Judged by God Himself. The Ignorant non-believers will do as they please anyway.

DenvilleSr
DenvilleSr
1 year ago

Democrat voters need to wake up to the fact that the party is now controlled by socialists. Killing a baby just before the time of birth is viewed as a right of the mother and a human being ready to enter the world has no rights. But it’s worse. Democrats believe in total control of speech. Government can lie because it is for the common good. The press is expected to paint those lies as being the truth. Democrats believe that government should be able to tell you what is good, and therefore mandatory, for your health. Democrats believe that in order to achieve their desired form of government, they need to assign as many of us as possible to some needy and disadvantaged group based upon income, gender (whatever one wants it to be), the color of your skin or cause de’jour. Meritocracy is not valued by leftists, so education achievement should not be evaluated by grades. Outcomes must be equal, something that can be talked about and praised but never achieved. Capitalism is said to be bad, but Democrats have no viable alternative because people excel in creating things only when they can see a reward for the work expended. That is human nature and not something that you can pass a law about. Dictators are to be “worked with” and not criticized. These are the talking points of the modern Democrat Party, but it is not what the United States has always been about. It is socialism, pure and simple.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
1 year ago

Good more Dem divide Is good
RFK is one of US in some issues

anna hubert
anna hubert
1 year ago

This should have been put on the books from the get go and we would not have an “issue” today

Gary
Gary
1 year ago

RFK Jr. Abortion Comment Highlights Unseen Fissures Within Democrat Party

Wouldn’t the headline be more accurate to say : ‘ RFK Jr. Abortion Comment Highlights Hidden Fissures Within Democrat Party?
I don’t know how many Pro-life Democrats there are . But surely , there must be some . It’s common knowledge that the , so called , Legacy Media or Main Stream Media , MSM , are the publicity wing of the DEMOCRAT Party . And , they control the overwhelming majority of ‘news’ markets . I wish there was at least one member of the DEMOCRAT media wing that was pro-life so that , pro-life Democrats could have a place in the media where they could exchange ideas , commentary , and the like .
So, how many pro-life Democrats are there anyway ? ?

legally present
legally present
1 year ago

the whole thing is stupid about abortion, it’s murder when someone kills a pregnant woman, they get them for 2 counts, but to them it’s NOT murder if the ignorant mother that is too stupid to use birth control, or man a condom, kills their own. What’s the difference, it’s murder both ways and some use it as a form of birth control, I know someone who did. They are murderers, and yes the “woke” hijacked the Democrat radical party.

RLS
RLS
1 year ago

An icon is RFK; if only he were an Independent or Republican… we MUST listen to his voice and shame all who shun him. Trump-Ramaswamy-Kennedy is the way to go to clean up our country on all fronts. I love these guys✡️

Larry
Larry
1 year ago

Don’t fall for it, I don’t believe for a moment that Kennedy represents a “middle of the road” Democrat candidate, anymore than Joe Mansion held out for “principles” in holding up passing of Biden economic package. Mansion held out for concessions that would benefit his own interests. How many times have we heard the left make promises representing a more centrist position only to betray Independent voters and less conservative Republican/Democrat voters?

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
1 year ago

SCOTUS ruling on Roe v Wade already established the states, not the federal government, have jurisdiction on abortion laws so WTF is he on about? What I’d like to see is (besides public broadcasting funding) is stopping funding to a multibillion dollar Planned Parenthood (about $500M annually) of which about $300M gets funneled to Democrat candidates; this can be done “federally”!

Morbious
Morbious
1 year ago

The problem is that robotic dem voters will vote in lockstep for the most radical candidates despite their apparent longing for ‘normalcy’. Remember the 2015 primary season? The best, most reasonable person there was Jim Webb. He got nowhere fast. Dem robots live fairly conservative lives but vote for far left loons. That shows no sign of changing. Why is RFK doing thus? My guess is that as a wealthy heir this adds meaning to his life of travel and fine dining. I dont believe he thinks he can prevail against the commies. I hope he lives a long time.

KJK
KJK
1 year ago

Conservatives are becoming wa-a-ay too trusting of RFKJr. He knows the “right” (literally) thing to say to win votes away from Trump.
For all of those believing RFKJr, you have fallen right into his trap. When push comes to shove – he is still a liberal. But, don’t worry. I’m sure that once he knows he’s loved so much by the Conservatives, he’ll conveniently switch parties. RFKJr isn’t worried about defeating Biden. His goal is to win Conservatives over and beat Trump.
Does anyone find it ironic that since Summer of 2020, RFKJr and Doc Malone were among the early,Trump’s-mRNA-Covid-Vaccine Demonizers? Fentanyl is the real killer. Maybe he should have made an issue about Fentanyl instead of the mRNA vaccine.
Even before the vaccine EUA was issued, and while the Phase 3 clinical trials were being held since Spring 2020 for Trump’s Operation Warp Speed (and yes contrary to what RFKJr, Malone, Alex Jones and many others want us to believe – there were mRNA clinical trials going on for decades), how could anyone know that the the vaccine was going to kill us off even before the Phase 3 clinical trials – of which I was one of the 75,000 participants, were completed? They didn’t because it isn’t true. It was vaccine fearmongering.

Donna
Donna
1 year ago

AMAC why is my comment being delayed, awaiting approval, while the troll, usa american is allowed to insult others?

Philip Seth Hammersley
Philip Seth Hammersley
1 year ago

Kennedy is trying to reach the SANE Democrats. There are still some of them though they don’t seem to speak up for fear of being attacked! Neither JFK nor RFK would support the radical positions of today’s DIMMS! Teddy probably would; he was atrocious all the way around!
By attacking him, DIMMS (the insane leaders) are showing just how radical they are!

Thinking
Thinking
1 year ago

The Satanists, see dems, don’t have a heart. Kennedy was showing heart. Abortion to the point of birth is genocide by proxy. The government shouldn’t have a say this is between her and her partner to decide. Government should mind its own business. Protection of the unborn cannot be regulated by a bunch of old men. The government should get out of the bedroom and govern, to make it possible for everyone to live decently and healthy and happy.

Joy
Joy
1 year ago

I agree with Shar. I have said that Rhamaswamy is a plant supported by Soros to take Trump votes away. Soros and the democrats are snakes in the grass.

Rosa Anderson
Rosa Anderson
1 year ago

There’s no reason to kill a child before it even has a chance to live if this is really the case why don’t they give death penalties to killers a repeating rapists.

NIcholas Elder
NIcholas Elder
1 year ago

If nothing else, I am encouraged to a notable democrat with some common sense and integrity. Hopefully others will support him.

Wayne
Wayne
1 year ago

Beware! Robert Kennedy Jr. (RFKJ as I call him) is the classic wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is coming on as a moderate but as we can plainly see from his 180 degree reversal on abortion, he would be every bit as bad if not worse than Joe Biden. He is still a moonbat on the environment, and his so-called opposition to the extremism of his party is at best token. The American people are his suckers, and his chances of being the democratic nominee are being under estimated. Beware!

Daniel Penny
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President Joe Biden, son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden walk across the South Lawn of The White House on July 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. President Biden is returning from a weekend trip to Camp David. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)

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