Why Women Need To Be OK With Kaine As The Country’s Next VP

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine says he has a “faith-based opposition” to abortion and it’s got women voters buzzing. As a speculated VP nominee, the buzz is growing into a loud roar.

I’d like to squish the bees creating the noise, maybe not with my entire shoe but at least with a nice rolled-up newspaper.

Gloria Feldt writes, “But mostly, Obama should not choose Kaine because Kaine opposes a woman’s most fundamental human right to decide her own destiny by making her own childbearing decisions. Kaine opposes a long-standing central tenet of the Democratic party platform; in fact, the platform committee just adopted its strongest pro-choice language yet. I mean, how do the Democrats think they attracted all those women they are now taking for granted in the first place?

Kaine’s statement that abortion shouldn’t be criminalized, as in this Meet the Press interview is a step in the right direction, but not nearly sufficient. Women are too close to losing reproductive justice overall, as illustrated by the Bush administration’s move to redefine contraception as abortion. We’re not talking a minor policy issue over which there can be legitimate disputes. As Linda Hirshman wrote so compellingly in Slate, we need to consider the value of a woman’s life.”

A bunch of that is BS. Normally I would completely discount anyone lauding Hirshman (the woman who compared herself to Socrates and dissed stay-at-home-moms because “the tasks of housekeeping and child rearing were not worthy of the full time and talents of intelligent and educated human beings” ) but gaffe aside, let’s go ahead and tackle the idea that Obama’s running mate is less than pro-choice.

We could go through and talk about Kaine’s repeated his position supporting Roe and what he’s done as Governor…however, let’s just put all that aside too.

Let’s deal with the realities of this country. The reality of government. The reality of America in 2008.

The abortion issue is never going to be resolved. The abortion issue is never going to go away. The abortion issue is one of the many, many issues that splits this country right down the middle.

I think we can all agree extreme viewpoints in politics, religion, and American life have led to stalemates, ugly campaigning, inaction of government, special interest, and even death, destruction, and wars.

So why is it bad to have a VP who WILL NOT vote to overturn Roe v Wade, yet does express concern with abortion?

That makes him like many of my neighbors. Like many in my family. Like many of my friends and like half of this country. I certainly will not be agreeing with them anytime soon, but I would like Thanksgiving to be more civil.

Senator Obama keeps talking about change. The biggest, single change our country could see is unity. Ending the divisive, nasty way of life we currently lead.

Are you really willing to hear all sides of an argument and bring everyone to the table? Are you really willing to respect all voices in this country? Even the ones you TOTALLY disagree with? Will you at least listen?

Or will you stay set in your extreme ways, and sit and wait for your knight to rescue you?

BlogHer Contributing Editor PunditMom writes, “But if Obama really wants to end up in the White House, he and his campaign need to help shake the feeling that he’s not making the ‘ask’ in a way that connects with the groups he needs.

Barack, Mama Ann and PunditMom’s mom want to vote for you. You just need to be a little more “into” them.”

I would argue that not only is the Senator “into” you, but he’s rising above your divisiveness. He’s into pro-choice you, and anti-choice you, and Christian-you, and atheist-you, and even blow-hard Republican-you.

Senator Obama is listening. He’s also making good on all that talk about real change.

A Kaine VP pick means he’s walking the walk.

The question becomes, can you walk it too? Or will you remain in one corner, while the rest of us-all of us– have our voices heard at the table.

Cross posted at BlogHer