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Pro-Life Woman Confronts Pete Buttigieg at Televised Town Hall

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Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Sunday indicated that pro-life Democrats seeking moderation in the party’s platform language about abortion should not get their hopes up.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, took questions during a Fox News town hall in Claremont, New Hampshire, on Sunday night.

One question for Buttigieg came from pro-life Democrat Kristen Day.

“I am a proud, pro-life Democrat,” Day said. “So, do you want the support of pro-life Democratic voters? There are about 21 million of us. And if so, would you support more moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity and inclusion really does include everybody?”

Buttigieg responded that he respected Day but did not agree.

“I’m not going to try to earn your vote by tricking you,” he said. “I am pro-choice, and I believe that a woman ought to be able to make that decision.

“I know that the difference of opinion that you and I have is one that we come by honestly. …

“The best I can offer is that if we can’t agree on where to draw the line, the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line, and in my view, it’s the woman who’s faced with that decision in her own life.”



When host Chris Wallace asked Day if she was OK with that answer, she said she was not.

Do you think the Democratic Party has gone too far in its embrace of abortion rights?

“He didn’t answer the second part of my question,” she said, “and the second part was, the Democratic platform contains language that basically says that we don’t belong, we have no part in the party because it says abortion should be legal up to nine months, the government should pay for it. …

“In 1996 and several years after that, there was language in the Democratic platform that said that we understand that people have very differing views on this issue but we are a big tent party that includes everybody and therefore we welcome you — people like me — into the party so we can work on issues that we agree on.”

Day asked if he would be open to language in the party’s platform saying “our party is diverse and inclusive and we want everybody.”

Buttigieg didn’t directly answer her but made it clear he believes almost all abortions should be legal.

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“I support the position of my party — that this kind of medical care needs to be available to everyone, and I support the Roe v. Wade framework that holds that early in pregnancy there are very few restrictions and late in pregnancy there are very few exceptions,” he said.

The comment earned Buttigieg some criticism on Twitter.

The 2016 Democratic platform said Democrats “will support sexual and reproductive health and rights around the globe. In addition to expanding the availability of affordable family planning information and contraceptive supplies, we believe that safe abortion must be part of comprehensive maternal and women’s health care and included as part of America’s global health programming.”

As Day mentioned, the party platform in 1996 was more welcoming of pro-life views, saying, “The Democratic Party is a party of inclusion. We respect the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue, and we welcome all our members to participate at every level of our party.”

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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues




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