Are Democrats becoming "The Atheist Party"?

Umm - I am guessing the filing post had not had his/her coffee yet when making that post at 7:33 a.m.

[Moderator Note: Thanks … fixed.]

Sargent Shriver was the last Democrat on a national ticket (VP candidate running with George McGovern in 1972) who was anti-abortion. And that was 42 years ago! JFK was probably pro-life but of course pre-Roe v Wade it was not a hot button issue.

Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey (Democrat) was pro-life. He tried to get a speaking slot to give a minority plank on the topic at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. He was denied.

Dick Gephardt. Al Gore, and Bill Clinton were pro-life early on … but flipped (documented in links).

There’s an organization called Democrats for Life of America

Alveda King, niece of MLK, is pro-life. She says “Mrs. Coretta Scott King knew that her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was pro-life”

You would think black politicians would be pro-life since abortion, by the numbers, is a racist institution.

In my view, the Republicans are weakly pro-life. Of course Obama is rabidly pro-abortion.

Major democratic constituencies are very, very religious.

True, but they either don’t vote in accordance with their religious beliefs or their beliefs are not accorded any weight by the Democrat Party power structure.

[Wayne Wilson]

Major democratic constituencies are very, very religious.

• One (sorry cannot name the relationship) says she is an independent. She might vote based on age (McCain too old to be president) or the candidates speaking ability. She says she believes abortion is wrong but rarely factors this in voting
• Several (new voters) voted for Obama because they were opposed to Bush and the Iraq war. One is opposed to abortion but sees the issue as a private
• One voted for Obama because the US has a health care crisis and sees big government as the solution

Perhaps an overriding theme: Idealistic, big government a solution, anti-war (and Iraq still looms large)

My young adult son serving in Afghanistan: studied economics before he switched to mechanical engineering, very concerned about US debt, was against the war in Iraq despite the fact he served there. Sees service in Afghanistan as worthwhile. Sees a genuine threat from Islamic-fascism. He’s not crazy for the Republican party but votes Republican.

• Pro-union (and the Democrats are the party of unions)


• Opposed to abortion but don’t view the Democrats as the abortion party


• Are concerned about entitlements and the protection of Social Security and Medicare


• Are for the wealthy and corporations paying more (the “their fair share” argument)