America supports Roe - Congressman Davis

Somebody on the Republican side finally stated publicly the political downside of giving the religious right what they want.

Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), chairman of the Government Reform Committee, said the desire of GOP conservatives to see a newly constituted Supreme Court eventually overturn Roe v. Wade could produce a political backlash, particularly in the suburbs. "It would be a sea change in suburban voting patterns," Davis said at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Over the years, polls have shown that America largely supports Roe v. Wade. This is why smart Republicans (Reagan, Bush I) payed lip service to the religious right and then nominated Supreme Court candidates who would support Roe.

This is the basic flaw of the Rove theory of divisive politics. By relying so heavily upon the religious "base," Rove has created a situation where he might lose the center. In order to not lose the center, Rove will have to maintain the big lie with the base. (The big lie is that the Republicans put the "religious right" faction of their party above the "big business" faction of their party.) It has worked thus far because big business is willing to ignore public comments an focus instead on policy, legislation, and the maintenance of power.

What happens when the religious folks decide they need action not words, and the big business folks see those actions as a threat to the end of their gravy train? Schism.