How enthusiastic is the Democratic Party about abortion?
So enthusiastic that Snopes.com felt compelled to debunk a satire story stating that former Philadelphia abortionist and convicted murderer Kermit Gosnell addressed the DNC by video from prison. Yes, that was satire. However, considering other DNC incidents, it’s easy to see why the fake story was convincing.
In what Yahoo News called a “convention first,” NARAL president Ilyse Hogue proclaimed her past abortion loud and clear in her nationally televised DNC speech. Yet, the resounding cheers and applause from her Philly audience were not loud enough to reach the networks’ ears. In fact, neither NBC, ABC nor CBS provided any coverage of Hogue’s July 27 speech or the crowd’s shamefully ecstatic response to her personal history.
Hogue declared: “I wanted a family, but it was the wrong time. I made the decision that was best for me – to have an abortion and get compassionate care at a clinic in my own community.” The audience erupted and Hogue continued: “Now, years later, my husband and I are parents to two incredible children. My story is not unique – about one in three American women have abortions by the age of 45. And the majority are mothers just trying to take care of the families they already have.” Predictably, Cosmo called her words “powerful.”
According to The Washington Examiner, Hogue’s “one in three” statistic, which she gathered from 2008 Guttmacher Institute data, did not take into account the fact that abortion rates have dropped since that year. Indeed, The Washington Post called Hogue’s assertion a “stale claim”: “Until early 2017, when Guttmacher Institute plans to release the updated findings, this ‘one in three’ figure should be treated with caution and always accompanied by the appropriate caveat.”
On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards also took to the stage, and declared with a complacent smile: “The Planned Parenthood Action Fund trusts Hillary Clinton.” Richards continued: “She will always stand up for the right of every woman to access a full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion, no matter her economic status.” The crowd went wild.
Vox writer Emily Crockett called Hogue’s speech “radical,” because it was aired on national television. Noting that Richards was the first DNC speaker to use the word “abortion,” Crockett correctly pointed out that “it’s very common for Democrats and other pro-choice advocates to use euphemisms like ‘a woman’s right to choose’ instead of actually saying the word ‘abortion.’”
Yet, at the DNC, why hold back? The crowds certainly didn’t.
