Published: 05-19-08
NARAL Pro-Choice America the abortion-rights group is feeling a backlash after endorsing Barack Obama for president on Wednesday.
Allison Fine author of A. Fine Blog writes that “e-mails started to fly around yesterday” from supporters of Hillary Clinton who is challenging Mr. Obama for the Democratic nomination.
“In pained tones the senders my circle of Hillary supporters expressed their shock that one of the preeminent pro-choice organizations one that they have supported in good times and bad had double-crossed them in the eleventh hour of the presidential campaign.”
Ms. Fine an author and senior fellow at Demos: A Network for Change and Action a public-policy research organization in New York criticizes NARAL for “spitting in the eye of the strongest woman candidate in the history of the country” rather than waiting for three weeks when the Democratic primaries will be over.
NARAL may be suffering from the panic that is afflicting many “last century” membership organizations as their donors age prompting them to “flail around” trying to attract young people she adds. “I would be happy to tell you about far more graceful ways to enter the connected age than scorning your core constituency” she writes.
In explaining on the Huffington Post why NARAL’s political action committee backed Mr. Obama Nancy Keenan the group’s president praises the senator’s record on reproductive-health issues and says he will be able to unite Americans with different viewpoints.
“He has reached new generations and energized young voters independent voters and Republican voters” she writes. “He’s the candidate of the future.”
The reaction to that post was mixed but many commenters praised NARAL’s move. “Although the backlash may seem overwhelming please understand that a new generation of young ladies is ready to take up the call for action” one wrote saying it made no sense to support a candidate simply because she is a woman.
What do you think? Did NARAL make the right decision to back Senator Obama? Will it suffer by alienating some of its donors? Or win by attracting new ones?
