Not to be lost among all the misery should be a little self-examination for pro-lifers.
I know that some pro-lifers questioned Mitt Romney’s pro-life credentials. I know I did. Leave that aside for a moment.
Nobody questioned the pro-life credentials of Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin, but they both still lost winnable elections.
They are both very good men and totally committed to the pro-life cause. But we need to demand more of our pro-life politicians. Of course they need to be solidly pro-life, but they also need to be good politicians.
Both of these men lost their elections on unforced errors on the topic of rape and abortion. Yes, the media has a gotcha mentality and blow up any misstep. But this is a given, they need to be prepared for it. Frankly, this question is not that hard to deal with.
When politicians are representing pro-lifers in the political arena, they better darn well be good politicians. Sincerity and orthodoxy are no substitute for being prepared and staying on message.
We need to be careful in selecting our candidates, most especially when we are conducting primary battles against incumbents. The inexperience and unpreparedness of these two men hurt the pro-life cause on the national level.
Pro-life politicians need to be both good pro-lifers and good politicians. You can’t have one without the other.
