Roe v. Wade'ing

How did abortion become the political subject, the litmus test for politicians and judges, the single issue by which so many people vote upon? It amazes me that people's views on poverty, the environment, capital punishment, education, heck even national security, will take backseat to a procedure that the women and men so vehemently opposed to won't have to go through themselves.

I usually don't write about major controversial subjects for the sake of it, but I've been meaning to mention something about the abortion issue because it's been in the news more than usual. The issue always gets more attention around election time; however who knew that it would be a problem for the Republicans this time around.

Who will prevail on the GOP side? John McCain, the maverick who has always been against abortion. Mitt Romney, who's wife gave to Planned Parenthood and who was pro-choice until two years ago when he had an epiphany (if it's a Republican, it's apparently called seeing the light, if it's a Democrat, they call it flip-flopping). Rudy Giuliani who tried straddling the fence but eventually decided it was just to embrace his pro-choice self. Or none of the above?

I just find it funny that Christian Right seemed to make this a wedge issue to hurt the Democrats, but now it seems to be doing more damage to the GOP itself. I know that there's been a movement in the evangelical wing to "broaden" their mission to some of the other political issues I mentioned at the beginning, and it will probably be even more interesting now that Jerry Fawell is out of the picture.

Like Mitt Romney, I had a change in my views of abortion, but going the other way and when I started college, not after serving as governor for a major state (can you tell I'm skeptical about his change of heart?). It may not be the issue I'm most passionate about, but I'm pro-choice along with what seems like the majority of my peers. I'm hoping that this will hopefully be a generational issues like gay marriage, but I may have a skewed perception of what my generation is being from California and going to a liberal law school. Only time, and the Supreme Court, will tell.