"Do you support abortion to choose the sex of your baby? How about after an IQ test? Well, then you support limits on abortion yourself. Isn't it all a matter of degress after that? Who are you, who are any of us to say where someone should draw the line for themselves? Abortion is a tragedy. It should be legal. It should be safe. It should be a whole lot rarer than it is now. If you have a problem with that, then endorse whoever you want."
Only on "
The West Wing" could you have a Republican Presidential Nominee that is as liberal as the Democratic Presidential Nominee. While it's unlikely that it could ever happen, it was interesting as a
"What If" Rudy Giulliani should somehow become the Republican Nominee in 2008. In some ways, the episode shows you how impossible it would be for a pro-choice Republican to run a national campaign. The episode also deals with some of the frustration that Kos & others
(including myself) have had with the abortion lobby & how they will support Republicans. It also heralds the return of a favorite character...
(SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP)
At this moment in the election storyline, Republican candidate Arnie Vinick has a lock on California, winning by 4 in Michigan, and is competitive in New York. On the other side, Democrat Matt Santos is withdrawing from "Red" areas like North Dakota & West Virginia. However, every step Vinick takes to win votes in blue states, alienates social conservatives which the RNC fears will stay home...
- The episode begins with Santos still stuck 9 points behind Vinick. The campaign believes that the debates are Santos hope to change the dynamic, but negotiations are going nowhere because Vinick wants to lower expectations & sit on his lead. Santos goes to his Hotel Room to see an ad run by a 527 Group basically calling him a "Baby Killer". Also, a Catholic Bishop has made public his view that he would not give Catholic Matt Santos communion if he attended mass (ala John Kerry).
- Vinick sees the same ad & is upset by it, because he's pro-choice too. At first he wants the campaign & the RNC to come out against the ad. However, the RNC Chairman will not do that. He doesn't want to alienate the base of the party. Vinick argues that he can expand the Republican party into the "Blue States", but the RNC Chairman wants an appeal to "the party we already have" that will get social conservatives out to the polls.
- Back at the White House, Will, the new communications chief, is in the middle of the Toby Leak Scandal. He is not given any information, but sent in to brief the press. I couldn't help but think that this was directed at Scott McClellan and his lack of power in the current administration.
- Lou wants a counter-attack. She envisions painting Vinick as a Flip-Flopper, and someone who will say anything to get elected. He's a politician that's pro-choice, but leads a party with a pro-life platform & willing to promise conservative judges to the fundies. Josh wants to stay positive, but relents. Lou hires Donna Moss, unknown to Josh, to be a campaign spokesperson. Josh is still miffed about her "betrayal" in the primary.
- If things weren't bad enough, a Pro-Choice Interest Group is thinking about endorsing Vinick. They tell Leo that they want to be on the winning side, even if the Democratic Party has been the party of Pro-Choice. However, the RNC chief is not exactly excited about this. He thinks it might alienate social conservatives even more to hear that an abortion rights group endorsed the Republican ticket.
- Both Presidential Candidates had decided to not attend the Al Smith Dinner because of the Abortion implications, but with the new attack ad, Vinick decides to go to the dinner to talk about his opposition to partial-birth abortion. Santos changes his mind & decides to attend to, where he meets with a represenative from the Pro-Choice Group thinking about endorsing Vinick. On the way there, he talks with Leo about his views. It is revealed that Santos personal feelings are actually more conservative than Vinick. Santos believes that abortion is wrong, but won't legislate against it. At the meeting with the represenative, he tells her the above statement, while making the Clinton case that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.
- Santos & Vinick meet in the Hotel Kitchen where the Dinner is being held, and trade barbs about their campaigns. During this, Vinick finally decides to accept a debate, setting up the live episode next week...
I have to say that this week seemed like it was setting up a way that the so-far front runner Vinick could lose. Social Conservatives don't show up? He screws up at the debate?