Read my latest story, "The All-Nighter", at 52|250.

Often the threat of greater limitations on reproductive freedom is held over the heads of women who might otherwise vote further left than the Democratic party. Recent comments from Barack Obama about mental distress and third-trimester abortions (despite some weak backpedaling) show, however, prominent Democrats often care very little about such rights in fact.

No people struggling from a position of relative weakness can afford to give all their power to one group, even when group memberships overlap and no matter the level of concern feigned or otherwise displayed. The more serious the issues, the more important this is.

If Democrats who are interested primarily in gaining and retaining power believe that they own the votes of people concerned about reproductive rights belong to them, they will be willing to chip away at these rights in order to earn other votes. This contributes, for example, to the success of “third way” thinking on abortion. It’s also part of the context for Obama’s change of focus in discussing his plans regarding Iraq.

It’s time that those of us who are not represented by major parties stopped giving our votes away so easily. There are other options out there.

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