Customer Reviews

Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War, With a New Preface

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This unfortunately titled volume is sure to attract many puzzled and curious readers: "They/we won the abortion war?!? When did that happen?" But William Saletan's conservatives are the "pro-choice conservatives"; right-to-life activists call them liberals and politicians call them moderates. These swing voters, conservative but not radical, pro-choice but pro-restriction, have dictated the terms of engagement in the abortion war from the late 1980s on. And Saletan's well-written account of abortion politics since that time gives no indication that the conflict is over, or will be any time soon.

Bearing Right begins its narrative in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1986. Pollster Harrison Hickman is leading a focus group on a proposed amendment to the Arkansas constitution to ban public funding of abortions, while the strategists of the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) watch from behind a darkened glass panel, discussing how to turn the values of the Arkansas populace against the popular amendment. Remarkably, they succeed.

Despite voters' widespread disapproval of public funding for abortion, Hickman found a pair of key weaknesses: women were far less likely to support the amendment when rape entered the picture, and men reacted strongly when the amendment was portrayed as government intrusion into private family decisions. The resulting media campaign based on Hickman's insights marked the beginning of a dramatic shift in the terms of the public discourse on abortion rights. Pro-choice activists embraced the language of libertarian conservatism, the first slip onto a politically expedient slope that would gradually erode the meaning of "choice." They soon found that their ungrammatical new slogan, "Who Decides-You or Them?," was just as useful to their opponents for enforcing patriarchy and limiting the rights the poor and the young as it was for defending abortion rights generally. The only possible answer to the question was "you," but different groups had very different ideas of who, exactly, "you" referred to.

The story of the internal workings of NARAL is relevant to a wide array of scholars, activists, and general readers. For political scientists and historians it presents a compelling and personalized case study on rhetoric, special interests and the meanings of populism. The strategy decisions of NARAL and their consequences underscore the importance of what questions are being asked and in what contexts as competing interests try to define the "will of the people."

As Saletan points out in his less-than-subtle way, the abortion war highlights the pitfalls of sacrificing principles for expediency: inevitably, once the terms of debate are shifted toward the middle, especially in a disingenuous way, the double-tipped pen of rhetoric will write both ways. By 1992, recruiting Barry Goldwater to help defeat an Arizona ballot measure that restricted abortion rights, "pro-choice activists had reached the summit of victory stripped of the cumbersome weight of much of their agenda." "They had conquered the middle ground," Saletan concludes, "and the middle ground had conquered them." More interesting for activists and ideologues may be Saletan's discussion of "the right to choose life." Ironically, as pro-life and pro-choice rhetoric converged into a libertarian chimera of ideals and politics, it was the common ground that lost out. Within the framework of the public debate, in which abortion rights were protected by keeping the government out of personal, family (not individual) decisions, there was little room for protecting the rights of minors or working women to carry pregnancies to term against the respective demands or threats of parents or employers.

Unfortunately the intriguing NARAL story, based on organizational records and interviews, gradually dissolves into the broader context of the recent history of national abortion politics, essentially a distillation of fifteen years of news specials and newspaper clippings. The narrative loses momentum and coherence as it disconnects from the personalities and details of NARAL, and the issues spread from bans on abortion funding and government interference to parental consent laws, rape and incest exceptions, dilation & extraction/partial-birth procedures, cloning and stem cell research, and beyond.

Bearing Right is hardly adequate as a general account of abortion policy and politics; it leaves far too much out. The role of jurisprudence is mentioned occasionally but largely ignored, discussions of state abortion laws are unsystematic, and there is no analysis of the formal positions and ideologies that inform abortion activism. Even if the premise in the title is granted, the question of how the war was won is only partially answered. But what this book does do, it does very well. Saletan's extensive experience as a political correspondent shines as he analyzes the choices and public positions of activists and politicians, and though his biases are obvious, his work makes a strong enough attempt at a balanced treatment that it can-and should-be read profitably by combatants on either side, and the civilians in between as well.

This is an extremely readable and well-written recounting of the course of the politics of abortion from the perspective of the "sides" of the issue. As such, it's probably bound to tick off both "sides" at one point or another -- and I wouldn't take extreme negative reviews seriously, because they don't really appreciate the depth and clarity of the analysis. While I might quibble with some of the details, there's no denying it's a very well-researched book and one that, unlike most political tomes this side of Al Franken, can be read without feeling like you're stuck reading a textbook. My only real complaint is with the cover -- once again, a picture of a full-term pregnant woman to frame a book about abortions done months and months earlier, and this one with a little suggestion of female anatomy -- not helpful in taking the book seriously. But don't take this book by its cover -- if you're interested in genuine thoughtfulness and a little inside baseball on the give and take of an issue that touches most of the hot buttons of American politics, this is the book.

This was completely different from everything I've read about this issue before. The details about what goes on behind the scenes are amazing, the polls and focus groups and how every word you hear from the politicians is gone over with a fine tooth comb to spin the public. I highly recommend for anyone interested on either side or in politics generally.

Reviewer Humbug obviously doesn't see more than one facet to conservatives. For the sake of a manageable title, Saletan didn't say "anti-government" or "libertarian" conservatives, but once you start reading the book it's clear. It's the best analysis I've seen of abortion politics; I've long felt that both sides were framing the issue wrong. In my view it should be about helping women with the resources to carry their children to term, the pro-life feminist position. Saletan captures that dynamic pretty well - pro-choice feminists reluctantly using the libertarian stick to win, in effect giving power over the issue to people (and legislators) who think abortion should be legal but constrained by sensible restrictions through democratic institutions, not the courts.

Mention the word `abortion' in casual conversation, and you are likely to find yourself in the midst of a heated debate, whether it is over legality, restrictions, the rights of minors, or parental control. However, the debate within the pro-choice movement about reactive and proactive strategies is often overlooked. William Saletan's book, Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War describes the internal struggles faced by key players in the pro-choice movement in the last 20 years.

Bearing Right examines the critical players- both individuals and interest groups- in the abortion rights movement, the frame of abortion rights activism, the impact of rhetoric on that frame, and the role of increasing conservatism among individuals that identify as pro-choice. Saletan explores key ballot measures, court cases, legislative initiatives, and elections that have shaped the strategies of the pro-choice movement. Saletan's book recounts the critical history of the pro-choice movement in the United States in an honest and frank manner. While Bearing Right is easy to read, its contents will outrage any loyal pro-choice activist, like myself.

Bearing Right starts the reader out in Arkansas in 1986, during Bill Clinton's reign as governor. Saletan describes the costly success of pro-choice efforts to defeat Amendment 65, which would have limited public funding for abortion in Arkansas. The campaign against this ballot measure did more than just kill an amendment in one state; it laid the groundwork for the messages of the pro-choice movement for decades to come.

Bearing Right provides a detailed analysis of the language used to convince constituents to vote for or against particular candidates and/or legislation, and the reasoning behind employing particular slogans, such as "Keep Big Government Out of Bedrooms" (p.24). Saletan shows how the frame of a message can influence not only the outcome of a particular campaign, but also the strategy of your opponent. Bearing Right describes the pro-life movement's careful and clever use of pro-choice language and strategies to achieve their own goals.

Saletan describes conflicting views of pro-choice big-wigs, who frequently make concessions in order to win a short-term goal. Saletan's book paints a grim picture of Kate Michelman, Executive Director of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) from 1985 to 2004. Saletan scrutinizes over Michelman's decision-making regarding NARAL endorsement and involvement in various campaigns across the country. While seeking to provide an in-depth analysis of critical players in the pro-choice movement, Bearing Right does little to acknowledge their hard work, turning each success into a calamity.

Bearing Right also explores how pro-choice candidates, such as Virginia Governor Doug Wilder, spun their views to win an election. Even though Wilder identified as pro-choice, he approved of legislation requiring parental consent for minors seeking an abortion. Bearing Right describes Wilder's position on abortion and parental consent as the reason why Wilder won the election. Saletan describes Wilder's campaign as a crucial juncture in the pro-choice movement, introducing the concept, and power of a pro-choice moderate. Bearing Right highlights the anxiety of being pinned a liberal, and the ways politicians have crafted their image to avoid that label, especially in the context of abortion.

Saletan tries to concentrate on the trend towards conservativism within the pro-choice movement, as evidenced by the title of the book. However, it's no secret that pro-choicers have crafted their messages to appeal to the politically moderate population. The title should have read, Bearing Right: how the pro-choice movement sold out the liberals. Also, while this trend is important to highlight, the more interesting facet of the book centers on the role of rhetoric and messaging. In addition, Saletan's title suggests that the abortion war is over; I would argue not only that the abortion war is not over, but also that the pro-choice movement is in need of an army of troops to come to the rescue.

Saletan's chronological account of pro-choice campaigns helps the reader understand how critical court cases and elections coincided. Saletan refers the reader back to earlier initiatives that influenced the messaging of later campaigns. However, Saletan spends significantly more time describing the events of the late 1980s and early 1990s, devoting only the last quarter of the book to the last 10 years. While earlier events laid the groundwork for the strategies of the late 1990s, the unbalanced treatment underemphasizes the importance of recent pro-choice activities.

In its concentration on the late 1980s and early 90s, Bearing Right omits some key influences on the pro-choice movement. For example, Saletan does not even mention the advent of the internet, which has had a significant impact on all social movements. Websites and email have completely altered advocacy in both positive and negative ways. The internet has changed the face of communication, one of the main components of Saletan's book. While he did not have to spend an entire chapter on the topic, at least some mention of the internet would have informed the reader that Saletan is living in the 21st century.

Bearing Right ends rather abruptly, leaving the reader hanging on regarding what happens next. While Saletan states that the book "suggests new ways to think not just about abortion but also about politics, dialogue, and the communication of ideas" (p.1), Bearing Right merely provides ways of thinking about the debate, rather than offering concrete solutions. Pro-choice readers will undoubtedly put the book down frustrated. While critique and analysis are important, so is vision, and Saletan provides none.

Despite these drawbacks, Bearing Right is a critical read for anyone involved in the pro-choice movement. While it may be difficult for key activists to swallow, this book forces the reader to evaluate the meaning of being pro-choice, and to think long and hard about making certain concessions to win short term goals. While Saletan does not point this out explicitly, Bearing Right emphasizes the need for long-term goals in the pro-choice movement. Bearing Right would also be a good book for individuals interested in the role of rhetoric and politics- particularly candidates running for elected office, since Saletan focuses on the impact of frames and messaging.

The pro-choice movement is in desperate need of inspiration. We have been on the defensive ever since Roe v. Wade in 1973, and the majority of Americans have sat back and watched while the right to abortion has been chipped away with restriction after restriction. Now that South Dakota has passed legislation outlawing abortion, maybe people will wake up and smell the coffee. As we continue on this fight to define and advocate for abortion and women's rights, Bearing Right offers not only essential historical background, but also a way of examining the parameters of abortion rights and rhetoric. But you will have to draw your own conclusions about the next steps to take.

"Pro-choice conservative" is a contradiction in terms, whether you're pro-choice or conservative or neither. If conservatives had "won" the "abortion war," then abortion would be generally illegal (which it isn't). Period. Only a complete ignoramus would take a book like this one seriously. If you fall into this category, you may also want to explore books on the "conservative domination of the media" and the "conservative domination of the judiciary," neither of which exists outside of the fevered fantasies of a few far-left paranoiacs (if you're a Maoist, even the New York Times looks right-wing). Not to mention books about UFOs, werewolves, Atlantis, and how the Apollo moon landings were faked. Wake up and get real; or just go back to sleep instead of wasting your time on this sort of nonsense.