Fundies Tell Trump Who's Boss

A measure that would partially legalize abortion will be on the ballot in Florida this November, and Trump is learning that it is impossible to pander to everyone:

Former President Donald Trump came out on Friday against a ballot measure in his home state of Florida that would expand access to abortion, after spending a day doing damage control on the issue.

His announcement came a day after telling NBC News that Florida's six-week ban is "too short" and declining to take a clear stance on a state ballot measure that would expand access to the procedure. [links removed, bold added]

This is the usual with Trump. He knows that abortion -- which his Supreme Court appointments have done away with in many states -- is popular with voters, including in Florida. He is also unprincipled and will say whatever he can get away with to get more votes.

Unfortunately for him, to get away with something requires that voters aren't paying attention or don't remember anything for very long:

Alarmed by what she saw, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the influential anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called Trump on Thursday to ask for clarity on his comments, according to a source with knowledge of the conversation. Trump told her that he didn't state a position on an amendment on his home state's ballot this fall.

Dannenfelser told him that "it's imperative that you're clear because there's confusion now that you may be in support of this," the source added. She also told him the amendment is "incongruent" with his opposition to late-term abortion. [links removed, bold added]

Ayn Rand once said of her political commentary:

When I came here from Soviet Russia, I was interested in politics for only one reason -- to reach the day when I would not have to be interested in politics. I wanted to secure a society in which I would be free to pursue my own concerns and goals...

What a rare treasure Ayn Rand was!

Like almost everyone else, she wanted to be able to get on with her life, but unlike almost everyone else, she saw the danger that intrusive government poses to being able to do that.

So she devoted an enormous amount of time and effort to fighting the cultural trends leading to the bad politics.

Unfortunately for the liberty movement, our culture is still not ripe for a return to the pro-freedom politics of early America. Those who want freedom often do so only vaguely, and usually take it for granted. And because so much of politics is wrongly about running other people's affairs, they are rightly disgusted and want no part of it.

This leaves it to meddlesome busybodies like the Marjorie Dannenfelsers of the world -- who have no business of their own worth minding and who choose to mind that of others -- to become the influential voices in politics.

The situation is hardly unique to the right: There are plenty of "angry liberal" types on the left who are pulling Kamala Harris's strings as well.

Americans will have to decide sooner or later how much they like the idea of people like this getting their nasty paws into every aspect of their personal lives. Until more of us start paying attention, holding elected officials accountable for their words and actions, and demanding that they confine their activities to protecting individual rights, it will be only the worst elements in our society who will have the ear of the politicians.

-- CAV