I fully agree with you that being overtly and inflexibly partisan robs these groups of their credibility. But that doesn't mean that they're required to stop thinking tactically. It's a bullshit proposition to accept what they do wrong because they also do things that are right. The job of these organizations, when endorsing, is to endorse candidates who not just support the goal of protecting and advancing reproductive rights, but actually WILL be a positive force for these issues if elected.
Cause really, I don't care how pro-choice a Senator might be on other votes- if he/she won't block Alito, it doesn't much matter how they vote otherwise because it won't be a legislative issue anymore, it'll be a Constitutional issue.
It doesn't seem to me that many, if any, people on either side of the aisle in politics take the Constitution particularly seriously anymore, but we're all gonna miss it when it's gone.
Even accepting, for the sake of argument, that an endorsement of Chafee is a net loss for reproductive rights at the legislative level, it has to be viewed not in isolation but in the context of retaining credibility with non-Democrats, a majority of the public. Public opinion is at least as important as particular legislators: many years ago, Senator Newlands said, "Congress never does anything except when the public has already made up its mind." (Paraphrasing, don't have the exact quote handy.) So the endorsement of Chafee can be a net gain when viewed as part of the whole.
Just on the side, thanks for the open discussion. I have seen a lot of blog venom towards single-interest groups. But those groups have been put in this position by the Republican's partisanship. I hope we can save our venom for our real enemies.
Diversity for its own sake is ignorant. Given that the protection of reproductive rights is largely tied to which party is in the majority, it's an issue.
How much credibility can this organization really lay claim to if it's failing at its job? Forest for the trees...
Protection of reproductive rights is tied to public opinion. Party positions are a lagging indicator that track public opinion. That means that there is a correlation between protection of those rights and which party is in the majority, but the driving force is public opinion.
There's a link sure, but congress gets away with all sorts of shit, and so do states, without the public having much knowledge. If you really want abortion to drop off the table as an issue, get politicians elected who will stop bringing it up for a vote.
