If Republicans were truly serious about extending the natural rights thinking of the Founders and explaining it to the public, wouldn’t they start with late-term abortion on demand? That is far less abstract than (for instance) the relationship of the Obamacare mandate to the Founding. If you want to put the lie to Obama’s commitment to universal human rights, well it is as clear as a 3D ultrasound. Yuval Levin made that same point yesterday. Yeah, it would mean a lot of media blowback (you bunch of Akins you), but isn’t that part of what being serious is all about? If Obama seems to be getting away with political murder (and he is – on both abortion and his relationship to the Founding), isn’t it partly because large parts of his opposition have happened on a form of opportunism that is as cowardly as it is ineffectual?
Of Roots and Adventures
I have lived in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia (twice), Pennsylvania, Alabama (also twice), England, and Idaho. I left…
Our Most Popular Articles of 2025
It’s been a big year for First Things. Our website was completely redesigned, and stories like the…
Our Year in Film & Television—2025
First Things editors and writers share the most memorable films and TV shows they watched this year.…