Pete Buttigieg was challenged last night on abortion by a pro-life Democrat, who wanted to know if he even wanted the votes of pro-life Democratic voters and if he’d be willing to support changing the language in the Democratic platform to make it more inclusive for these same pro-life voters:
In a nutshell, Buttigieg wouldn’t budge an inch on the issue. Not on his own language/position nor on changing the language of the party platform excluding pro-life Democrats.
Here’s the transcript by RCP:
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: We have a question now from Kristin Day about abortion. Kristin?
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG: Hi.
KRISTIN DAY, AUDIENCE: I am a proud pro-life Democrat. So do you want the support of pro-life Democrats, pro-life Democratic voters? There are about 21 million of us. And if so, would you support more moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity, of inclusion really does include everybody?
BUTTIGIEG: Well, I respect where you’re coming from, and I hope to earn your vote. But I’m not going to try to earn your vote by tricking you. I am pro-choice. And I believe that a woman ought to be able to make that decision. Here’s what I…
(APPLAUSE)
But I know that the difference of opinion that you and I have is one that we have come by honestly. And the best that I can offer — and it may win your vote and, if not, I understand — the best I can offer is that if we can’t agree on where to draw the line, the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line. And in my view, it’s the woman who’s faced with that decision in her own life.
WALLACE: This is an interesting moment, because President Trump spoke at the March to Life movement. He was the first president ever to actually appear at the March to Life movement. And I’m curious, Kristin, were you satisfied with the answer you got from the mayor?
DAY: No, I was not, because he did not answer the second part of my question. And the second part was, the Democratic platform contains language that basically says that we don’t belong, we have no part in the party, because it says abortion should be legal up to nine months, the government should pay for it, and there’s nothing that says that people have a diversity of views on this issue should be included in the party.
In 1996, and I guess several years after that, there was language in the Democratic platform that said that we understand that people have very differing views on this issue, but we are a big tent party that includes everybody. And so, therefore, we welcome you, people like me, into the party so we can work on issues that we agree on.
So my question was, would you be open to language like that in the Democratic platform, that really did say that our party is diverse and inclusive and we want everybody?
BUTTIGIEG: Well, I support the position of my party that this kind of medical care needs to be available to everyone. And I support the Roe vs. Wade framework that holds that early in pregnancy there are very few restrictions and late in pregnancy there are very few exceptions.
And again, the best I can offer is that we may disagree on that very important issue, and hopefully we will be able to partner on other issues.
DAY: So that would be a no?
WALLACE: So what do you — what do you say to Democrats who are pro-life — and there are obviously millions of them, as well — what do you say, then, to them on an issue of such deep conscience, that they should overlook this particular issue and look at the whole sum of views, or go find another party?
BUTTIGIEG: Look, I’ve never encountered a politician or, frankly, another person that I agreed with 100 percent of the time, and even on very important things. We may sometimes disagree.
But at the end of the day, this is what I believe. And people I care about and respect view it differently. But this is something I believe is so important, especially because I’m never going to have to make that decision. And so I may have my views, but I cannot imagine that a decision that a woman confronts is going to ever be better medically or morally because it’s being dictated by any government official. And that’s just where I am on the issue.
(APPLAUSE)
WALLACE: I think it’s fair to say Kristin is not clapping, but that’s part of the process.
BUTTIGIEG: I understand.
Being pro-life, in my opinion, isn’t something to just disagree on. It’s EVERYTHING if a candidate doesn’t support protecting innocent life still in the womb. I just can’t support a pro-abortion candidate and I know we have a few in the Republican party and I hate it. I’d stay at home before casting a vote for someone who would support keeping the baby murdering infrastructure in this country alive.