Here is my suggestion for the abortion plank(s)

Abortions become more rare when:

1. Parents take it upon themselves to educate their children about where babies come from, and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies. I don't want the government educating my kids on sexual relations.

2. Women take responsibility for birth control. Last I checked only women can become pregnant.

3. The government takes a hands off approach to any safe birth control method.

4. Women take responsibility for receiving competent, affordable, OB/GYN care

and

5. Women plan to ensure that they have adequate childcare.

Oh, and I'll add a sixth plank:

Women agree on what constitutes rape, so they can educate us ignorant men.

There seems to be a collective thread here.....I don't want the government to be a nanny state.

Unfortunately the only evidence I see of feminism is the online echo chamber. I am surrounded by progressive women (in real life !), but none of them share the views posted here about men, families or marriage, and none of are self identified feminists. I wonder why. So, I guess what your saying is I should ignore the feminist echo chamber, cause their just trolls....hmmm that's what I've been saying all along.

The reason these terms seem to be at odds is based on what is written in the feminist echo chamber. If you go down the blogroll for Broadsheet, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a single post that was pro-heterosexual marrige. Contrast that with the numerous posts and snark that's written that is anti-heterosexual marriage. This is one of the reasons why feminism today looks, to me at least, to be anti-male, anti-family, and anti-marriage.

Wouldn't be surprised if the author is hawking a book. The real surprise is Salon would print anything that is pro-heterosexual marriage. I'm sure the letter writers will clear that up shortly.

This sort of reminds me of a book written by an Indian male who got lost in western culture and went back to India to find himself. Keep off the Grass.....great book. I read it in on a flight back from India.

The so-called hoopla around Bill Clinton not speaking at the convention was, at least in my mind, a media generated scandal. Whenever Obama doesn't do something on the media's timeline the chatter starts. I certainly had no doubts Bill would be speaking.

On the matter of Mr. Clinton's response to the question about Obama's readiness. That was a disaster...for Bill. Each of these little faux pas that Bill and Hillary commit just make it easier for Obama to completely leave the Clinton's out of the new administration. From where I sit, that's a good thing, and I voted for Bill twice. No Drama !

When the democrats run the show starting in Jan 09, I think you will see movement on this. The religious right's influence in the private sector will drop dramatically. This will be a huge boost for men to take control of their reproductive lives and will have far reaching effects on gender relations. Bring it on !

"Those folks who want to go back to "traditional" marriages where Mom stays home and cares for a pack of kids, loves/honors/obeys etc. have to want and push for the rest of the package too."

Obey is probably not accurate, although we both love and honor each other. go back is also a reach, since the majority still have "traditional" marriages. Not that I care which you choose.

"There need to be millions of quality, affordable homes in safe, supportive communities for those Average American families to live and grow in."

Check. We couldn't afford a home in connecticut so we moved to georgia where we could afford to live on one income. We drove beatup old cars, we scrounged. It worked. And we are decidedly middle class

"There needs to be a high quality health care system that the Average American family can afford on what Dad alone earns."

Check. Always had good healthcare for the family based on my job. My wife works now, but she is still on my plan.

"There needs to be an affordable-on-what-Dad-makes preschool-through-Ph.D. educational system that adequately trains all the kids of the next generation for the good-paying stable 9-5 jobs with excellent benefits that will be there for them."

Check. I fully expect to afford to pay for my children to go to college based on my salary. Although, for sure I expect them to pay some as well. Builds character.

"There needs to be an affordable-on-what-Dad-makes high-quality old-age system so that people are not sandwiched between trying to care for their elders and children at the same time."

Check. Although Dad went to college and has a retirement plan and lives very comfortable with mom, going on 50 years now.

"There needs to be a tax system that is fair and reflects the reality of what things cost today, not the fantasy of decades past."

Check. Sort of. Inflation comes and gos, you need to be prepared for rough patches.

Put all those things in place *first* and then we'll talk about "traditional" marriages. Not just for the few but for the many.

Those things are generally in place for families that have fathers. Sounds like you have it backwards. By breaking up traditional families, and having no positive male role models, the american dream is disintegrating. The government will not be your daddy.

"Conservatives have long talked about "family values" but then don't say how the Average American is supposed to afford them after all the traditional support of those values is removed by their own actions."

Democrat talking here. Republican AND Democrats have enabled most of the middle class erosion.....so have feminists by devaluing men.

It's not a new trick; I recall a story where the workers were told they had to make bricks without straw.

I am sure you know a lot of good storys.