Any average male over the age of 18 knows what "no" means. However, some men choose to ignore its meaning and plow ahead, hoping to change the very articulate no to at least an ambiguous "yes." In most instances, the woman will prevail and the guy will back off. However, some percentage of men are immature animals that press on no matter what. To make exceptions or change the rules for these creeps would be similar to the stupidity of vacating the rules for statutory rape. Just what we need...more creeps and more predators. Where did you find these authors???

Maybe it doesn't matter how we frame it, or what catchy slogan we come up with, or how we choose to see the glass.

Maybe we're not just being outflanked, or outspent, or out-maneuvered.

Maybe most people just don't believe this issue outweighs the others when they vote, or choose not to vote, or don't even bother to register to vote.

Maybe the fact that we have very few actual victories to point to (except Roe v. Wade) since the early 60s should tell us something.

Maybe we've just been fooling ourselves.

Maybe we're losing because we're wrong.

One problem is that pro-choice doesn't boil down to a simplistic catch-phrase that can easily be digested by the masses.

George Lakoff has this issue nailed. It's not about choice, it's about governmental intrusion into the private lives of individuals or families and their doctors. We need to reframe it as anti-government interference, emphasize the "between person, doctor and conscience" angle. The "moral model" ("valuing life") trumps the retail model ("valuing choice") every time.

I'd love to see more people calling the right-wing on things like the death penalty, environmental depredations, not starting unnecessary wars in the Middle East, etc., because the LEFT is actually "pro-life." And is it not screamingly ironic that the supposedly self-determining wing of the politcal spectrum is willing to intrude when it comes to women and their wombs, but not when the subject is Head Start, industrial safety, health care, the environment or any of the other "life enhancing" issues?

This issue needs total reframing. I don't think it will happen, because people are so attached to the old models and terminology, but I sure wish it would - and soon.

I am getting kind of sick of reading about how "pro-choice" people are going to come out of the woodwork because "X" has been taken away. We really need to reframe the debate if we want to win. Think of the slogans "It's not a choice, it's a child", "Choose Life", "Abortion stops a beating heart". Throw in a few imagines purporting to show dismembered foetuses, and a group of people claiming that a woman can walk into any abortion clinic in America a week before she is due and get an abortion because she changed her mind, and we are LOSING. "Pro-Choice. Pro-Child" is the only memorable slogan I can think of on our side, and it doesn't say anything. If we can't even explain to people why this is important, then why should we expect them to support us?

We need to educate people about abortion. For starters, stop looking like we're fighting for 3rd trimester abortions. Most people can figure out that the difference between a foetus in the 8th month and a baby is pretty subtle, and that killing a foetus that late in the game is only a hair's breath from killing a baby. But they think we support that. Heck - some of us DO support that. I've actually been in arguments on DailyKos with people who think a woman should be able to get an abortion for no medical reason when she is days from delivering. Could we define what we are FOR before fighting for it? I'm sure as heck not in favor of women being able to abort when they are 8 1/2 months pregnant. Every right comes with limits. My right to own a gun comes with a responsibility to use it wisely and not let children get their hands on it. If I don't act responsible and a child get's hurt, I can go to jail. I think that 6 months is plenty of time to decide if you want to have an abortion.

I think that if we really developed a position and made it clear, we would win more support for abortion-rights. But vague references to "choice" haven't worked in the last 30 years, and they aren't going to suddenly start working now.