I realize Ross Douthat is trying to be self-critical in talking about the various factions of the Republican Party, but he is clearly cutting his own faction (pro-lifers) a big break by saying that all they need to do is reexamine views like creationism and abstinence-only education that make them look like religious zealots. It just happens that creationism and abstinence-only are not mandated by Douthat's Catholic religious beliefs, while his positions against abortion and assisted suicide are.

In fact, pro-life views themselves, such as the position that even birth control pills are impermissible under a "life begins at conception" framework, the position that health exceptions to abortion laws are just ways for selfish women and their greedy doctors to circumvent the law, and of course, the position that Terri Schiavo should have been kept alive indefinitely, make Republicans look like religious zealots. Indeed, they are out of step with the American people, who want women who face crisis pregnancies to have the right of abortion, at least in the early term. The Republicans won a lot of elections despite holding these views. They haven't won any because of them.

Doug Kmiec may be overstating Democrats' commitment to his posiitons on abortion, but he is also at least trying to grapple with this problem. In the long term, the pro-life position is terrible for Republican electoral prospects. Douthat wants abortion banned-- it is his right to feel that way, of course. But he can't get away with asking the social conservatives to give up only minor, "secondary" (as he calls them) issues while the other wings of the party give up stuff that really matters to them.