Ron De Santis formally announces presidential run.

CNA picks up the story. And, it's amazing and interesting that DeSantis signed a 15 week abortion ban in his 1st Term in Florida, just like he's now committed to do as President. Then, after winning re-election by a record 20 point margin, he signed a 6 week abortion ban, ready to squander hard-won political capital to do what's right. He may very well lose, but he's ready to lose if need be to save babies. That to me is a sign of authenticity. Anyway, the story:

"Only Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were given the chance to speak on abortion — with DeSantis offering a vocal defense of pro-life beliefs before confirming that he would support a national 15-week ban on the procedure.

Responding to a question from moderator Dana Perino as to how he might “win over independent pro-choice voters,” DeSantis cited his landslide reelection victory in Florida in 2022 after he signed a 15-week abortion ban in that state.

“We won the greatest Republican victory in a governor’s race in the history of the state, over 1.5 million votes,” he said. He claimed the major victory came about “because we were leading with purpose and conviction.”

DeSantis criticized remarks earlier this year from former President Donald Trump, who said Republican intractability on abortion was responsible for the GOP’s underperformance in the 2022 midterms.

“It was the ‘abortion issue,’ poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on no exceptions, even in the case of rape, incest, or life of the mother, that lost large numbers of voters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in January.

DeSantis on Wednesday night disputed this assertion. “I reject this idea that pro-lifers are to blame for midterm defeats,” DeSantis said. “I think there’s other reasons for that.”

The GOP governor said he and his wife, Casey, had earlier in the day visited the graves of former President Ronald Reagan and former First Lady Nancy Reagan. That memorial site features a quote from Reagan in which the Republican president asserted that there is “purpose and worth to each and every life.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/...e-would-support-15-week-national-abortion-ban

 

I can understand your enthusiasm for De Santis to some extent.
I would also like to see a good Catholic politician as chancellor in Germany.

Excuse me for pouring water into the wine...

As for your euphoria on the abortion issue, I'm a little more sceptical than you.
Surely any restriction is better than none, you might think.
Here in Germany, the media and probably also the social outcry would be very big if a politician dared to treat abortions more restrictively.

But I did some research. Assuming that the situation in the USA is similar to that in Germany, I would like to make the following comment:
- 97% of all abortions are performed before the 12th week
- 73 % up to the 9th week
- 40 % up to the 6th week (!!!)

This means that a 15-week ban changes almost nothing.
The 6 week ban may prevent some killings, but I wonder how God will judge this law.
Will he say - well done it is better than nothing - or will he say - why do you allow the murder of so many innocent children?

 

We aren't even going to make it to the election. Does any American think they will allow us to get to that?? Mayhem, war and starvation will be at out door.

 

I hope you are wrong. It sounds as if from the prophecies it will be a slow onset. But who knows. God's Will in all things.

 

I hope I am too but things are ramping up. War can keep them in power even if they do a switcheroo and get the straw man out.

 

Steve, Agreed. According to Fox News citing one of Pro-Abort's Planned Parenthood's own study, a 6 week Heartbeat Bill would end like 85-90% of Abortions. So, out of around 1 Million Abortions, that would be 850,000 to 900,000 lives. Here's the source: "When Planned Parenthood sued Texas, its lawsuit said that roughly 85-90% of abortions occurred after six weeks gestation. The abortion provider pointed to a study from the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TPEP), which used its own 2018 survey to report that 16% of women were at less than six weeks gestation at their abortion appointments. Alternatively, 84% were not at less than six weeks gestation." https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-6-week-abortion-ban-prevent

I think the more babies one can save the better. The ultimate goal, as with slavery, must be Abolition, with a Life at Conception Act, or a Personhood Amendment, but that may not be possible just yet, but it may be possible within 5 to 10 years. In the meanwhile, Pro-Lifers will have to continue Preaching the Gospel of Life, and hoping to change hearts and minds, as well as the Gospel generally, because if people accept Christ, and commit to His Teaching, they'll accept the part that forbids abortion-killing too. Laws are not the only aspect of it, but they are an important part too imo.

Anyway, DeSantis on the Leftist Bill Maher show:



"The impressive thing about DeSantis going into the lion’s den known as the Bill Maher show and coming out victorious isn’t just that he won over the audience, or even that most of the audience is independent or left-leaning. It’s that he did it WITHOUT lying or sacrificing his principles, just as he turned Florida from a swing state to a ruby red state by going all in on conservative governance. There are two types of leaders: those who change themselves because of polls and those who change the polls themselves with the courage of their convictions. Count this man out if you want but I would not advise it." https://twitter.com/PowerOwn45/status/1708145739246051582

 

Dr. Abby Johnson on DeSantis: "DeSantis went into the liberal lions den of Bill Maher, and had the left-wing audience clapping for him. He knows how to discuss policy in a way that’s palpable even for liberals, while not compromising on his conservatism whatsoever. This guy could win the country."

https://twitter.com/AbbyJohnson/status/1708206781023883591

Btw, Abby Johnson's own testimony/life story of coming to Christ: "I aborted 2 of my children. I ran a Planned Parenthood clinic. Yet Jesus still forgave me, and changed me. If He can change me, He can change anyone."

Let's pray for the conversion of our Pro-Abort Friends to Christ and to Life.

 

Trump drops by 20 Points in 1 month with Pro-Lifers

Here's the source, from Students for Life Action, which describes itself as: "Mobilizing the Pro-Life Generation in a Post-Roe America. Advocating to not kill human beings in the womb. Like @studentsforlife, but political."

"JUST IN: Gov. @rondesantis pulls ahead of fellow GOP contenders in SFLAction's "September Political Pulse Poll" by 13%.

When asked who they would vote for if the 2024 Republican U.S. Presidential Primary were today, 42% of the Pro-Life Generation reported they would support Ron DeSantis, followed by @realdonaldtrump at 29% and @nikkihaley at 6%.

These results show a 21% increase for Gov. Ron DeSantis and a 20% drop for President Donald Trump in the last month. This follows the recent comments made by former President Trump that he believed Florida's Heartbeat Abortion Prevention Act was a "terrible mistake."

https://twitter.com/SFLAction/status/1709308272979935581

 

@Xavier curious how you feel about the dealth penalty? Pro life is pro life and yet Florida has or is attempting to put into law the death penalty for child rapists. I find it hard to champion someone that is pro life if pro life may only mean for the unborn. What about euthanasia and the death penalty?

As a father, I would want the death penalty for the anger I would have, but as a Pro Life Catholic, even that soul and awful deed would have a chance for redemption and forgiveness even by me.

https://nypost.com/2023/04/19/florida-passes-bill-oking-death-penalty-for-kid-sex-crimes/

“My view is, you have some of these people that will be serial rapists of six, seven-year-old kids,” DeSantis told “Good Morning Orlando” Monday. “I think the death penalty is the only appropriate punishment when you have situations like that.”

That doesn't sound very Catholic/pro-life to me.

 

This was not the traditional doctrine of the church until Pope Francis changed the catechism making the death penalty inadmissible ?

 

yes Pope Francis changed it during his term...

 

Agree. It’s going to take a miracle to get a Republican elected.

 

The death penalty is not on the same par with abortion, because one is the taking of an innocent life and the other is not. The Church has always allowed the death penalty in certain cases. Well...until Pope Francis changed the catechism.

 

You are correct.

 

Yes. Pope Benedict XVI, may H.H. Rest in Peace, said on this subject: "Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. There may be legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not... with regard to abortion and euthanasia." A clarity often lacking today from the Vatican. Not to mention that Pope St. John Paul II's original Catechism of the Catholic Church read: "“Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.” (CCC 2267, 1997 Edition).

I'm all for ultimate abolition of death penalty in the world today, since it also said today necessity for the death penalty "is very rare", but Abolition of Abortion - the Death Penalty for the Innocent Unborn - must come first.

"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has recently expressed support for a nationwide prohibition on abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. Not only does his endorsement reflect the growing push among conservative lawmakers to limit abortion rights, but it also coincides with expanding debates in various states. By taking this position, Governor DeSantis aligns himself with other Republican leaders advocating for stricter abortion regulations during a critical time for reproductive rights across the United States.

The governor’s declaration took place during a recent Republican presidential primary debate, where a fellow candidate supporting a 15-week ban across the country confronted him. DeSantis confidently stated that implementing such a ban in Florida would protect both unborn children and the women who carry them. He emphasized the significance of balancing these interests to create a more just and compassionate society for all.

Anti-abortion activists, including the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, have praised DeSantis for his dedication to creating minimum federal protections for unborn children. These supporters argue that the governor’s actions are crucial for preserving life’s sanctity and protecting society’s most vulnerable individuals.
Debate Continues Within Republican Party
DeSantis’ pledge highlights the ongoing debate within the Republican party and among voters concerning abortion policies. The governor’s stance on the issue also reflects the persistent divide among Republicans, with some pushing for stricter regulations on abortions while others advocate personal choice. Discussions surrounding abortion policies raise essential questions about morals, individual rights, and government’s role, further emphasizing the party’s overall perspective complexities."

From: https://www.newsreports.com/abortion-ban-debate-ignites-nation/

 

Yes so true. I believe in the death penalty for the worst of the worst.

 

Pro-Life Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who signed her own 6 Week Abortion Heartbeat Ban, like Governor DeSantis, endorses the Pro-Life Governor:

https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/7/23950762/iowa-governor-endorses-desantis

"Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorses Ron DeSantis, Trump reacts
Reynolds calls DeSantis ‘the person that we need leading this country’




Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, second from left, joins Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on stage during a rally on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bryon Houlgrave, Associated Press

At a DeSantis rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, popular Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, saying he “is the person that we need leading this country.”

This endorsement is a major boost to the Florida governor who has experienced a persistent decline in support since last year. December 2022 polls showed DeSantis 11 percentage points above former President Donald Trump in Utah, but now, even though he is still ranked the second-highest GOP candidate, his numbers place him much closer to Nikki Haley than to Trump, the Deseret News reported. DeSantis has also experienced a decline nationally.

Reynolds’ endorsement came within 48 hours of the next GOP presidential debate, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 8, in Miami, Florida. Reynolds’ endorsement may spark watchers in Iowa to pay special attention to DeSantis Wednesday night."

https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/7/23950762/iowa-governor-endorses-desantis

It's time to end this Abortion issue once and for all. Everything else, including Wars etc and other Chastisements, as also St. Mother Theresa said, fall upon the World first and foremost because there is no Peace in the Womb. =

St. Mother Theresa's words: "The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/mother-teresa-the-greatest-destroyer-of-love-and-peace-is-abortion

 

I agree Xavier. Good post. But this issue will hurt Republicans. We are not changing hearts because we don’t have the right message. In order to win elections, we must adjust like the Democrats did with silencing the Black Lives Matter protests. Republicans must turn this around and fast.

 

Right, Byron. And I think it was Steve Deace, who supports DeSantis, who told his mainly Protestant audience, something like, "if your church and its people weren't doing absolutely everything they could to defeat the Pro-Aborts in the referendum, you need a new church. Leave and don't go back". And while obviously as Catholics we wouldn't leave the Church no matter what, still, as Catholics too, we need to mobilize, evangelize, change hearts and minds etc on this issue. I think DeSantis is the Most Conservative Pro-Life Catholic who has ever run for the White House and has a good chance of winning. Let's see how it goes. God Bless.

"DeSantis Picks Up Key Endorsement From Iowa Religious Leader

The influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, the second major endorsement Mr. DeSantis has picked up this month in the state.

Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s popular Republican governor, announced her support two weeks ago, giving Mr. DeSantis a key surrogate in a state that will hold the first vote of the Republican primary season with its caucuses on Jan. 15.

“We need to find somebody who can win in 2024,” Mr. Vander Plaats said on Tuesday on “Special Report With Bret Baier” on Fox News. “What we saw in 2022, the supposedly red wave really only happened in Florida and in Iowa. Governor DeSantis took a reliable tossup state in Florida and made it complete red.”

Mr. Vander Plaats has endorsed the last three Republicans who won contested Iowa caucuses — Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012 and Ted Cruz in 2016"

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/us/politics/desantis-bob-vander-plaats-endorsement.html

 

Roger Stone launched a horrible foul-mouthed attack on Florida's First Lady Casey De Santis. These are the kinds of people Trump surrounds himself with. It's already sparked a furious backlash:

"Roger Stone's Attack on Casey DeSantis Sparks Furious Backlash

Roger Stone's attack against Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has sparked a huge backlash on social media, with some users saying the longtime Donald Trump ally has crossed the line.

Stone is the political strategist who was convicted in 2020 on charges including lying to Congress and obstructing justice and witness tampering. He was later pardoned by Trump in his last weeks in the White House. Stone called Casey DeSantis a "c***" on Wednesday night for mentioning her children during her husband's campaign trail."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...-desantis-sparks-furious-backlash/ar-AA1kvMsm