America Coming Together

I see some welcome evidence of an evolving consensus on some national issues.

Partisan as I am, I find this to be welcome, because not all issues deserve to be debated for generations without end. When the facts are sufficiently clear and broadly recognized, sometimes pragmatism wins out, and those who advocate a utilitarian approach have their moments of hard-won common sense.

Abortion is an example of what I'm talking about. Rudy Giuliani's popularity among Republicans (even if only temporary) suggests to me that the Republicans recognize how fast the "choice" and "life" camps are converging on a shared set of stipulations:
1. There are better ways to avoid unwanted and accidental pregnancies, particularly with the advent of the "morning after" pills.
2. Abortions should be legal, safe, and rare.
3. The Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade isn't going to do anybody any good.
This consensus will build, as those who oppose it will be exposed as either wanting more unwanted babies or just being opposed to babies in general. Neither is a popular position.

The New Consensus is on Global Climate Change (the correct term). Arnold Schwarzenegger has led the way to sanity for the Republicans on this one, and most are going to step away from the side promising self-immolation. In Congress, this will be expressed in legislation raising CAFE standards (which will promise more trickery from Detroit, but will still be improvement), funding alternate energy sources, and beginning cap-and-trade on greenhouse gases with very large-scale manufacturers.

This will be real progress; my only hope is that they don't limit themselves to biofuels as the best alternative, but also go for R&D$$ for the nexus of nanotechnology and photovoltaics, where I think the chance for a breakthrough is best, and for the coal liquification and carbon sequestration combination in power plants. One day, this will be knowledge which the Chinese will come to love like life itself--we will not have to force them to adopt such advances, rather we will find it impossible to keep them from stealing the technology.

Even on Iraq, the consensus is there waiting to be articulated. I've been spouting it for about 18 months (see http://chinshihtang.blogspot.com/2005/08/consensus-democratic-position-on-iraq.html) though I always intended it as a partisan rallying point for Democrats. Now we find the Republicans buying into the major premises: combat operations ending in the months before November, 2008, taking much of the sting out of the war debate in the general election; a general withdrawal in progress January, 2009, allowing the new President the chance to operate with a relatively free hand.

Even the Bushites seem likely to accept this plan, though they don't want it to be dictated to them by the Congressional Democrats. If Pelosi and Reid can somehow avoid a showdown, they should get what they ostensibly want in terms of the result. Instead, the legislative efforts get the Bushites' back up, and they show less flexibility. Instead of getting the best result possible (timelines as guidelines, specific follow-up reviews scheduled before Congress, accelerated spending commitement requirements with date limitations driving spending down toward the end of 2007) , the Democrats may meekly back off and let Dubya have his blank check one last year, for fear of political disadvantage. Whatever they do, the interest of all parties, even the Bushites for a tolerable historical legacy, aligns behind a six-month surge followed by steady and rapid withdrawal.