Abortion Takes Center Stage at Third Presidential Debate

Debate moderator Bob Schieffer earns a standing ovation from me. He asked both candidates for their opinion on Roe v. Wade and how it would affect their nomination of future Supreme Court justices.

Both men were upfront about their beliefs - McCain thinks Roe v. Wade is wrong and wants it overturned, and Obama believes Roe v. Wade should be upheld.

Both men used that well-worn phrase 'no litmus test' for appointing justices. But it's important to note that McCain couldn't resist saying, "I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications."

So many women have put forth the argument that Roe v. Wade cannot be overturned, and so they can afford to consider voting for McCain/Palin because abortion is not an issue in this election.

Read John McCain's lips. He doesn't believe in the legitimacy of Roe v. Wade. He wants it overturned. And his running mate is even more hard-line. She doesn't think women or girls should be able to have safe and legal access to abortion even in the case of rape or incest.

Abortion is a significant issue facing us this election year whether we care to acknowledge it or not. And Bob Schieffer has shown himself to be an advocate for women's rights by asking that all-important question.

Other Debate Observations

Schieffer's million-dollar question of the evening was one that he put forth without a hint of smarminess: "I want to ask both of you about the people that you're going to bring into the government. And our best insight yet is who you have picked as your running mates....Why would the country be better off if your running mate became president rather than his running mate?"

As McCain began his answer with, "Americans have gotten to know Sarah Palin. They know that she's a role model to women," viewers of one particular news network saw something happening onscreen that validated every poll we've seen.

Throughout the debates, CNN has employed a response meter - a dial operated by each member of a select group, a roomful of undecided voters - to provide a glimpse of how audiences might be reacting. The meter showed voter opinions as a moving line that jumped up for positive reactions, flatlined for neutral attitudes, and dropped down for negative responses. (I should add that there were two lines visible - a green one for men's reactions and a yellow one for women's responses.)

When McCain began praising Palin, the green line flew up near the top of the the positive scale, while the yellow one dropped lower and lower and lower. Polls have told us men like Palin far more than women, and in CNN's room of undecided voters, women clearly disliked Palin.

So the 'role model to women' comment by McCain was a red flag waved in front of women he'd hoped to bring around by choosing a female running mate.

In the end, McCain never answered Schieffer's question. He stated, "She'll be my partner" but said nothing about why she'd be a better president than Biden. (You have to give him credit for not even attempting a direct answer we all know would have been an outright lie.)

When Schieffer asked Obama, "Do you think she's qualified to be president?" you could see him looking for a ten-foot pole to fend off the question. His reply was brief and also not an answer: "You know, I think it's -- that's going to be up to the American people. I think that, obviously, she's a capable politician who has, I think, excited the -- a base in the Republican Party."

He neglected to mention that she's excited Obama supporters who realize that despite her rock star status of the past six weeks and the large crowds she draws, she has turned out to be McCain's worst nightmare - an unforeseen liability that has cost him his credibility, shredded his reputation of integrity and straight talk, and has slammed the door of the White House in his face.

Related articles:

• In Their Own Words - McCain & Obama Discuss Abortion at 3rd Presidential Debate
• McCain & Palin, Obama & Biden: Where the Candidates Stand on Abortion

_{Photo of Bob Schieffer ©: Charles Dharapak-Pool/Getty Images}