The Issue Is: Gloria Allred vs. Larry Elder
This week on "The Issue Is," an all-star debate like you’ve never seen before.
On the left, legendary attorney Gloria Allred.
On the right, Larry Elder, the radio host and former candidate for California Governor.
Two friends of more than 30 years who have little politically in common.
They sit down with host Elex Michaelson to debate abortion rights in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Justice Clarence Thomas, Governor Gavin Newsom’s controversial vacation to Montana, the January 6th hearings, and much, much more.
—————
THE ISSUE IS: WAS THE SUPREME COURT RIGHT TO OVERTURN ROE V. WADE?
ELDER’S CENTRAL TAKE: "Yeah, well, the court got it wrong in 1973 when they took up the case in the first place. And as you pointed out, all it does is return it to the state where it should have been in the first place. And a lot of people have said the Supreme Court has now outlawed abortion - they've done no such thing, again, they've returned to the states the way it was for all but 50 years of our nation's history. And some of the biggest protests have taken place in New York, Chicago and L.A., where it's zero chance that the local legislators are now going to change the law and make abortion rights more restrictive. And I also take issue with people like Gavin Newsom who claim that this is all about men exerting power over women - depending upon the polls and how they phrase them, a greater percentage of women are pro-life than even men, so it's nonsense to say this is about men controlling the lives of women…."
ALLRED’S CENTRAL TAKE: "It IS about the United States Supreme Court throwing out precedent, throwing out super precedent, but it's also about controlling the lives of women. It's about coercing women who become pregnant and requiring them to take that pregnancy to term, even if there are health risks, even if they are victims of rape or incest. What about that ten-year-old child recently who became pregnant and couldn't get a legal abortion now in Ohio because of the Supreme Court ruling and the law in Ohio that was passed, and had to travel to Indiana to get a legal abortion - soon in Indiana, it may not even be legal to get an abortion. This is outrageous. Women cannot enjoy full equality and liberty because of this US Supreme Court decision giving states the right to make abortion perhaps a crime or illegal…"
—————
THE ISSUE IS: SHOULD ABORTION ACCESS BE A STATE OR FEDERAL ISSUE?
ELDER’S CENTRAL TAKE: "And this just returned the issue to the states where it should have been in the first place. And there weren't protests in the street before 1973. There weren't rallies in Washington, D.C. before 1973. The Supreme Court federalized an issue that they never should have touched. And that was just going back to the states. Where should have gone before…
ALLRED’S CENTRAL TAKE: "Should contraception be a states rights issue? Should marriage equality be a states rights issue? And should it be a national law that prohibits abortion in every state? That's what Mitch McConnell wants to do. That's what many Republicans want to do. And no, It should be a right and not subject to a state interfering with the right of a woman to control her own body…"
ELDER’S CENTRAL TAKE: "You also talked about this being a super precedent. So what? Dred Scott was precedent. Plessy v. Ferguson was precedent. Cases are wrong, and when they're wrong, they need to be overturned… f you guys want to codify Roe v Wade, you should you should do it the right way, which is to push for an amendment to the Constitution. And people on the right who want to codify outlawing abortion should do the same thing…"
—————
THE ISSUE IS: DOES GOV. NEWSOM’S MONTANA TRIP DESERVE THE CRITICISM?
ALLRED’S CENTRAL TAKE: "I think it's a fair issue, but what is more important is what the governor's stances are and the policies that affect us in California. And I'm fine with his going to, well, his running ads in Florida as well - Florida, you know, which doesn't want young children to be able to say 'gay' or discuss gay in their classrooms…"
ELDER’S CENTRAL TAKE: "None dare call it hypocrisy, even though that's exactly what it is. He does not allow California officials to travel there on state business - This wasn't state business, I'll give you that, but one would think if the state is so repulsive because of their their laws on abortion, he wouldn't spend time there. This is just as hypocritical as him being in that French laundry restaurant and not wearing a mask, not engaging in social distancing with the very people that drafted the mandates that he was violating, his own kid, enjoying in-person private education while banning in-person private education for other people…"
—————
THE ISSUE IS: SHOULD CA. EVEN INSTITUTE TRAVEL BANS TO OTHER STATES?
ALLRED’S CENTRAL TAKE: "I think it's important. For example, I said on the abortion issue recently in my column in "Variety" that I think that SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild, the Producers Guild, and other guilds in the entertainment business should all agree that they're not going to produce films in states that ban abortion. I think that's that's what we should have. I think others should not do business with states that ban abortion. Now, if somebody has a family member in a state that bans abortion and wants to visit them, I don't have any problem with that or even take a vacation there because their family is there, but come on, we don't want to put money into states that are going to put women and girls' lives at risk…"
ELDER’S CENTRAL TAKE: "Gloria, do you have any respect at all for people that feel differently? Any respect at all for people that feel that abortion is wrong, it's a sin, and for the women that feel that way, including Amy Coney Barrett, do you have any sympathy at all for people that feel that way?…"
—————
The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statewide political show. For showtimes and more information, go to TheIssueIsShow.com.