Why Democrats Must Continue Defending Abortion Rights | Vanity Fair

Written by Molly Jong-Fast

Last week's elections brought about a favorable outcome for Democrats, contrary to the anxiety-filled anticipations leading up to it. Republicans' prospects of achieving victories in red and purple states through more "moderated" Trump-like figures such as Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin did not come to fruition. Youngkin's campaign had emphasized his commitment to enforcing a 15-week abortion ban if he could sway the legislature, but the Republicans were unsuccessful in recapturing the state Senate or the House of Delegates, relinquishing their grip on the legislature in its entirety.

In simpler terms, Republicans have been reminded once again that raising the issue of an abortion ban, or any limitations to it, is a losing strategy for them. This should have been a lesson learned already, considering the outcomes of elections following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the predominantly conservative Supreme Court. Despite this evidence in the 2022 midterms and recent races, the GOP appears resistant to accepting this fact. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio defended his party's current stance on abortion in an extensive write-up on X, adamantly arguing against the notion of renouncing support for the unborn, which he deems as unacceptable both politically and ethically. Countering reason, he emphasized the need to understand the reasons behind their defeat so they could ultimately emerge victorious.

Digressing to a recent episode of Meet the Press aired on Sunday, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel made claims that Americans desire "common sense limitations," which according to her, includes an increase in adoption accessibility. She emphasized the establishment of 'pregnancy crisis centers' as pivotal factors to their success. While it's essential to recognize that many 'pregnancy crisis centers' are essentially antiabortion institutions disguising themselves as abortion clinics, their primary goal is to dissuade patients from terminating pregnancies. However, the broader issue is McDaniel's mistaken conception of America: while she and her party adhere politically to abortion restrictions due to Donald Trump's extreme standpoint on the matter, the majority of the electorate does not share this view.

The trend of Republicans pursuing a losing battle concerning abortion isn't limited to Vance and McDaniel. Take Ohio as an example, where voters predominantly voted in favor of Issue 1 (57-43%), establishing abortion rights in the state constitution. Now, the state's GOP-majority legislature is contemplating cutting off judicial jurisdiction to prevent the judiciary from interfering with Issue 1. They wish to leave the decision of possible law modifications solely in the hands of the legislature, based on public hearings and legal expert opinion from both sides. This move mirrors the one made by Florida's Republicans in 2018, who imposed a de facto poll tax a year after a ballot measure to restore voting rights for felons was passed by voters. When Republicans disapproved of election results, they decided to counteract it with an oppressive and undemocratic piece of legislation.

Republicans appear to hold the belief that the issues lie with the voters and not with their unfavorable concepts. Rick Santorum, a Republican, stated on Newsmax following the party's lackluster performance: “Thank goodness that most of the states in this country don’t let you put everything on the ballot because pure democracies are not the way to run a country,”. Both he and Mercedes Schlapp were most agitated by the ballot measures, with Santorum stating "You put very attractive topics like abortion and marijuana on the ballot... and a lot of young people come out and vote," using 'attractive' as a substitute for 'popular'.

Despite generally shying away from acknowledging Karl Rove as a figure to emulate, Democrats might want to borrow a strategy from Rove's 2004 elections playbook. While he might not admit it now, Rove proactively used ballot initiatives to secure George W. Bush's reelection. As articulated by Ken Mehlman, Bush’s 2004 campaign manager, to The Atlantic, Rove was instrumental in ensuring that Republicans would leverage anti-gay initiatives and referenda in the 2004 and 2006 elections to their advantage.

At the end of the day, choice is popular. People don’t like having their rights taken away. Even red-state voters respond to this—like in Kentucky, where Democratic governor Andy Beshear ran commercials featuring a victim of childhood sexual abuse. “I was raped by my stepfather,” she says to the camera. “After years of sexual abuse, I was 12.” The message was clear: A 12-year-old should not be forced to have their stepfather’s baby. And thus, Beshear widened his reelection victory, 52.5% to 47.5%, even pulling some rural voters. The results Tuesday in Kentucky follow voters last year in deep-red Kansas rejecting an antiabortion ballot measure.

“We should put the right to choose on every ballot across the country in 2024,” argued Illinois Democratic governor J.B. Pritzker. “Not just with the candidates we choose, but with referendum efforts to enshrine reproductive rights in states where right-wing politicians are stripping those rights away.” Pritzker is correct, which puts the GOP in a sticky wicket: The same base that loves Trump is staunchly anti-choice. If the Republicans pivot on abortion, they run the risk of alienating their base. But if they stick to their staunchly anti-choice program, they will alienate mainstream voters they desperately need to win the presidency. My prediction is that Republicans will try not to talk about abortion, because they cannot possibly win on it. And that’s exactly why Democrats should be talking about abortion every damn day.