Tuesday night did not go well for Republicans. There were no big gains for Republicans. Joe Biden’s unpopularity didn’t matter. One issue was on the minds of voters and that issue is abortion.
Democrats are making it clear that they will continue to use their playbook that has been used since the Supreme Court ruled that abortion is a states issue, not a federal issue. Every election since then, Democrats paint their Republican opponents as extremists who would jail women for having an abortion, or completely outlaw abortion, forcing women to have unwanted children.
What is the Republican plan? Does anything change after yet another losing election cycle? Mississippi proved to be the only bright spot. The Governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, won re-election against Democrat Brandon Presley (a distant cousin of Elvis) who ran as a Blue Dog Democrat. Reeves used the abortion issue in his campaign and his stance is much like that of Presley’s. Presley is a pro-life Democrat who agrees with the state’s restrictions on abortion. He’s a unicorn in the Democrat Party, though. Reeves is not a popular governor but Presley failed to fire up Democrats to get out and vote. Democrats failed to take the gubernatorial election and that was a major victory among lots of defeats Tuesday night.
Are Republican voters tired of losing yet? Joe Biden is very unpopular and his policies have harmed American families. This is well-known. However, Democrats use the abortion issue to their advantage, just as they said they would when the Dodd decision came down from the Supreme Court. Here’s the thing about Democrats – they band together and go vote when push comes to shove. They unite. Republicans splinter into lots of smaller groups. Republicans snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Why weren’t Republicans better prepared? Governor Youngkin is popular in Virginia. He hoped to have DeSantis-like success in his state with state and local elections. He did not. Youngkin made the mistake of embracing the abortion argument. He promised that there would be a ban on abortion that would kick in at the 15-week mark, not the 6-week mark that some red states have put in place. A six-week ban is a losing argument for Democrats and Independent voters, and especially among women voters. How many more times must we learn this lesson? A majority of voters are okay with a 15-week cut-off on abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the woman. A six-week ban is seen as too extreme because many women don’t even realize they are pregnant at that stage.
Last night Joe Biden stayed up past his bedtime. He issued a statement in order to brag about the successful effort in Ohio to pass an amendment that enshrines access to abortion and a string of other reproductive rights. This is a big win for pro-abortion voters. Ohio is mostly a red state yet this issue was very important to voters. Republican Governor Mike DeWine opposed it. Democrats are not further emboldened to continue to use abortion as a rallying cry in 2024.
Abortion is legal in Ohio up to 22 weeks. Republicans wanted a six-week ban. The ballot initiative was called “Issue 1” and affirms the right of women to make their own decisions about abortion, birth control, fertility treatment, and miscarriage and pregnancy care. There are still some late-term abortion bans in effect, with the exceptions. Someone on Biden’s staff wrote a statement for him to issue. The self-described devout Catholic pledged to stay the course on abortion.
‘Tonight, Americans once again voted to protect their fundamental freedoms – and democracy won,’ the president said shortly after the results were revealed.
‘In Ohio, voters protected access to reproductive health in their state constitution.
‘Ohioans and voters across the country rejected attempts by MAGA Republican elected officials to impose extreme abortion bans that put the health and lives of women in jeopardy, force women to travel hundreds of miles for care, and threaten to criminalize doctors and nurses for providing the health care that their patients need and that they are trained to provide.
‘This extreme and dangerous agenda is out-of-step with the vast majority of Americans.
‘My Administration will continue to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law once and for all.’
Another happy Democrat after Tuesday night’s Democrat victories was Hillary Clinton. She and Chelsea were award presenters at the Glamour Women of the Year shindig.
Last night, reproductive freedom was on the ballot in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. It won everywhere.
Women enjoy having human rights, and we vote.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 8, 2023
The good news is that Hillary Clinton will never be president. So, there’s that.
The shine from Virginia Governor Youngkin has dimmed a bit today. He campaigned hard to move both the House of Delegates and the state senate under Republican control. That didn’t happen. Youngkin has made big gains in Virginia and voters can see it. However, when it comes to abortion, that is an issue that can sway a voter like no other, even in times like this. I know. It defies logic but it keeps happening.
In a typical cycle, Virginia legislative elections wouldn’t garner significant coverage or voter turnout—no statewide offices were on the ballot, making it an “off-off” year—but all 140 seats in the commonwealth’s general assembly were up for grabs. GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin—whose gubernatorial victory in 2021 sparked early speculations about his future presidential prospects—barnstormed across the state campaigning for Republicans to take full control of the general assembly, drawing outsized attention and significance to the election. Democrats and Republicans funneled more than $150 million into the races—30 percent more than in 2019, the last cycle where the entire general assembly was up for election.
Suffice to say, Youngkin’s plan didn’t work, despite his previous electoral success in the state. Not only did Democrats retain control of the state Senate, they took back control of the House of Delegates. With a few races still too close to call, the tallies as of this morning show Democrats with a 21-17 majority in the Senate and a 51-47 majority in the House.
As a pro-life woman, it’s frustrating but the fact is that a majority of voters are standing by a 15-16 week cut-off for abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Donald Trump knows it. That is why he slammed Ron DeSantis for signing a 6-week ban in Florida. Trump was roundly criticized by pro-life Republicans. The reality is that this is where the country is on abortion. Democrats have successfully claimed abortion as their winning issue. They will keep doing it for as long as it works for them.
Look for Kamala Harris to continue her college tours to rile up young voters about abortion. Republican candidates have to concentrate on policy issues and what they will do when elected. Youngkin made a fatal decision when he tried to get out in front of the abortion issue. I understand why he went on the offense instead of playing defense on the issue but it turned out that he failed to read the room.
Andy Beshear lives to govern Kentucky for another term as governor. Kentucky Attorney General Cameron was portrayed as a rising star in Republican politics and he may be but he lost this race. A common complaint by pundits is that he relied too heavily on Trump’s endorsement and didn’t project strongly enough what he would do in office. Beshear labeled him a MAGA extremist.
Republicans need a winning message on abortion in all states. Each state’s electorate is different so a general, unified message is tricky. It is something that has to happen, though, in order to win elections again.
