Is this anecdotal story significant and representative, or am I reading too much into it?

[Mike 03]

(Sort of cross-posted from another discussion.)

This happened months ago to my mom. It didn't seem worth posting at the time but now it is relevant.

My mother has a lifelong friend who has always voted Republican but about five or six months ago (well before this immediate crisis) she told my mother she was not voting for Trump again and when my mother asked her why she said it was because of abortion, Roe and the Supreme Court. She volunteered this information. I wasn't sure what to make of it and was wondering if there might be some other reason she wasn't divulging, because I thought it was well-known that Republicans are a party that wants to make abortion illegal. That is not exactly news. But nevertheless, that is exactly what transpired in that phone call.

She is a white female in her mid to late 70s.

She is probably what is called a traditional Republican. Her husband practiced business law. I knew their kids (two sons, and a daughter) and they were not religious. Their daughter went into law too, also business law. They are upscale, upper-middle class. I'd call them "business Republicans" for want of a better term.

Do you think she is representative of a noteworthy demographic, or is this story an aberration of little significance?

Do you know anyone like this?

[redstatebluegirl]

1. Maybe she is one of those women who voted as her husband did.

Not saying that is right, but there are a lot of women of that age that did just that.

[Mike 03]

2. Very interesting. I think my grandmothers fell into this category,

especially my dad's mom. I actually think my mother's mother stopped voting after her husband died.

[Raven]

3. Yes. One friend of mine, prosperous, life long Republican. She is

repulsed by Trump. She'll vote for Biden or stay home. I suspect she'll vote for Biden because he is a gentleman.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. I suspect (hope?) that this is not at all uncommon. The "quiet people" who are basically...

conservative, but decent, must be appalled at what's going on. If my Republican parents were still alive I have little doubt they would not approve of this pig. They were the sort who were appalled by pretty much any discussions of religion or politics, so they would silently disapprove of all that's going now.

We may be seeing a redefinition of "silent majority".

[Sugarcoated]

5. Yes, I do

Off the top of my head roughly a dozen here in SE PA...possibly more. I'd have to give it some thought. I think I'll give it some thought when I can and make a list. I like to make lists

[chowder66]

6. About 1/3 of Republicans are pro choice.

My dad was one of them. He was a moderate pro choice Republican (later he became a Democrat after his disgust with his party when they impeached Bill Clinton whom he wasn't a fan of. He thought his party had turned a dark and hyper-partisan corner). He was a Catholic too but it was the one big disagreement he had with his church as well. He was against abortion but he was for women's rights. He stopped going to church because of his views on abortion and instead practiced his religion privately.

[RazzleCat]

7. yes and no

It is my experience that the majority of women are for abortion rights. Even women who say they are against them will equivocate when given specific situations. So say to them your daughter was raped (extreme example), you get that would be an exception. This is how we get the exemption of rape, incest and mothers life is in danger. When you present to anti abortion women these extreme circumstances they allow it, they will reconsider their position. I grant its not all women, but the majority of anti abortion ones.

Whats interesting to bring up when they allow these specific exemptions is ask, how do you prove rape in a timely manor? AKA avoid late term abortion? What about when a woman life is endangered in the 5th month? How about the child that does not know they are pregnant? You don't find out its dads child till they are 6 months along (say a 12 year old)? Again just look at a rape situation, not all women are beaten when raped, you don't always see physical signs of aggressive penetration (working on polite words here). The woman says I was raped, goes straight to the police, no shower she does exactly as she has learned to do in this situation, she has a rape kit done, but again has no physical signs of abuse (bruising, broken bones, wounds etc), was she "really raped" or is she now afraid she may be with child? How do you prove it in that first 3 months? Make it even easier, she knows the suspect it's her creepy neighbor, police go, detain, run a DNA test, its positive all in say three weeks. You still have to prove it was rape, there will not be a trial for months, the person she is accusing (who's DNA is a match), says it was consensual, not rape. Now what, that pregnancy will be born before that case is decided in the courts even in ideal circumstances. What all this is about is that even women who don't believe in abortion will grant exceptions, and do not want it banned under all circumstances. As always, there are a small fraction who do want it banned in all circumstances, but they are an extreme minority.

[safeinOhio]

8. The polls are showing a

20% disapproval of Tя☭mp by rePublican voters. That be 1 in 5.

[stillcool]

9. I know women who believed that...

Roe would never be over-turned, and it was just being used as a wedge, to rally the freaks. There's a lot of those 'it could never happen' scenario's that have become 'holy shit this is happening'.