Could Abortion Rights Rescue Red-State Democrats in the Senate?

[brooklynite]

New York Times

In the opening minutes of a debate during Sherrod Brown’s successful 2006 campaign for Senate, the Republican incumbent attacked him over “partial-birth abortion,” a phrase often weaponized by conservatives at the time to paint Democrats as somewhere between immoral and murderous.

Mr. Brown, a Democrat from northeast Ohio in the House at the time, glanced at his notes. He opposed “late-term abortion,” he said in a measured voice. He denounced the mere idea that Congress would limit any procedure that could “save a woman’s health.”

With that, he quickly pivoted. Mr. Brown used the rest of his time to burnish his political brand as a blue-collar economic populist.

Nearly 18 years later, abortion will again be a central point of contention as Senator Brown fights for re-election against one of three Republicans trying to unseat him next year. One difference, other than that his shaggy dark hair is now shaded with gray, is that he is preparing to fully lean into his defense of abortion rights.

[comradebillyboy]

1. It will rescue some but not all.

[Bayard]

2. It sure helped Gov. Beshear here

Very powerful.

[WarGamer]

3. Not sure... but it appears that a lot of GOP voting women are at least somewhat pro-choice.

That doesn't mean they'll vote DEM.


Look at Ohio... lots of GOP voters said NO to abortion restrictions.

[Qutzupalotl]

4. Let's hope.

If you think women will just forget about this issue, you're probably not thinking with your uterus. Oh, you don't have one? My point exactly.
(not directed at anyone here)

Millions of women can't forget and won't forgive. They are fired up and ready to dump the party responsible. I think we can flip a red senate seat or two, and keep our majority. The map looks bad this year on paper, but only if you can forget about bodily autonomy, and how women had rights stripped away from them for no reason but judicial overreach.

[TSExile]

8. THANK YOU!!!

Women and girls have seen that horrible man rise to political power, brag about openly assaulting them, and supposedly Christian conservative (reas: fundamentalist) men reward him. These same men probably applaud rape and would love to see the victims dragged out into the town square and publicly stoned. I'm done with all of it!!!

[yardwork]

5. Yes. I hope Democrats campaign on this.

In 2022 I thought North Carolina's Democratic candidates did a poor job exploiting abortion as an issue. This was partly because the Republican NC legislature hadn't yet passed draconian anti-abortion laws. They did that last year and I hope the Democrats make a lot of noise about it.

[Warpy]

6. It could happen in a few places

Overturning Roe and enacting Draconian "neglect women to death" abortion bans have pissed off a hell of a lot of people, and not just women. Younger men are angry, parents of young women are angry, families of anyone with a problem pregnancy are angry.

There are going to be a few surprises here and there.

[FHRRK]

7. In my opinion focusing just on reproductive rights is too limited

The courts rightward, activist, corporatist activities should be highlighted.

Sets us up for ripping apart these crazies on the SC.