https://politico.com/news/republicans-abortion-kate-cox
Republicans keep trying to come up with a coherent message on abortion. And real life keeps intruding.
On the campaign trail this week, Nikki Haley was pressed — yet again — to say whether she’d sign a national abortion ban into law. She dismissed the prospect of such a ban as an effort to “scare people” and jostled with Chris Christie over who had the more reasonable position on abortion.
As the two traded shots, though, they were upstaged by events far away from New Hampshire.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, an ally of former President Donald Trump, drew national attention for blocking Kate Cox, whose fetus had a terminal condition, from having an abortion. And then, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided to take up a case that could affect access to mifepristone — a ruling that could get in the way of GOP efforts to sound reasonable on the issue.
The contrast between the GOP candidates’ maneuvering toward the middle and the real-world events that remind the public of the party’s most aggressively anti-abortion faction shows how vexing the issue remains for the party. Eighteen months after the fall of Roe v. Wade, even Republicans who try to moderate — or, like Donald Trump, try not to talk about it — are struggling mightily to get on the right side of popular opinion.
“We have to humanize the situation and deal with it with compassion,” Haley told reporters at Tuesday’s New Hampshire town hall when asked about the Texas case.
The conversation around abortion rights has remained front and center since the Supreme Court overturned Roe last year — from Republicans’ ongoing debate about a national abortion ban to off-year elections reemphasizing the salience of abortion rights for voters.
Republicans continue struggling to find a position they can sell to both their base and the general public, a point that Christie stressed at a New Hampshire town hall on Wednesday: “The voters in this state have a right to know where [Haley] stands, not just her happy talk,” he said. “She wants to be everything to everybody on that issue.”
@DunbirdStanDemocrat5mos5MO
this is 100% right but an easier way to put it is that when you outlaw something a big majority of country wants legal it just doesn't stop being a big issue
@LibertyBellBobcatDemocrat5mos5MO
"...as they keep getting forced to talk about abortion"
Nice that the DC press can be so sympathetic to the GOP's plight. Republicans would rather talk about migrant caravans or inflation from a year ago, but *some* just won't move on from losing a basic right...
@9HN6C8C5mos5MO
Republicans struggle to talk about abortion because their position is so largely born from their deeply christian and religious background, they are too afraid to talk about it because they are too afraid to get called out for bringing religion into our government, even though that is why they are making such pro life stances.
@WornoutOtterGreen5mos5MO
There is no moderate position, unless you are NOT criminalizing abortion at any point. We had a working system, later abortions, were only for tragedies. They think 15 wks is reasonable. 98% of all abortions happen before, so they are only criminalizing needed care.
@AloofFox5mos5MO
The abortion bans will be to the 2020s what Prohibition was to the 1920s, without the Damon Runyon stories.
@JudicialHazelSocialist5mos5MO
Republicans who ended Roe v. Wade; opposed every state initiative to preserve abortion rights; and are determined to pass a national law banning abortion in all cases, are shocked, shocked that they have to keep defending their abortion stance.
@L0bby1stCharlotteRepublican5mos5MO
Republicans didn’t “end roe v. Wade”. The Supreme Court returned power to the States that was stolen by the fed government. It’s purely a tenth amendment decision and had nothing to do with abortion.
@JudicialHazelSocialist5mos5MO
You're conveniently forgetting that the severely repressive state laws restricting abortion were passed by GOP-controlled legislatures, & that Dobbs was decided by Republican, Trump-appointed justices. But saying that Dobbs had nothing to do with abortion is <chef's kiss>.
@L0bby1stCharlotteRepublican5mos5MO
I’m talking about the law. I don’t care about your feelings, neither does the law.
The Constitution says it’s the right of the states to legislate this how they wish. I realize this level of intellectual scrutiny is lost on democrat voters. It’s why you vote Democratic.
@JudicialHazelSocialist5mos5MO
Trump is literally running on being the one who ended Roe
@9HN6T9G5mos5MO
I think abortion should be a choice in all countries.
@ISIDEWITH5mos5MO
Of course the GOP can’t string together a coherent line of reasoning because they quickly become ensnared in their own hypocrisy.
Republicans have created with their messaging a mess that will take generations to undo. They’ve said enough at this point and their way hasn’t worked so they just need to not talk about or legislate on this topic again.
@9HNDC66Republican5mos5MO
While I abhor abortion, I would like it if Congress could just find common ground. Wars aren't won in one sitting, they are won through small steps of victory. If the laws can be adjusted just a bit stricter, it saves more lives and opens opportunity for future discussion on slightly stricter laws.
@9HN87VRRepublican5mos5MO
i think abortion should not be a thing. it is taking a living human's life away from them.
@RightsRatDemocrat5mos5MO
“GOP candidates maneuvering toward the middle” is a fascinating way to say “GOP candidates, realizing that their party’s positions are as popular as brussels sprouts soaked in cat urine, desperately try not to sound like Torquemada & Mussolini’s love-child.”
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