Pence Goes on Offense; Warning Signs for Democrats
Former Vice President Mike Pence is one of the highest-profile Republicans to talk about the importance of engaging on the life issue. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Pence said:
“The candidates I see effectively engaging the public on this issue are candidates that are…talking from their hearts about their commitment to the sanctity of life…I don't doubt that abortion rights advocates are using the issue to motivate their voters. But I will tell you I see great enthusiasm around the country for this new beginning of life.”
Mike Huckabee added:
“What we need to do is make the Democrats answer for their radical extremist position to take the life of an unborn child right up to the moment of its birth. That's extremism. Our positions are not extreme."
Former President Trump is also encouraging pro-life Republicans to explain clearly what they stand for and take the fight to their opponents:
“You really have to have a certain standard, and you have to talk about it... They're willing to go - abortion past the time of birth. If you take a look at that wacky governor they had in Virginia [Ralph Northam], he said you can kill the baby after birth. So nobody wants that. So they're really the radical ones, but the problem is, a lot of people aren't explaining it well.”
Pence and Marjorie Dannenfelser also have an op-ed at Fox today urging pro-life lawmakers and advocates to stand firm in the face of intimidation. They praise Senator Graham’s proposed limit on later-term abortions as “one step towards modernizing our nation’s laws as we advance our mission to ensure every unborn life is protected under the law.”
More support for a minimum federal limit at 15 weeks comes from Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a radiologist, at The Hill:
“The bill is a no-brainer from my perspective as a physician. I see fetal patients of this age and older regularly and their humanity is manifest and indisputable.”
How Reliable Are Conflicting Polls?
A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey purportedly found that “Abortion is a stronger motivator for midterm voters now than it was in July,” mostly on the Democratic side.
There are reasons for skepticism. A FiveThirtyEight poll in mid-September found the opposite – any post-Dobbs bump has ebbed and women ages 18-44 are no more likely than either men the same age or women 45 and over to say that abortion is “one of the top three issues facing the country”:
KFF posed more than 20 questions about abortion, Covid-19, and health insurance policy (some participants even got paid for taking the survey).
In contrast, the Trafalgar Group in mid-September asked specifically about the two live proposals in Congress right now (Republicans’ 15-week limit versus Democrats’ Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act).
Trafalgar’s view is that lengthy polls skew toward individuals with stronger opinions or more free time, and that they increasingly fail to capture honest responses from people who distrust strangers calling and asking them questions.
The New York Times agrees – just yesterday it ran a newsletter piece titled “Who in the World Is Still Answering Pollsters’ Phone Calls?”:
“In the field right now, only 0.4 percent of dials have yielded a completed interview. If you were employed as one of our interviewers at a call center, you would have to dial numbers for two hours to get a single completed interview. No, it wasn’t nearly this bad six, four or even two years ago.”
Bottom line: For years, over and over, Americans of all backgrounds have consistently indicated they oppose late-term abortion.
Democrats’ Voter Registration Petering Out?
In July and August, many media outlets gushed over reported surges of women registering to vote, with the clear assumption that this trend would benefit pro-abortion Democrats (though women overwhelmingly support limits on abortion).
Those hopes appear to be bottoming out. The Omaha World-Herald reports,
“Democratic voter registrations in Nebraska have been steadily declining all year, contradicting the expectation that the party’s numbers would bounce back following a surge of Republican registrations ahead of the May primary election.”
And in Florida, “Republicans outnumber Democrats statewide by nearly 270,000 (as of Aug. 31) and promises by the Democrats to boost their voter registration efforts ahead of this year’s election appear to be illusory,” says Politico. While Charlie Crist has just issued two new TV ads promoting his pro-abortion stance, Politico notes, “The most recent polls…have shown DeSantis with a commanding double-digit lead.”
Tulsi Torches Democratic Party, Citing DOJ Targeting of Pro-Life Activists
Many saw it coming. After endorsing Joe Biden in 2020, former member of Congress and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is no longer a Democrat. Among her reasons:
“Under the Obama administration, the IRS was used to target conservative groups. Biden's DOJ recently indicted 11 pro-life activists for "organizing an event blockading an abortion clinic." They didn't use physical force. They weren't dangerous. But seven of them are facing 11 years in prison and fines of $250,000.”
House & Senate Republicans led by Rep. Chip Roy (TX) and Sen. Mike Lee (UT) are demanding data on the administration’s handling of FACE Act investigations. Pro-life organizations that have been attacked, including one whose office was firebombed, say they have heard nothing from the FBI.
Charlotte Lozier Institute’s Chuck Donovan and Moira Gaul warn that the Democrats’ war on pregnancy help will backfire:
“Americans disagree about aspects of the abortion issue, but only a handful of radicals are opposed to women receiving free ultrasounds, baby furniture, clothing, supplies, parenting classes, and access to an incalculably valuable network of love and support.”
Whether there will be a “Gabbard effect” of rank-and-file Democrats abandoning ship remains to be seen, but pro-abortion extremism is a definite turn-off for persuadable voters like Swapna:
