Some Democrat Leaders Bemoan Candidates “Yelling abortion every other word”
Some prominent Democrats are questioning the value of going all in on an extreme pro-abortion pitch to voters.
The Associated Press reports:
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville fears his party’s hyper-focus on abortion isn’t working.
“A lot of these consultants think if all we do is run abortion spots that will win for us. I don’t think so…if you just sit there and they’re pummeling you on crime and pummeling you on the cost of living, you’ve got to be more aggressive than just yelling abortion every other word.”
Bernie Sanders echoed those worries in a piece at The Guardian:
“… as we enter the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, I am alarmed to hear the advice that many Democratic candidates are getting from establishment consultants and directors of well-funded Super Pacs that the closing argument of Democrats should focus only on abortion. Cut the 30-second abortion ads and coast to victory. I disagree.”
These inklings of buyer’s remorse come after Democrats spent more than $73 million in TV ads touting their support for abortion in the month of September – about a third of all TV ad spending by Democrats, according to AdImpact. A few weeks ago the AP reported $124 million in spending since Dobbs.
They also come after polling on the generic congressional ballot shows a rebound for Republicans, and as pro-life Republican candidates are increasingly taking back the narrative. Here’s J.D. Vance (OH-SEN) exposing 10-term U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, who flip-flopped from pro-life to pro-abortion. Ryan is now trying to distance himself from President Biden and present himself as a moderate, when his record is anything but:
Throughout the debate Ryan tried to change the subject back to abortion. Yet like his fellow Democrat candidates, he was evasive when asked directly about what limits – if any – he would support:
Vance’s support for a minimum national standard to stop late-term abortion made him the voice of reason in the room, demonstrating again that Senator Graham’s legislation is good policy and good politics.
Perhaps Carville and Sanders saw the recent letter in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that lamented,
“I generally support a woman’s right to choose…But when [Democrats’] campaigns consist solely of…telling outright lies and shrieking about how much they like to kill babies, it becomes apparent that politics has reached an abysmal new low.”
It’s one anecdote, but it reflects the revulsion with pro-abortion extremism our canvassers out in the field hear from voters every day.
If pro-life Republicans stay on offense, they will continue to improve their outlook for taking back majorities in the House and Senate.