Been meaning to ask you how that bridge you bought is working out.
The Defining Issue of 2024
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
I could not agree more with the author of this article, I have dealt with this personally and even though it happened 20 plus years ago, I still think about it and wonder what he or she would be up to today.
Im glad a woman wrote this, because if a man would have, there would have been hell to pay.
The link you posted alerted me to something I had not previously thought about. So the article was interesting and thought-provoking in that regard.
While the piece is valid, one part of it is not. When the author said, "Unfortunately, because it’s taboo to express negativity regarding the realities of abortion, few men or women are willing to share the mental and emotional consequences..." I almost choked. For decades and especially in recent times, people are screaming from the rooftops about the negative realities of abortion. Lately those cries have come from a number of state legislators as they pass bills that restrict or effectively ban abortion.
Some Republicans are Catching On
"CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s Joe Lombardo on Tuesday became one of the first Republican governor to enshrine protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers, adding the western swing state to the list of those passing new laws to solidify their status as safe havens for abortion patients.
"The legislation codifies an existing executive order from former Gov. Steve Sisolak last year — who lost reelection to Lombardo — that bars state agencies from assisting in out-of-state investigations that could lead to the prosecution of abortion patients who travel to Nevada. It also ensures medical boards and commissions that oversee medical licenses do not discipline or disqualify doctors who provide abortions."
"CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s Joe Lombardo on Tuesday became one of the first Republican governor to enshrine protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers, adding the western swing state to the list of those passing new laws to solidify their status as safe havens for abortion patients.
"The legislation codifies an existing executive order from former Gov. Steve Sisolak last year — who lost reelection to Lombardo — that bars state agencies from assisting in out-of-state investigations that could lead to the prosecution of abortion patients who travel to Nevada. It also ensures medical boards and commissions that oversee medical licenses do not discipline or disqualify doctors who provide abortions."
"Republicans’ disappointing results in the 2022 midterms were seen by many as a reaction to the court’s decision and the GOP’s hard-line stance against abortion rights. At Saturday’s rally [7/29/23, Erie, PA] Trump seemed to be offering a playbook for other Republicans: Emphasize that it’s good for the issue to be decided at the state level, as it has been since the court’s decision, and support exceptions in cases involving rape, incest, and threats to the mother’s life." (Source)
Ohio Issue 1
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 8/8/23, is election day in Ohio. A statewide special election has been called so citizens can vote on an item entitled "Issue 1." This is widely seen as a proxy abortion-rights vote. Early voting turnout has been astoundingly high.
I am watching this vote with great interest. It is the sixth time in six states where abortion rights, in one form or another, have been placed on the ballot since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. In the previous five states, including two red states, abortion rights were strongly adopted by the people.
Eyes on Ohio tomorrow night to see if that trend holds in state # 7.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 8/8/23, is election day in Ohio. A statewide special election has been called so citizens can vote on an item entitled "Issue 1." This is widely seen as a proxy abortion-rights vote. Early voting turnout has been astoundingly high.
I am watching this vote with great interest. It is the sixth time in six states where abortion rights, in one form or another, have been placed on the ballot since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. In the previous five states, including two red states, abortion rights were strongly adopted by the people.
Eyes on Ohio tomorrow night to see if that trend holds in state # 7.
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danthewolf00
Veteran Expediter
Yes if it passes any state ammendment will need 60% of the state leadership vote to pass vs. 50% plus 1
It makes it harder to change things and is why they say it's about abortion because it is up for vote in a few months.
It makes it harder to change things and is why they say it's about abortion because it is up for vote in a few months.
Voters Speak: The Abortion Rights Tally To Date
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and replaced it with Dobbs v. Jackson. Roe guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. The Dobbs decision changed that such that the issue of abortion is now left up to the states. Since then, numerous state legislatures have passed laws regarding abortion. Some have enshrined abortion rights, others have sharply restricted them.
There have been five state elections about abortion rights since Dobbs v. Jackson became the law of the land. In these states, the question of abortion rights was put directly before the people to answer.
The Ohio state election underway today on "Issue 1." Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment in Ohio that would raise the threshold for voter approval of amendments to the state constitution. Currently, amendments to the Ohio Constitution can be passed with a simple majority vote. If Issue 1 passes, amendments would require a 60% super-majority vote to be approved. (Source: Google Bard).
Because of the upcoming abortion-rights vote in November, Issue 1 is widely seen as a proxy vote on abortion rights.
For reference, in 2020, Donald Trump received 53.27% of the Ohio vote. Joe Biden received 45.24% of the vote. In a statewide, special-election vote on an open US Senate seat in August, 2023. The Republican candidate won with 51.8% of the vote, defeating the Democratic candidate who received 46.7% of the vote. (Source: Google Bard). Consequently, most observers consider Ohio to be a "red state."
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and replaced it with Dobbs v. Jackson. Roe guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. The Dobbs decision changed that such that the issue of abortion is now left up to the states. Since then, numerous state legislatures have passed laws regarding abortion. Some have enshrined abortion rights, others have sharply restricted them.
There have been five state elections about abortion rights since Dobbs v. Jackson became the law of the land. In these states, the question of abortion rights was put directly before the people to answer.
- Michigan: Voters approved a ballot measure that will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The amendment passed with 56% of the vote.
- Vermont: Voters approved a ballot measure that will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The amendment passed with 60% of the vote.
- California: Voters approved a ballot measure that will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The amendment passed with 65% of the vote.
- Kansas: Voters rejected a ballot measure that would have said there is no right to abortion under the state constitution. The measure was defeated with 57% of the vote.
- Kentucky: Voters rejected a ballot measure that would have said there is no right to abortion under the state constitution. The measure was defeated with 59% of the vote.
The Ohio state election underway today on "Issue 1." Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment in Ohio that would raise the threshold for voter approval of amendments to the state constitution. Currently, amendments to the Ohio Constitution can be passed with a simple majority vote. If Issue 1 passes, amendments would require a 60% super-majority vote to be approved. (Source: Google Bard).
Because of the upcoming abortion-rights vote in November, Issue 1 is widely seen as a proxy vote on abortion rights.
For reference, in 2020, Donald Trump received 53.27% of the Ohio vote. Joe Biden received 45.24% of the vote. In a statewide, special-election vote on an open US Senate seat in August, 2023. The Republican candidate won with 51.8% of the vote, defeating the Democratic candidate who received 46.7% of the vote. (Source: Google Bard). Consequently, most observers consider Ohio to be a "red state."
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The larger issue is how easy should it be for a state constitution to be changed?
The above paragraph sums up Issue 1 nicely. This election is not only about abortion rights, but to determine how OH voters will be able to make amendments to their constitution. Currently, constitutional amendments can pass with ONLY 1 VOTE over 50% of the popular vote. This makes their constitution vulnerable to manipulation of voter machines, mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting, and other types of voting shenanigans like we saw in the last presidential election.
By passing a 60% vote requirement the voters can insure the people of OH are solidly behind a proposed constitutional amendment, not being controlled by large population areas like Cleveland or college towns like Columbus.
Some are saying that, yes. But if one listens to the rhetoric on the ground and observe legislative behavior, one would reasonably conclude that Issue 1 is a bad-faith maneuver by the Republican-controlled legislature to make it harder for voters to amend their state constitution in November; and thereby make it harder for them to obtain the abortion rights the majority of voters are said to want.
Issue 1 did not surface on its own as a constitutional reform measure. August elections are believed to have lower turnouts than November elections. In order to make today's vote possible, the Republican legislators had to reverse a law they previously passed that banned August elections in Ohio. That ban was seen as a reform measure at the time it was adopted. But the Republicans reversed themselves to place Issue 1 on the ballot AFTER it became known that a statewide vote on abortion rights would happen in November.
Issue 1 is not about constitutional reform. The triggering event that prompted Issue 1 was the upcoming November abortion-rights ballot question. The 50% threshold to amend the state constitution by popular vote served the state well since 1912. This is a Republican-driven, underhanded attempt to restrict abortion in Ohio AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. They brought back the August election in an attempt to keep turnout low. But when it comes to abortion rights, people rise up strong every time the question is made available to them on the ballot.
It may be that the astounding early voting turnout and expected heavy election day turnout will win the day for the conservative Republicans who are doing everything they can to restrict abortion in Ohio. It may be that conservative voters are the ones turning out in large numbers to vote yes on Issue 1. It may be that Republican legislators did not act against the will of the people at all, but aligned themselves with the majority.
We'll know tonight when the returns are reported.
Background from Google Bard:
The 50% threshold for amending the Ohio Constitution by popular vote has been in place since 1912. Before that, a two-thirds majority was required to pass a constitutional amendment. The 1912 constitutional convention lowered the threshold to a simple majority in an effort to make it easier for citizens to amend the constitution.
Since 1912, there have been 170 amendments to the Ohio Constitution. Of those amendments, 133 have passed with a simple majority vote, and 37 have passed with a supermajority vote. The most recent amendment to pass with a simple majority vote was Issue 1, which legalized medical marijuana in Ohio in 2015. The most recent amendment to pass with a supermajority vote was Issue 2, which expanded gambling in Ohio in 2009.
The vote on Issue 1 on August 2, 2023, will determine whether the 50% threshold for amending the Ohio Constitution will remain in place or be raised to 60%. If Issue 1 passes, it will make it much more difficult for constitutional amendments to be passed in Ohio. If Issue 1 fails, it will keep the current threshold of a simple majority for constitutional amendments, which will make it easier for amendments to be passed.
The sad part is anyone believing this is the number one issue/problem facing the nation.
This is the go-to theme in the Democrat playbook - demonize "extreme Republicans" as villains who want to take away the peoples' rights. The exact opposite is true and Issue 1 applies to a number of constitutional issues, not just abortion.
The title of this thread is not " The #1 Issue of 2024." It is "The Defining Issue of 2024."
By that I mean abortion rights will define the results of the 2024 elections. Notice that in the five states where abortion rights were placed as a ballot question before the voters, the voters turned out in large numbers to vote in favor of abortion rights. Abortion rights get people moving. They motivate people to get involved, and to get out the door to vote.
That motivation did not exist when Roe v. Wade was the law of the land. People already had abortion rights. They needed other reasons to get out and vote. But when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with Dobbs v. Jackson, millions of voters who want abortion rights are rising to get them back.
Since the Republican Party tends to oppose abortion rights and the Democratic party tends to support abortion rights, this is good news for Democrats. It's like a free gift to them from the Supreme Court.
Every campaign looks for ways to motivate their voters to get to the polls and vote. For Democrats, abortion rights does the job. It does the job because more American voters support abortion rights than oppose them. The majority of Americans want abortion rights. And where those rights are threatened, they turn out in wining numbers to vote to get them back.
That turnout has knock-on effects on all other ballot items. If you are a Democratic candidate for any office, it's good news for you that people who support abortion rights are already highly motivated to vote. You don't have to work hard to get them to the polls. You need only make sure they know that you hold the same abortion rights views they do. After they check the box on the abortion rights question, it's an easy matter to check the box for the Democratic candidates too.
Abortion rights are the defining issue of 2024 because it is #1. It is the defining issue because it is bringing people to the polls who will likely also vote to return control of the US House to Democrats, keep the US Senate in Democratic majority hands, and keep the White House in Democratic hands as well.
You can see this in Ohio today. The news reports now say Republicans expect to lose the Issue 1 election. The Ohio Secretary of State is a Republican who has campaigned fiercely in favor of Issue 1. He is a staunch pro-life candidate who speaks against abortion rights. He is also a candidate for U.S. Senate. Now tied irrevocably to a losing issue in Ohio (we'll know for sure tonight), he faces a highly organized and newly energized base of people who strongly support abortion rights.
These people were not organized and energized in red-state Ohio before the Supreme Court overturned Roe. But they are now, and that's a big problem for Republicans.
If people can amend the state constitution with a 50% vote now, and you want to raise the threshold to 60%, you make it harder for people to do what they could before. By definition that takes away people's rights.
If legal voting age is 18 and you change it to 21, that takes away people's rights.
If 2,000 signatures are required to qualify an independent candidate to get on the ballot and you change that to 10,000, that takes away people's rights.
If a C grade average is required to enter a state college and you change that to B, that takes away people's rights.
Making it harder for people to change the constitution does not add power to the people, it shifts the power away from the people and increases the power legislators have. The citizen-initiated constitutional amendment is an important check on the power of the legislature. If you believe the people should retain the power they have now to check a legislature that is out of step with the people, you vote for Issue 1.
This is What I Mean by "Defining Issue."
A defining issue is one that gets people moving to vote. The Issue 1 abortion-rights proxy vote provides a good example.
"Early voter turnout has been high, which is unusual for special elections and likely reflects intense voter interest in abortion rights issues. Nearly 700,000 Ohioans had already cast their ballots through Sunday, according to the Associated Press. That’s more than double the early voting tally during high profile primary elections in 2018 and 2022, according to AP." (Emphasis mine.) (Source)
A defining issue is one that gets people moving to vote. The Issue 1 abortion-rights proxy vote provides a good example.
"Early voter turnout has been high, which is unusual for special elections and likely reflects intense voter interest in abortion rights issues. Nearly 700,000 Ohioans had already cast their ballots through Sunday, according to the Associated Press. That’s more than double the early voting tally during high profile primary elections in 2018 and 2022, according to AP." (Emphasis mine.) (Source)
Ohio Issue 1 is Soundly Defeated
The Associated Press has called the special election in Ohio. Issue 1 is defeated.
Votes are still being totaled so we won't know the exact numbers yet. But it is clear now that the measure was defeated by a strong margin in a high-turnout election.
It seems that not only did large numbers of Democrats and independents vote no on what they saw as an abortion-rights proxy vote. A good number of Republicans joined them in voting no as well. They voted no because they wanted to keep the power the gerrymandered, super-majority, Republican state legislators sought to shift from the people to themselves. That chicanery pissed off a whole lot of Ohio voters of all stripes, and they signaled their displeasure at the polls today.
Now, these same voters are looking ahead to the November election where an abortion-rights constitutional amendment will be on the ballot. There may be a proposed minimum wage amendment as well.
Of concern to the Republicans who are in power because of gerrymandering, we're hearing emboldened talk of an anti-gerrymandering amendment too. Keep your eyes open for that development. A whole lot of people who were not involved before the legislature put Issue 1 on a special election ballot are now involved, and they are organized.
I find myself wondering. If Ohio voters rise to amend their state constitution to prohibit gerrymandering, how long will Ohio remain a red state?
The Associated Press has called the special election in Ohio. Issue 1 is defeated.
Votes are still being totaled so we won't know the exact numbers yet. But it is clear now that the measure was defeated by a strong margin in a high-turnout election.
It seems that not only did large numbers of Democrats and independents vote no on what they saw as an abortion-rights proxy vote. A good number of Republicans joined them in voting no as well. They voted no because they wanted to keep the power the gerrymandered, super-majority, Republican state legislators sought to shift from the people to themselves. That chicanery pissed off a whole lot of Ohio voters of all stripes, and they signaled their displeasure at the polls today.
Now, these same voters are looking ahead to the November election where an abortion-rights constitutional amendment will be on the ballot. There may be a proposed minimum wage amendment as well.
Of concern to the Republicans who are in power because of gerrymandering, we're hearing emboldened talk of an anti-gerrymandering amendment too. Keep your eyes open for that development. A whole lot of people who were not involved before the legislature put Issue 1 on a special election ballot are now involved, and they are organized.
I find myself wondering. If Ohio voters rise to amend their state constitution to prohibit gerrymandering, how long will Ohio remain a red state?
Issue 1 Analysis
In an Aug. 8, 2023, special election called by the state legislature, Ohio voters resoundingly rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution. The ballot question was entitled "Issue 1."
Voting: With 97% of the vote counted, "No" received 57.0% of the vote, "Yes" received 43.0% (Source)
Turnout: "The roughly 2.8 million votes cast dwarfed the 1.66 million ballots counted in the state’s 2022 primary elections, in which races for governor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House were up for grabs." (Source) Remarkably, the 2.8 million votes were cast in an August special election. August special elections typically have very low turnout numbers. Turnout this time was astounding by any standard.
Funding: "Ballotpedia estimated last week that at least $32.5 million had been spent on the battle, split roughly equally between the two sides. Eight in 10 dollars came from donors outside Ohio, that estimate said, including $4 million from a single donor, Richard Uihlein, the Illinois founder of a nationwide packing and shipping company, Uline Inc., who is one of the country’s most prolific patrons of right-wing causes." (Source)
"It’s increasingly common across the nation to see a large influx of out-of-state money in state-level races, said Travis Ridout, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks advertising spending. Polarized issues that resonate nationally, like abortion in the Ohio election, can be a major motivator." (Source)
Messaging: "Some of the messaging from the outside groups [for both sides] has been deceptive." (Source)
Bi-Partisan Opposition: "One Person One Vote represented a broad, bipartisan coalition of voting rights, labor, faith and community groups. The group also had as allies four living ex-governors of the state and five former state attorneys general of both parties, who called the proposed change bad public policy." (Source)
"Voter opposition to the proposal was widespread, even spreading into traditionally Republican territory. In fact, in early returns, support for the measure fell far short of former President Donald Trump’s performance during the 2020 election in nearly every county." (Source)
Losing Side Comments: "Republican lawmakers who had pushed the measure — and put it before voters during the height of summer vacation season — explained away the defeat as a result of too little time to adequately explain its virtues to voters. A main backer, Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, predicted lawmakers would try again, though probably not as soon as next year.
“'Obviously, there are a lot of folks that did not want this to happen — not just because of the November issues, but for all of the other ones that are coming,' he said, expressing disappointment that Republicans didn’t stick together. In a statement, Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens advised supporters to move past Tuesday’s results to focus on trying to defeat the abortion rights measure: 'The people of Ohio have spoken.'" (Source)
Winning Side Comments: "'It was about a direct connection with the abortion issue for many voters,' said Kelly Hall, the executive director of the Fairness Project, one of the leaders of the Ohio campaign against the proposal. “But there were many others who saw it as a power grab by some legislators.
“'The resounding rejection of their attempt means that voters know what’s up when they’re being asked to vote their rights away.'” (Source)
"When you do everything you can to rig an election and still lose, you have a problem. Voters in Ohio told the state’s Republican Party on Tuesday that it has a big problem, and they sent that message to the GOP nationwide.
"The outcome is also a major challenge for opponents of abortion. They might come to see the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade not as the victory they celebrated in 2022 but as the decisive moment when the politics of the issue turned against them." (Source)
Additional Aspect: "The contest was seen as a test of efforts by Republicans nationwide to curb voters’ use of ballot initiatives." (Source)
"Other provisions also rejected in the Tuesday referendum would have raised hurdles even to putting amendments on the ballot. One required backers of amendments to gather a minimum number of signatures from all 88 Ohio counties instead of the current 44 counties. Another eliminated their ability to correct errors in signatures that were rejected by state officials." (Source)
A Rare Rebuke: "Voters’ rejection of the proposal marked a rare rebuke for Ohio Republicans, who have held power across every branch of state government for 12 years." (Source)
In an Aug. 8, 2023, special election called by the state legislature, Ohio voters resoundingly rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution. The ballot question was entitled "Issue 1."
Voting: With 97% of the vote counted, "No" received 57.0% of the vote, "Yes" received 43.0% (Source)
Turnout: "The roughly 2.8 million votes cast dwarfed the 1.66 million ballots counted in the state’s 2022 primary elections, in which races for governor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House were up for grabs." (Source) Remarkably, the 2.8 million votes were cast in an August special election. August special elections typically have very low turnout numbers. Turnout this time was astounding by any standard.
Funding: "Ballotpedia estimated last week that at least $32.5 million had been spent on the battle, split roughly equally between the two sides. Eight in 10 dollars came from donors outside Ohio, that estimate said, including $4 million from a single donor, Richard Uihlein, the Illinois founder of a nationwide packing and shipping company, Uline Inc., who is one of the country’s most prolific patrons of right-wing causes." (Source)
"It’s increasingly common across the nation to see a large influx of out-of-state money in state-level races, said Travis Ridout, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks advertising spending. Polarized issues that resonate nationally, like abortion in the Ohio election, can be a major motivator." (Source)
Messaging: "Some of the messaging from the outside groups [for both sides] has been deceptive." (Source)
Bi-Partisan Opposition: "One Person One Vote represented a broad, bipartisan coalition of voting rights, labor, faith and community groups. The group also had as allies four living ex-governors of the state and five former state attorneys general of both parties, who called the proposed change bad public policy." (Source)
"Voter opposition to the proposal was widespread, even spreading into traditionally Republican territory. In fact, in early returns, support for the measure fell far short of former President Donald Trump’s performance during the 2020 election in nearly every county." (Source)
Losing Side Comments: "Republican lawmakers who had pushed the measure — and put it before voters during the height of summer vacation season — explained away the defeat as a result of too little time to adequately explain its virtues to voters. A main backer, Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, predicted lawmakers would try again, though probably not as soon as next year.
“'Obviously, there are a lot of folks that did not want this to happen — not just because of the November issues, but for all of the other ones that are coming,' he said, expressing disappointment that Republicans didn’t stick together. In a statement, Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens advised supporters to move past Tuesday’s results to focus on trying to defeat the abortion rights measure: 'The people of Ohio have spoken.'" (Source)
Winning Side Comments: "'It was about a direct connection with the abortion issue for many voters,' said Kelly Hall, the executive director of the Fairness Project, one of the leaders of the Ohio campaign against the proposal. “But there were many others who saw it as a power grab by some legislators.
“'The resounding rejection of their attempt means that voters know what’s up when they’re being asked to vote their rights away.'” (Source)
"When you do everything you can to rig an election and still lose, you have a problem. Voters in Ohio told the state’s Republican Party on Tuesday that it has a big problem, and they sent that message to the GOP nationwide.
"The outcome is also a major challenge for opponents of abortion. They might come to see the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade not as the victory they celebrated in 2022 but as the decisive moment when the politics of the issue turned against them." (Source)
Additional Aspect: "The contest was seen as a test of efforts by Republicans nationwide to curb voters’ use of ballot initiatives." (Source)
"Other provisions also rejected in the Tuesday referendum would have raised hurdles even to putting amendments on the ballot. One required backers of amendments to gather a minimum number of signatures from all 88 Ohio counties instead of the current 44 counties. Another eliminated their ability to correct errors in signatures that were rejected by state officials." (Source)
A Rare Rebuke: "Voters’ rejection of the proposal marked a rare rebuke for Ohio Republicans, who have held power across every branch of state government for 12 years." (Source)
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Why This is The Defining Issue
A quote came out of yesterday's special election in Ohio which nicely summarizes why the defining issue of 2024 is abortion rights.
"The outcome is also a major challenge for opponents of abortion. They might come to see the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade not as the victory they celebrated in 2022 but as the decisive moment when the politics of the issue turned against them." (Source)
While presidential politics are presidential politics and horse-race polls and conversations are interesting, abortion rights drive people to the polls in large numbers; in blue states and red. After the Supreme Court took abortion rights away, Americans want them back. And they are heading to the polls in large numbers to get them. Not every anti-abortion Republican will lose their seat because of their anti-abortion stand. But in the swing states, enough of them will to establish new abortion-rights majorities in some states and in the US House, US Senate and White House.
The news will be saturated with reports about the Trump trials, Ukraine, the economy, the border, etc.; but it will be abortion rights that drive people to the polls.
A quote came out of yesterday's special election in Ohio which nicely summarizes why the defining issue of 2024 is abortion rights.
"The outcome is also a major challenge for opponents of abortion. They might come to see the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade not as the victory they celebrated in 2022 but as the decisive moment when the politics of the issue turned against them." (Source)
While presidential politics are presidential politics and horse-race polls and conversations are interesting, abortion rights drive people to the polls in large numbers; in blue states and red. After the Supreme Court took abortion rights away, Americans want them back. And they are heading to the polls in large numbers to get them. Not every anti-abortion Republican will lose their seat because of their anti-abortion stand. But in the swing states, enough of them will to establish new abortion-rights majorities in some states and in the US House, US Senate and White House.
The news will be saturated with reports about the Trump trials, Ukraine, the economy, the border, etc.; but it will be abortion rights that drive people to the polls.
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