Abortion became a hot topic earlier this year when the Supreme Court issued a ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Since then, Democrats have been leveraging the subject to persuade voters to keep them in control of Congress after the midterm elections. However, one aspect of their rhetoric leaves them vulnerable to attack: late-term abortion.
Are Democrats Too Extreme on Abortion?
Prominent politicians and political hopefuls on the left have made the abortion debate the centerpiece of the midterm campaign without offering the very thing that might be crafted into law by a prospective Democrat Congress: facts and figures. While a diverse political party will almost inevitably have a range of varied opinions, it is worth noting that President Joe Biden has promised America that he will “codify Roe” if the public grants him “just two more” Senate seats. But what will that codification actually look like if politicians are unable or unwilling to specify what they believe abortion law should actually be?
Democrat Katie Hobbs, who is running against Kari Lake for Arizona governor, expertly dodged the all-important question on Face the Nation. “What would the Hobbs administration’s week limit be for abortion access? If it’s not 15 weeks, what is it?” the host asked. Hobbs offered an evasive reply: “Look, abortion is a very personal decision that belongs between a woman and her doctor. The government and politicians don’t belong in that decision, we need to let doctors perform the care that they are trained and take an oath to perform.”
The host pressed, asking if Arizona voters should conclude that Hobbs does not “favor any specific week limit on abortion.” Refusing to describe a specific timeline, the candidate insisted that she supports “leaving the decision between a woman and her doctor and leaving politicians entirely out of it.”
(Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Stacey Abrams, looking to unseat Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in Georgia, has made a similar statement. In an appearance on Fox News, she was asked if she favors late-term abortions “all the way up to nine months.” Abrams answered: “I believe that abortion is a medical decision, and I believe that that should be a choice made between a doctor and a woman in consultation with her family.”
But what about Florida? Charlie Crist, running a quixotic campaign to oust Gov. Ron DeSantis, also has views on abortion that might not jibe with those of the American public. However, he seems slicker than his comrades in obfuscating his stance, and yet for those reading between the lines, his position becomes abundantly clear. During an interview with Fox 13’s Craig Patrick, Crist was asked to clarify his views on abortion since he had previously claimed to be pro-life. “Why, then do you go with labels that you know are going to confuse a lot of other people? Reagan, the great communicator, and Clinton, the great explainer, would not do that,” Patrick asked. Crist responded:
“Well, I’m just being me. And, you know, everybody should be themselves and present themselves as they believe. And I believe in a woman’s right to choose. And I’ve proven it every time I’ve had the opportunity in political office. The first time was 1995 as a state senator in the health care committee in the state Senate, I voted against an anti-abortion bill, killing it in committee … And then as your governor, I vetoed an anti-abortion bill, most recent governor to have ever done so in the history of Florida. I’m very proud of that fact. And then almost six years now as a member of Congress and I have 100% rating by Planned Parenthood, 100% rating by name.”
That leaves little ambiguity on Crist’s position. Boasting about a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood might be all one needs to know.
Beto O’Rourke, seeking to defeat Gov. Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial election, has been rather cagey about abortion. When Fox News Digital reached out to ascertain his opinion, his spokesperson responded: “Like the vast majority of Texans, Beto has long supported the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which for half a century prohibited states from outlawing abortion in cases where the pregnancy threatened the life of the pregnant woman. That standard allowed for women and their doctors to make this personal and often painful decision later in the pregnancy if the abortion was necessary to save the woman’s life.”
Beto O’Rourke (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
But O’Rourke was more candid about the issue back in 2019 when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. During a campaign event, an attendee asked if he was supportive of “third-trimester abortions.”
He replied: “The question is about abortion and reproductive rights. And, my answer to you is, that should be a decision the woman makes. I trust her.”
What Does America Think of Late-Term Abortion?
There is a reason some Democratic candidates are hesitant to state upfront that they are for late-term abortions. While polling has shown that most voters want the procedure to be legal in certain circumstances, very few believe mothers should be allowed to abort their babies until the moment of birth.
The Associated Press, in conjunction with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, conducted a poll whose findings revealed that 61% of Americans believe abortion should remain legal in most or all situations during the first trimester of pregnancy. But it also found that 65% felt the procedure should usually be illegal during the second trimester. About 80% of respondents said they believed mothers should not be allowed to terminate their pregnancies during the third trimester.
In light of these figures, it is not exactly shocking that Democrats aren’t forthcoming about whether they support late-term abortions – even up to the moment of birth in some cases. However, for some reason, Republicans have not taken many opportunities to call them out on it. The GOP might be concerned the attack would backfire since its candidates could then be forced to declare their own views on abortion, potentially jeopardizing their chances of winning big in the midterms. But even after November, this issue won’t be going away, and it may become appropriate for the pro-life side to go further on the offensive.