It’s been a whirlwind this week as the issue of abortion is front and center in politics following a project showing that the US Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade leaked. It’s also been a week to remember where people stand on abortion and what they don’t stand with the Democrats.
As I highlighted earlier this week, the NRSC has released this information internal survey support the message that Republicans are winning among voters thanks to commonsense restrictions and regulations, while Democrats are unpopular in favor of abortion up to birth.
One such result from this survey found that 55-35 percent of voters believe that “the Supreme Court should allow states to ban late-term abortions.” The leaked project concerns the decision regarding Dobbs v. Jackson, that decides the constitutionality of Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban.
But it wasn’t just an internal survey published earlier this week.
Earlier this week on Fox News published their survey showing that 54-41 percent respondents support a 15-week ban. Moreover, many respondents (43 percent) want abortion to be “mostly illegal.” The survey was conducted between April 28 and May 1, just before the project was leaked.
Guy, in his reporting earlier this week, described the poll as a “narrative buster,” especially since women support the ban at higher rates than men.
There is even more.
Last month the Wall Street Journal. released a poll showing that a majority of respondents (48-43 percent) support a 15-week abortion ban.
A survey published last June by Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center showed even greater support for more restrictions. Sixty-five percent of respondents said that abortion in the second trimester should be generally illegal, and 80 percent said that it should be generally illegal in the third trimester.
Gallup, which regularly conducts polls on abortion, found similar support for making abortion illegal on these points.
Questionnaire from recent months provided to Townhall by Richard Baris, director of Big Poll Data, showed that 67.2-17.1 percent. respondents oppose the legality of abortion in the last three months of pregnancy, and 15.7 percent is not certain. It is worth emphasizing that women are more likely to oppose the legality of abortion (68.4%).
Democrats are paying attention to what most respondents don’t want to see Roe overturned. However, the main reason is that many are not familiar with the phenomenon of capsizing Roe they will not automatically ban abortion across the country because they have sparked fear. Rather, it would allow states to decide their own abortion laws through their elected officials. I have addressed this in detail before.
Michael J. New writing for Live Action News noted on Friday that “This week’s mainstream media polls on Roe v. Wade continue to be misleading“
Marc Thiessen, a columnist for The Washington Post, expressed a similar view and even issued a warning to Democrats, stating: “Watch out, Democrats. Abortion ruling could assist Republicans“
Democrats would be wise to take this advice.
Asked during Thursday’s news conference by Fox News’ Peter Doocy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tried to avoid directly answering whether President Joe Biden supports any restrictions on abortion and whether he supports abortion up to the point of delivery. Instead, she emphasized how the president “supports a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body in the presence of her own doctor.”
In other words, Biden is not in favor of any restrictions and supports abortion up to birth.
REPORTER: “Yes [Biden] Do you support any restrictions on abortion?”
PSAKI: No
REPORTER: “Does the president support abortion until delivery?”
PSAKI: Yes pic.twitter.com/r0miFCi6e5
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 5, 2022
This type of intentional ambiguity and lack of answers is a pattern.
Doocy also referred to Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic candidate seeking to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio. During an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, who repeatedly asked him if he supported “any restrictions on abortion,” Ryan replied, “You have to leave it to the woman” and stated that Baier “can’t explain all the different scenarios.”
TO WATCH: @TimRyan THREE TIMES refuses to say whether there should be any restrictions on abortion. pic.twitter.com/O0Xdt40f2l
— NRSC Rapid Response (@NRSC_Rapid) May 4, 2022
Another Ohio Democrat, gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley, declined to answer host Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press Daily” about whether she supported any restrictions, even though she was asked about it repeatedly.
WATCH: Democratic candidate for Ohio governor Nan Whaley says she does not support ANY restrictions on abortion pic.twitter.com/wAfwyrs5nt
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 4, 2022
In Texas, Beto O’Rourke, who is currently running for governor, he replied “It’s a decision a woman has to make.” He also falsely claimed that “most of us in Texas agree” on this issue. A poll conducted last October, shortly after Texas’ abortion law went into effect, shows that a majority of Texans support the law once they learn that a fetal heartbeat has been detected around the sixth week of pregnancy.
Democratic senatorial candidates in Pennsylvania, who are vying to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, have been a bit more open-minded.
John Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor, was asked during the Democratic primary whether there were any restrictions he “would consider appropriate.” He replied, “I don’t think so, no.”
WATCH: Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman says he wants to eliminate the filibuster to “codify” abortion without any restrictions.
“I don’t believe [there should be any limits to abortion]” pic.twitter.com/4QYTualTN6
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 26, 2022
Another leading candidate, Rep. Conor Lamb, is quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer saying this “if you have the right, you have it throughout your pregnancy.”
Stacey Abrams once again wants to become governor of Georgia, and Tia Mitchell of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that “Stacey Abrams says a leaked Supreme Court ruling on abortion will shape her campaignWhen asked about the restrictions, Mitchell noted that Abrams instead responded how it was up to women, their doctors and families, but not elected officials.
Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who often he praises himself as a pro-choice pastor, was asked by John McCormack of National Review did not answer whether he supports any legal restrictions. “I support a woman’s right to choose,” he said.
Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state who is running for governor was pressed in an interview on local television about whether he supports any restrictions. She was even offered specific details, such as 15 and 24 weeks. “Abortion is a personal decision of the woman, her family and the doctor. And that’s something that should be discussed in the doctor’s office, not politicians,” Hobbs added.
Not only is abortion not a major issue for voters in the medium term, but, as Thiessen and Guy emphasized, pointing to CNN pollvoters who are enthusiastic about the midterm elections are more likely to say they would be satisfied with them Roe knocked over.
But I thought abortion would fill the Democrat enthusiasm gap? https://t.co/zNUAY0YJnX
— Marek Thiessen ???? (@marcthiessen) May 6, 2022
A “narrative buster” indeed.
