Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen published an article op-ed on Tuesday, calling on Democrats to be “true extremists” on abortion.
“Democrats are salivating at the thought of portraying Republicans as opponentsmiscarriage extremists in the wake of the anticipated overturning of Roe v. Wade,” he wrote. “But their unwillingness to accept restrictions on late-term abortions shows that they are the real extremists.”
Olsen then described how recent polls show that Americans generally do not support third-trimester abortion. An Economist-YouGov poll found that 25 percent of Americans agree that abortion should “always be legal” and “without any restrictions.” However, Democrats such as Senator Chuck Shumer (N.Y.) support legislation that would make abortion legal without restrictions. An ABC News-Post poll found that 60 percent of Democrats do not believe in any abortion ban.
Olsen pointed out that several prominent Democrats, including White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Ohio Senate candidate Tim Ryan, dodged questions about what abortion restrictions they would support.
“In politics, if you avoid a clear answer to a question, it is usually because you don’t want the public to know what it is,” Olsen wrote.
Therefore, Democratic candidates and office holders must exercise caution if they want to make alleged Republican extremism an issue. If Democrats express support for their base’s position, Republicans will have a powerful argument to employ against them. If they express support for a view supported by a majority of Americans and almost all swing voters, they will anger this base. Hence the abortion shuffle played out daily in front of an audience.
It just won’t work, especially in critical races. Republicans will push this question at every opportunity and throw every vote for the Senate bill in Democrats’ faces this week. The more a Democrat tries to talk the more stupid he will look. It is quite clear to most Americans that a baby that can live outside its mother’s body should not be killed. The fact that too many Democrats can’t say this without fear of being ambushed by the left says a lot about the Democratic Party today.
Olsen quoted a pro-abortion writer who said that 90 percent of abortions are performed in the first trimester. Yet Democratic lawmakers continue to push legislation to allow abortion for all nine months of pregnancy. He said Republicans should raise the issue of abortion before the general election and get their Democratic opponents to answer questions about it.
“This fall, Republicans should be as persistent as Lincoln in forcing their enemies to choose between the American majority and the Democratic base,” Olsen concluded. “If this happens, they should, contrary to all expectations, become the political winners of the abortion debate.”
