The elections, particularly in Virginia and Ohio, should convince pro-life Republicans of the need to develop a different strategy when it comes to abortion. Mandating no exceptions or strictly limiting the procedure does not work, in part because a novel generation of younger people seems less inclined to restrict it.
Instead of being on the defensive about a pregnancy caused by rape, incest, or the life of the mother, Republicans and pro-lifers should go on the offensive. According to the Guttmacher Institute, USA Today reports that “only one percent of women have an abortion because they became pregnant as a result of rape, and less than 0.5% because of incest.”
Those who are pro-life need to do a better job of portraying the other side as the true radicals. Most of them oppose any restrictions on abortion. Pro-lifers should continue to work to protect the life of the unborn in its earlier stages. Isn’t the over 60 million abortions in the US since 1973 enough? Aren’t people concerned about the failing birth rate in America?
Back to politics. In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, seen by some as a possible alternative to Donald Trump in the presidential election, has been campaigning intensely to hold on to a slim Republican majority in the statehouse and flip a slim Democratic majority in the state Senate. He and Republicans lost both houses, eliminating much of his agenda for his final two years in office, as well as his proposal to limit abortions to 15 weeks.
Redistricting in Virginia didn’t facilitate Youngkin’s case. In addition to the typically enormous Democratic turnout in Northern Virginia, Richmond and other cities with enormous populations, the redrawing of district lines favored Democrats. It’s sheltered to say that any hope of Youngkin running for president next year is dead, if any, as he avoided any talk of running until the election was over. It’s over now and with some states rapidly approaching filing deadlines, it feels like 2024 for him.
Some Republicans are calling for the resignation of RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel over continued Republican losses, but she is not the main issue. Too many Republicans are reluctant to talk about abortion because they seem uncertain or uncomfortable with their position. The other side is not uncomfortable at all. They are deeply committed to the fight for “a woman’s right to choose,” and their beliefs seem to outweigh their pro-life stance.
We live in an anti-life and increasingly lawless culture. When I was newborn, newspapers hid most crime stories on the inside pages because there were so few of them. This infrequent murder made headlines and was the main story on local television. Today, even when many murders occur in huge cities, they barely attract our attention because we are already accustomed to violence.
I increasingly see abortion as a reflection of our deepening decadence on many levels. This is not the main cause of our moral decline. This means that it needs to be addressed on a deeper level than the political one.
As expected, Democrats are celebrating their victories. It looks like they will make abortion a central issue of the 2024 presidential campaign. Perhaps Republicans should focus not on abortion, but rather on President Biden’s failing poll numbers.
