“Infanticide!” follows a long line of failed Republican smears. For decades Republicans have unsuccessfully used “partial birth abortion” or “born alive” laws to tar Democrats, and yet support for Roe remains high. Kavanaugh makes now the time for Democrats to recognize the weakness of Republican smears and take advantage of majority support for Roe. Time to campaign forcefully on reproductive justice.
Look to Michigan. Gretchen Whitner won the race for Michigan governor on a strong feminist platform. This victory came as right-to-lifers demonized her support of so-called “partial birth abortion.”
Whitmer ran an unabashed feminist campaign. She promised to repeal Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban: to reinstate funding for family planning; to remove the 24 hour waiting period for an abortion; to repeal the requirement for separate rape insurance; and to take the focus off abstinence in the sex education in the schools (link) (link) .
Governor Gretchen Whitmer together with Lt. Governor Gavin Gilmore won by10 percentage points, Attorney General Dana Nessel by 5, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson by 9. Nessel had campaigned on the promise that if Roe was overturned, she would not prosecute anyone who broke Michigan’s 1931 anti-abortion law.
By the time the general election came around, it was clear that Whitmer’s bold strategy was a winner. When her opponent was asked what he would do about Michigan’s 1931 abortion if Roe is overturned, he could only say that he would always uphold the law. He couldn’t even say the word, “abortion.” Typical.
Except in flashing neon red states, Republicans have a baked in policy: run on “pro-life” policies in the primary, then forget you ever heard the word “abortion” in the general. Whitmer and friends pushed the debate into the general and reaped well-deserved rewards.
Every Republican in the U.S. Senate, except Murkowski, voted for Kavanaugh, making many vulnerable on the issue of abortion. These include Gardner in Colorado, McSally in Arizona, Purdue in Georgia, and Tillis in North Carolina, Collins in Maine, and maybe even Cornyn in Texas. All could lose their seats in 2020 if someone has the guts to mount a feminist challenge that enables the strong majority in favor of Roe to vote their outrage against the Republicans’ increasingly hostile attack on women.
At the national level legislative opportunity has arrived. Surprisingly (to me, at least), 35 years after Roe, this is the first time that a majority of the House of Representatives is pro-choice (link) .
Several women in the House are challenging the Hyde amendment. This effort was begun by the wonderful Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) in 2015. This year Lee, together with Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), have sponsored the EACH Woman Act, which ensures that every woman has a right to to make critical decisions about her own pregnancy and has coverage for pregnancy related health care, including abortion, regardless of her financial situation. Their position is that every woman has a right to reproductive health care regardless of her zip code or income level.
Also for the first time, the Senate is taking up the EACH Woman Act. Support comes from Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA) (link) Why aren’t all Democratic presidential contenders on board? Or maybe they are and have yet to publicize their support.
When the “Infanticide!” cries began, women who had terrible experiences in third trimesters of their pregnancy were outraged at being demonized as murderers. They courageously went public. Though still not widely known, most Republicans now brand women who have abortions and even those who use certain forms of birth control as criminals, and some “right to lifers” even consider them murderers. How will that go over with the Roe majority?
