Supreme Court of the United States
Like most here, I was thrilled with the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of Whole Woman's Health. This decision most immediately improves the lives of Texan women (or at least prevents them from getting considerably worse), but will eventually also positively affect the women in many other states that have similar laws on the books and women nationwide who no longer have to worry if their state will be next.
I have to wonder though, looking at the big picture, if this doesn’t also take away (IMO) the biggest weapon that the GOP had to keep their voters loyal and energized. Not much gets people more worked up than the issue of abortion (guns still do, but the GOP has lost The Gays as a wedge issue and their foray into picking on the trans community has been pathetic and ineffectual.) The GOP was smart to go after abortion rights in the 80’s and use that as a cudgel to solidify their support in the south and among evangelicals. As their rhetoric (and lies) have increased, so too have their gains in federal and local elections. With more power, came more TRAP laws. Each year these laws seem to be more draconian, more restrictive, more harmful. As of yesterday, that trend ends.
The GOP is a crafty bunch and I do not put it past them to find a way around what the Supreme Court has done. We will still have to battle extended waiting periods, fetal heartbeat laws, and whatever else their sadistic minds can conjure. However, with a liberal majority Supreme Court looking more and more likely by the day (thanks, Trump!) I really feel like the tide is turning. If Hillary appoints 2-3 Supreme Court justices, we’ll be looking at a liberal majority for the next couple of decades at least. Alito and Roberts will be on the court for a long time, but we could have as many as 7 liberal justices at some point in the next 10-15 years. This basically is the end of abortion being an effective tool. If politicians can’t pass the laws (or at least can’t keep them from being overturned by the courts), they can’t use abortion to keep their voters motivated to come out and vote (e.g. they keep losing on the ACA in the courts and as a result, that just doesn’t have the power to unite the right as it once did.)
They are simply going to have to find another issue that is as divisive as abortion if they want to retain any power. They are bereft of ideas. Wedge issues are all they have. I suppose guns might be the most logical choice, but they’ve been beating that horse for a long time and it’s not winning them the White House. Plus, even the debate on guns is starting to finally lean slightly leftward. Immigration comes to mind, but lacking more coordinated attacks on U.S. soil ala 9/11 I don’t know if this issue has the power to get enough people fired up. Again, the GOP is wily. I have no doubt they’ll huddle up and figure out how to regroup. Let’s just hope the left is smart enough and nimble enough to not let their next wedge issue become as powerful and as long lasting as the abortion debate has.
