GOP Out NOT To Change Abortion Policy, Just “Marketing” Of Their Intent

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow has a famous saying about not watching what they (conservatives) say but what they DO.  We find ourselves in a situation where they are combining saying what they will do on abortion.  Which is not to change their position but to come up with a new marketing campaign that will allow them to continue to restrict access to safe and legal abortion that until the Dobbs decision was the law of the land. MSNBC has published an opinion piece by Sarah Posner that rips into what conservatives are saying out loud. And what they are not.  She rips into conservatives with a brutally accurate headline: Republicans now say they want ‘compromise’ on abortion. That’s a lie.  I couldn’t agree more.

Polson notes how since Roe v Wade was overturned the GOP has suffered an unbroken string of losses around the country. As you know, some of those losses have been in not just purple states/purple leaning conservative states, but even in ruby RED states. Kansas, freaking KANSAS told the GOP to shove it when it came to restricting abortion. You’d have thought that might have given GOP forced birthers pause, but as Polson notes they kept at it and lost everything from referenda/ballot initiatives on abortion rights, to state Supreme Court races to Governors and state legislative races and in the latter case control of entire chambers! Yep, it’s sunk in that abortion is a losing issue, and though she doesn’t say so it’s clear the GOP (up to and including those on SCOTUS) that the belief that after a few months of outrage and protests that women (and lots of men) would “get over it” and focus on other matters come election time.

History will record that as one of the dumbest-assed “reading of the room” beliefs ever. The anger over taking away this right cost the GOP their “certain” “Red Wave” a year ago. Not to mention all the other races they’ve lost before and since those midterms.  It’s finally sunk in on Republicans this issue isn’t going away. And they are scared:

 It’s no surprise, then, that the GOP is desperate to avoid abortion becoming its 2024 albatross. But rather than neuter the issue by moderating its stance and respecting popular consensus, the party’s answer is to offer up duplicitous bromides meant to hoodwink voters.

She goes on to note Ronna McDaniel coming out with a spiel on Meet the Press about a 15 week ban being “reasonable” and a “consensus” position. (Again, I call bullshit) And Nikki Haley during the last debate spouting her line about not “judging” people who are pro-choice but people like who are “pro-life” shouldn’t be judged Either. Instead she advocated talking to work out something both groups can agree on. Of course, as Polson points out Haley signed a 20 week ban while she was Gov. of SC, or that as a legislator she supported a bill giving Constitutional rights to Zygotes!

So, 15 has become the magic number. As in 15 weeks. A ban on abortion after 15 weeks. Don’t forget that that’s what Chief Justice Roberts wanted the Dobbs decision to do. He got overruled by his fellow Federalist Society cronies however and I can’t help but wonder how many times in one-on-one conversations he’s said “I told you so!”

“15 weeks” is the cover story, their attempt some are trying to get their fellow Republicans to adopt as the “selling point” of the GOP actually being the Party seeking “reasonable consensus” that they claim is where most Americans are on the issue. Like Polson I call bullshit on that. She’s somewhat more polite:

The hard truth is that in the current environment, Republicans know it would be political suicide to advocate for a 15-week national ban. Even as former President Donald Trump brags about how he was “able to kill Roe v. Wade,” he refuses to say whether he’d sign such a ban. Instead, he pretends, as he told NBC News’ Kristen Welker, that “I’d negotiate something, and we’ll end up with peace on that issue.”

Still, Republicans are telegraphing their punch so to speak. They are saying fairly clearly what they intend to DO. That they are going to market a theme that “consensus” is “clear” that Americans “strongly favor” a 15 week ban on abortion. They of course won’t care that that’s an outright LIE but rather than admit they are wrong on this issue they are going for a smoke and mirrors approach to convince voters they can be trusted not to go all crazy like they’ve been doing. Mark my words. That’s going to be what more and more Republicans say next year.

There’s all kinds of stuff they WON’T say however. Or will twist themselves into pretzels to avoid answering. Here’s just a few questions.

Many women don’t know they are pregnant until they’re several months along. What if with only a few weeks they can’t come up with the money to get an abortion?

On a related note, what about all the laws requiring multiple doctors visits, even if it’s just to obtain a prescription for an abortion pill/a medical abortion? Again, that takes time (off work and therefore lost wages) and money.

Will Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care providers again be allowed to open clinics and provide abortion services in states where they’ve been run out?

What happens AFTER fifteen weeks, if say a fetal abnormality is detected/develops or there’s a complication that risks the health or even the life of a pregnant woman?

What about women who are still living with their parents who are likely to become abusive if they find out their daughter had sex, and worse got pregnant?

What about laws that have been enacted that presume miscarriages were actually abortions?

That’s just for starters. I’m sure you can think of more.

But my point is that Republicans are at least partially telling us upfront what they intend to DO. Which is to come up with a marketing campaign to make them sound “moderate”, and/or “reasonable” and/or “willing to compromise.

DO  NOT  LET  THEM  GET  AWAY   WITH   IT!!!!

Paulson’s headline to her opinion piece is spot-on. Republicans starting to sell this trainload of crap are lying. It’s nothing but a smokescreen so they can continue restricting access to abortion. It’s up to us to keep the pressure on by forcing them to address questions I posed above, and others. To expose them as the LIARS they are. That in fact they are trying (too late) to adopt Chief Justice Roberts’ “incremental” approach and whittle away in the hopes that they can kill reproductive rights without people realizing what’s been done.