American Prospect Examines Emergence Of Abortion Rights As A Campaign Issue

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 27 Oct 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Democratic political operatives have had "surprising" success in swaying moderate voters with "pro-choice messages" in political campaigns this election cycle, a difference from past years when abortion and reproductive health issues were more typically used to rally conservative voters, the American Prospect reports. According to the American Prospect, congressional candidates in several states have made their support of abortion rights a focus of their campaigns, and the "outside groups spreading the word are not just the usual suspects" -- such as NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood -- but also the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster who is working on several House and Senate races this year, said, "We didn't use [abortion-rights issues] as much in 2006. Voters then were really focused on Iraq and the economy," adding that this year, "You think the economy and nothing else will break though, but this is breaking through." For example, congressional campaigns and independent-expenditure committees in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington State, among others, are pushing messages of support for abortion rights through television and radio advertisements, as well as through direct mail. In New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, both the Republican and Democratic candidate are seeking "to define themselves as the pro-choice candidate, and have aired advertisements to that effect," the American Prospect reports. Candidates who are using this strategy aim to "appeal to voters who may be ambivalent about abortion by emphasizing access to contraception, women's health and social programs to prevent unwanted pregnancy," according to the American Prospect.

Lake said a number of factors have combined to make abortion rights a significant issue in this year's campaigns. First, because it is a presidential election year, court watchers who anticipate several challenges to Roe v. Wade are concerned about who the next president would nominate to the Supreme Court should a vacancy occur. First, because it is a presidential election year, court-watchers who anticipate several challenges to Roe v. Wade are concerned about who the next president would nominate to the Supreme Court should a vacancy occur. According to the American Prospect, "This message is aimed squarely at moderate and independent women whose more conservative views on other issues have often trumped their pro-choice beliefs. In previous years, it hasn't seemed possible for one or two judicial appointments to tip the scale in favor of overturning Roe, but that changed during the Bush years." The American Prospect also reports that many potential moderate candidates within the Republican Party have decided to not run for office this year because of "the poor political climate for the GOP, leading to the nomination of candidates with more extreme views." According to the American Prospect, the trend of candidates with such views "was reinforced" by Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain's (Ariz.) decision to choose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who opposes abortion in all cases, as his running mate. Some moderate voters, "worried about a possible GOP win on the presidential level, feel the need to support congressional candidates who will protect choice in Congress," the American Prospect reports. Republican candidates who support restrictions on access to contraception are especially easy targets for attacks from the left, according to Lake. "Women voters react, 'I don't need to be running around trying to get my prescriptions filled,'" Lake said, adding, "When politicians are interfering and making their lives more difficult, that really has an edge to it." Another reason for the abundance of ads in support of abortion rights is that the electorate is expected to comprise a greater number of younger voters than it has in recent elections, and younger voters more consistently support abortion rights than older voters. Referring to Republican Presidential candidate John McCain's comments during the final debate stating that "health" was an "extreme pro-abortion position," the American Prospect concludes, "For most Americans, health isn't an extreme position. As long as conservatives make it out to be, progressives can claim an advantage on the issue" (Fernholz, American Prospect, 10/22).

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