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The End of Roe v. Wade Has Republicans Scrambling for Answers
When the Supreme Court, with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, overturned Roe v. Wade, the immediate consequences were obvious: in red states across the country, abortion became illegal or severely restricted, thanks to a combination of trigger laws and older laws that were already on the books. This was an unquestionable victory for the anti-abortion movement. But in the months since, it’s become clear that Dobbs’ political impact is helping Democrats rather than Republicans. Across the country, Republican candidates are scrubbing their websites of strong anti-abortion language and toning down their campaign rhetoric. And in Michigan, conservatives are working hard to keep a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion off the ballot in November.
The rhetoric surrounding Roe was that abortion was a matter that should be left to the states, rather than enshrined as a constitutional right. The problem for Republicans, particularly in purple or even light-red states (like Kansas), is that the hardline anti-abortion position is widely unpopular with voters. When Roe was the law of the land, though, opposition to abortion had limited political consequences. So Republicans could take a hardline stance on abortion and appeal to the evangelical wing of the GOP, without necessarily alienating conservatives and…
