Yes! #1: don't believe him. #2: don't believe him. #3: don't believe him. It might not be strategic [not his, but someone's in the campaign], but if it serves to make some folks believe, "oh, he is not that bad, I guess" it is extremely dangerous. Do not believe a word Trump says. Ever.
It is eerie how this issue—and the way in which some politicians are trying to evade it—tracks the slavery issue in 1850s America.
And just as with the slavery issue then, while all the distraction of the “Right to Life” versus “Women's’ Rights” is occupying us, MAGA Republicans are working behind the scenes to make the debate moot by having SCOTUS find a case to declare fetal personhood. That would trump any Women’s Rights or Abortion Legalization efforts.
For all that much of their base are undereducated and easily led, the MAGA leadership are the slyest of schemers.
Given the backdrop of the last few years following Dobbs has entirely been a story of states passing extreme abortion bans or activating existing state laws to do this, surely the only way to cover Trumps position is that it’s either enabling extremism or is extreme in itself .
I love the "don't believe him" approach. Because it gives you a chance to also remind everyone that he wants to gut SS and Medicare. He already tried, so there's tangible evidence of what he'd do.
Also, I never understood the "leave it to the states" thing. The primary stated reason any anti-choice person wants to ban abortion is because he/she thinks it is murder. If you think it's murder, it can't just be illegal in some states but not in others. Murder has to be illegal in all states. You can't let states decide whether or not murder is legal. If an anti-choice person gets slick and says, well, it's not just the murder thing, it's that abortion leads to health issues for women (which has not be demonstrably shown). Well, then it's a matter of an individual assessing the risk of a medical procedure vs the benefits, just like having a knee implant, or hernia surgery. That is between her and her doctor. It's not a matter to be legislated. For those reasons, and others, "leave it to the states" is a total cop-out. Regardless of the practical implications, which, as we've seen, are many and terrible, it's logically dubious. Not that Trump/MAGA are very concerned with logic.
Here is the headline the WaPo and other media *should* have used, but didn't, that explains the pile of nothing Trump "announced" today, along with a decently written piece on it.
While Bragging He Killed Roe, Trump Now Claims Abortion Should Be Left Up To States, While His Campaign Confirms Trump Supports All Statewide Abortion Bans [Gift Link]
Dan’s approach also has power for state & House elections, in blue states as well as red. Abortion is a truly vertical issue, and this from Trump makes it even easier to make this salient to marginally engaged voters.
Trump is making the rookie political mistake of trying not to take a position on a controversial issue in desperate hope of not alienating anyone. But it’s lose-lose because it gives his base nothing to rally around and gives us an opportunity to define his position. Also praising Dobbs and remind everyone it’s now up the states is now is just stupid.
As soon as I heard "let the states decide"... the tap dance was in full force.... not to mention the Supreme Court said the same thing a year ago. What a way to avoid taking a position, when we know full well what he intends to do.
I am curious how this will play with his Evangelical followers. Mike Pence denounced this as not sufficiently pro-life. Not that anyone listens to him, but... the evangelicals want a national ban.
Yes! #1: don't believe him. #2: don't believe him. #3: don't believe him. It might not be strategic [not his, but someone's in the campaign], but if it serves to make some folks believe, "oh, he is not that bad, I guess" it is extremely dangerous. Do not believe a word Trump says. Ever.
It is eerie how this issue—and the way in which some politicians are trying to evade it—tracks the slavery issue in 1850s America.
And just as with the slavery issue then, while all the distraction of the “Right to Life” versus “Women's’ Rights” is occupying us, MAGA Republicans are working behind the scenes to make the debate moot by having SCOTUS find a case to declare fetal personhood. That would trump any Women’s Rights or Abortion Legalization efforts.
For all that much of their base are undereducated and easily led, the MAGA leadership are the slyest of schemers.
Why does the media want Trump to win?
Given the backdrop of the last few years following Dobbs has entirely been a story of states passing extreme abortion bans or activating existing state laws to do this, surely the only way to cover Trumps position is that it’s either enabling extremism or is extreme in itself .
I love the "don't believe him" approach. Because it gives you a chance to also remind everyone that he wants to gut SS and Medicare. He already tried, so there's tangible evidence of what he'd do.
Also, I never understood the "leave it to the states" thing. The primary stated reason any anti-choice person wants to ban abortion is because he/she thinks it is murder. If you think it's murder, it can't just be illegal in some states but not in others. Murder has to be illegal in all states. You can't let states decide whether or not murder is legal. If an anti-choice person gets slick and says, well, it's not just the murder thing, it's that abortion leads to health issues for women (which has not be demonstrably shown). Well, then it's a matter of an individual assessing the risk of a medical procedure vs the benefits, just like having a knee implant, or hernia surgery. That is between her and her doctor. It's not a matter to be legislated. For those reasons, and others, "leave it to the states" is a total cop-out. Regardless of the practical implications, which, as we've seen, are many and terrible, it's logically dubious. Not that Trump/MAGA are very concerned with logic.
Here is the headline the WaPo and other media *should* have used, but didn't, that explains the pile of nothing Trump "announced" today, along with a decently written piece on it.
While Bragging He Killed Roe, Trump Now Claims Abortion Should Be Left Up To States, While His Campaign Confirms Trump Supports All Statewide Abortion Bans [Gift Link]
https://wapo.st/4aLFzP7
Two things to keep in mind: (1) Trump will say anything he thinks will give him an advantage at the moment, and (2) Trump is misogynist AF.
Dan’s approach also has power for state & House elections, in blue states as well as red. Abortion is a truly vertical issue, and this from Trump makes it even easier to make this salient to marginally engaged voters.
Trump is making the rookie political mistake of trying not to take a position on a controversial issue in desperate hope of not alienating anyone. But it’s lose-lose because it gives his base nothing to rally around and gives us an opportunity to define his position. Also praising Dobbs and remind everyone it’s now up the states is now is just stupid.
As soon as I heard "let the states decide"... the tap dance was in full force.... not to mention the Supreme Court said the same thing a year ago. What a way to avoid taking a position, when we know full well what he intends to do.
I am curious how this will play with his Evangelical followers. Mike Pence denounced this as not sufficiently pro-life. Not that anyone listens to him, but... the evangelicals want a national ban.
Thanks, Dan, I'm sharing this piece with everyone!!
It’s the definition of mealy-mouthed and won’t fool anyone.
https://jessica.substack.com/p/trumps-abortion-announcement?utm_campaign=email-post&r=1metx&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Biden is currently the underdog in this election and abortion won't save him. He needs solutions to the housing crisis