After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the controversial issue of abortion has been a major topic of debate, and during the midterm elections, was a major deciding factor for who people voted for.
Abortion has contributed to further political polarization, as both Democrats and Republicans have taken a stance on the issue and have taken advantage of support from pro-choice and pro-life people. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, supporters of abortion have been more politically active as there is more at stake, giving the Democratic party a competitive advantage. Democrats have repeatedly stated that abortion is on the ballot, mobilizing more voters who care about the issue, and these same voters have voted for Democrat candidates more than Republicans in the midterm elections based on their stances on abortion. This is a shift compared to the past, as Republicans have long used the issue of abortion to garner more support by appealing to Catholics and evangelicals who are against abortion.
More recently, Democrats have also broadened the issue of abortion by connecting it to values such as freedom and democracy, garnering wider support for their party. They've spent almost half a billion on advertisements about the issue, according to the New York Times. At the same time, they've portrayed Republicans as having extreme beliefs, anchoring their messages on people's fears of losing their freedom and right to choose. These strategies have also contributed to polarizarion, driving voters further away from the center.
While these strategies' full effects have yet to be seen, according to CNN, 27% of voters overall stated that abortion was the issue most important to them. Additionally, in an exit poll in Pennsylvania, many voters prioritized the issue of abortion over the economy as the top issue on their minds, which could be promising for Democrats.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/politics/abortion-rights-2022-midterms
10 comments:
It seems to me like voters’ passion about abortion was a major reason that the forecasted “red wave” many Republicans hoped for didn’t come to fruition in the elections. Many cited that inflation being on Americans’ minds would propel Republicans to take control of the Senate. Inflation was a major concern, but like you said, abortion was a major concern among voters, and Democrats rallied around this concern. Abortion will likely be on ballots again in 2024, meaning that Democrats will likely continue to benefit from the enthusiasm of many voters regarding the topic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/politics/midterm-elections-takeaways.html
I am interested to see the party's strategy unfold. I feel that the 27% of voters who prioritized abortion as "the issue most important" to them most likely already support the democratic party. Same with the prioritization of abortion over economics for the most part. The most significant change that these statistics suggest is the surge of more voter participation amongst the party. If the democratic party can truly stress the urgency of the coming elections, then I believe they will have a real advantage. The focus of their strategy lies in the ways they are able to pull different communities to the voting booths.
The Democratic party uses abortion as an issue to encourage higher voter turnout. It's obvious that more women will be concerned about this topic, whether they believe if it's a violation of their rights or not. If women who feel more strongly about this issue decide to vote, they add to the results of voters who are already divided based on age, religion, and other factors.
It appeared that as the midterms neared, Americans seemed to be more focused on the stability of the economy rather than reproductive rights and climate change. Abortion became less prevalent in the media, as many voters priorities seem to be shifting. This luckily was not the case for democrats, as Roe v Wade was definitely on the ballot for many voters. With 61% of Americans supporting abortion, this is a clear explanation for the "inevitable red wave" that never materialized.
I agree with what Angelo and everyone else has said so far. I am also interested in seeing what happens in the coming months and years in terms of both political parties' strategies because of abortion and the forecasted red wave not occurring in these midterm elections. I also wonder if the turnout for elections in the future will be higher because of issues such as abortion and inflation. In addition, I think that voter turnout for this election was a lot higher because abortion was the main reason they chose to vote and not inflation. Finally, It also made a difference in key states like Arizona and Nevada.
With abortion having been legal for almost 50 years, the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade has certainly moved this issue to the forefront of politics. By definition, any issue that people feel strongly about will drive voter turnout if it can be affected by the election results. Most Democratic candidates are pro-choice, and this issue likely drove many people who don't vote as much (such as Gen Z voters) and independents to vote for the Democratic Party. The issue of abortion will certainly be prevalent throughout politics in the future, unless there is a national consensus reached upon it at some point.
I think it will be really interesting to see how abortion will continue affecting elections, as well as the minds of the American people in following years. As of late, it is clear that abortion can be a controversial topic, and as you've stated, is more than capable of forging an even greater divide between Democrats and Republicans. While it is obvious abortion is becoming a bigger issue in American politics, I think the issue is also signaling another factor: separation between church and state.
I think politics today is, of course, flooded with politicians and political parties driving more divergent polarizations among the people in order to gain votes for themselves. But it is especially to think about certain ones that stood in the middle ground, the ones that felt all and each aspect of the spectrum. Would they just simply not vote to avoid the controversy they have in their brains? Or would they vote unstably that could never define them in a specific political party and stance on the political scale?
It's interesting how much Roe v. Wade has affected politics, especially at a local level in these recent midterms. Prop one has sparked major mobilization for candidates in city council to be supportive of this. Although not widely talked about, a recent candidate for city council, Rod Lindhares came under fire for not being supportive of the prop due to his religious beliefs. However, many chrisitians agree that abortion deserves to be protected. With abortion access affecting so many, women and men alike, it's no wonder why people have taken measures to be politically active this midterm. I can also see why democrats have taken to this issue in the masses, I'm sure it has definitely helped mass mobilization of the party.
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