Since the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an ancient pro-life law on Tuesday — coincidentally one day after Republican candidate Donald Trump restated his commitment to the states' right to regulate abortion — soulless Democrats all across the country have been dancing with joy.
"Now voters can see how horrible Republicans are and women won't vote for them and Arizona will put abortion on the ballot and every state with abortion on the ballot will automatically vote for Biden because abortion and Trump will lose, abortion abortion!" they squealed.
Axios was so excited that it devoted the top story on both its Tuesday afternoon e-newsletters to the development. In a report called "1 big thing: 🫠 GOP’s desert meltdown," Justin Green wrote:
A day after former President Trump thought he'd tamped down the GOP's exposure on abortion, one of 2024's key battlegrounds popped it back up.
- The Arizona Supreme Court, controlled by GOP-appointed justices, upheld today a 1864 law that allowed abortion only to save the life of the mother.
Why it matters: Trump ushered in the end of Roe vs. Wade and its national protection of abortion rights, and now his party is suffering a massive voter backlash.
- Abortion rights have yet to lose since the end of Roe when the decision has been up to voters instead of legislators or courts.
Unable to contain his joy, Axios co-founder and executive editor Mike Allen emailed out a second article called "1 big thing: Court revives total abortion ban." He made sure to emphasize the political ramifications he feels the issue will bring to bear in November:
💥 The political fallout, on the other hand, is extremely clear.
- Kari Lake, the GOP candidate for the state's open Senate seat, said she opposed the Supreme Court's ruling — an unavoidable sign of just how painful an issue abortion has become for Republicans.
- The ruling came barely 24 hours after former President Trump said abortion policy should be left up to the states. "This is what leaving it to the states looks like," Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa tweeted.
🗳️ What's next: Arizonans will likely vote on a ballot measure in November to protect abortion rights through the 24th week of pregnancy — which could drive up Democratic enthusiasm and turnout, hurting both Trump and Lake.
- A similar measure will be on the ballot in Florida.
You can practically hear the Dems gasping: "Oh my god, Florida? Abortion is going to give us Florida??"
Not so fast, lefties. You're overlooking something.
Americans aren't stupid, and they also aren't accustomed to putting up with too much guff (at least, compared to other countries). And when they look at their options on the ballot in Arizona, Florida, and other states that will include abortion initiatives this November, they will say to themselves, "Why can't I have all the awesomeness of a Trump presidency — a secure border, world peace, no inflation, no wokeness in the government, and increased liberty — and my preferred abortion laws?"
In other words, Trump's statement that abortion is a state issue and his declared refusal to sign any national abortion laws, paired with state ballot initiatives, decouples the two issues. Voters can have their cake and eat it, too.
We can already see this principle playing out in states like Ohio. Buckeye voters enshrined abortion into their state constitution last November. Now that they have that issue buttoned up to their liking and it is off the table, Trump is absolutely wiping the floor with Biden. Recent polls show him up anywhere from 9 to 18 points over the incumbent.
Sorry, lefties, but Americans can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Related: The New, Improved RNC Is Zeroing In on the Right Priorities
Republicans fought for half a century to overturn Roe v. Wade on the basis that abortion regulation is up to the states to decide. Now the states are deciding. They are performing their proper function of acting as 50 laboratories, each reflecting regional cultural preferences and policies. It is wonderful to watch this happening — not just because it is Constitutionally proper but because it separates the abortion issue from the presidential race.
As much as Democrats are hoping and praying that abortion is their savior in the upcoming election, the truth is that voters don't have to choose between a great president and whatever their idea is of the proper abortion laws.
