Defending Trump’s Abortion Stance

If Lincoln was going to be elected in 1860, he wasn’t going to succeed calling for the abolition of slavery. Trump has decided that pushing federal abortion elimination is a losing proposition in 2024. Like it or not, Trump is right about the politics of the issue. A majority opposes ending abortion. He’s right to assert that the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade and returning abortion to the states is where this historic issue needs to be. But let’s stress, for the time being.

Abortion is modern America’s slavery issue. Slavery wasn’t settled at ballot boxes. The Compromise of 1850 was an attempted congressional fix that inflamed tensions. Lincoln opposed slavery’s extension, but acknowledged slavery as constitutionally protected. The slave states were to be left alone. Despite Lincoln’s efforts to calm southern fears, his politics failed. The slavery question was resolved by war -- a war the South instigated. It took three-quarters of a century -- and four years of blood and treasure -- to destroy that awful institution.

This isn’t to suggest that abortion is destined to be settled by war. It’s to suggest that, finally, the American house will not be divided against itself indefinitely, not over a question as seminal as what constitutes human life. The day will come for national solution. That day isn’t now.

As in past presidential elections, divisions over abortion aren’t dominating voters’ minds. Abortion will only move front and center if Democrats are handed a gift. Trump isn’t about to do that. He’s right to focus on issues that voters identify as pressing.

Reviewing polling, we find Democrats in a world of hurt. Every major issue is cutting against Biden. Uppermost on voters’ minds, the economy, border, and crime. Working-class and middle-class voters are struggling to pay bills.

Social Security and Medicare are no longer convenient bloody flags to wave. Trump long preempted that with his support for both programs. Abortion is the Democrats’ wedge issue today. Seniors have been replaced by suburban and single women. Democrats hope that hammering away at abortion will keep those key cohorts from straying to Trump or Bobby Kennedy, Jr. It’s important to underscore that Kennedy will play a critical, if not decisive, role in determining the presidential race.

Kennedy is a “pro-choice” Catholic like Biden. Trump’s aim is to give pro-abortion Democrats and independents who don’t like Biden -- but won’t vote for him -- every chance to back Kennedy. Had Trump declared for a national end to abortion, he’d have risked driving pro-abortion voters to the incumbent president.

Had Trump declared for a national end to abortion,

Brought about how? The Supreme Court was right. The Federal Government has no authority on abortion (or any other topic not covered by the specified powers).

If Trump declared he'd like to use his influence to convince people not to have abortions, then fine.

If Trump declared he'd push for a Constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion, then legal and Constitutional, but bad politics. Also impossible, because the Dhimms would never let it out of Congress, and there isn't enough support among enough States to start it that way. For all that I agree abortion is murder, this is not the only windmill to take on and it's less likely to be productive than a host of others.

The parallel with slavery is appropriate, but we need to remember that the so-called Civil War (actually a War Between the States) did not 'officially' start because of slavery. It was because of an act of war (firing on Fort Sumter). Slavery was only ended with the 13th Amendment after the war was concluded. The President cannot (Constitutionally) legally declare an end to a practice not specifically prohibited to the States by the Constitution.

“Had Trump declared for a national end to abortion, he’d have risked driving pro-abortion voters to the incumbent president.”

First of all, those voters already are going to the pro-abortion candidate, they are democrat. Secondly, Trump can call all he wants or any way he wants. The abortion issue, with the determination that Roe is not involved, no longer effects the federal government and is now finally placed under states’ rights. So if he goes with the wishes of the people he is elected to serve, which way should be determined is their decision and how will that have any effect on states’ rights? Since the overturning of Roe, different states have made different determinations. There is no definitive direction to go. So what difference does it make what Trump says any more than Biden? Not an issue. Please move on to important federal issues.

wy69

“Had Trump declared for a national end to abortion, he’d have risked driving pro-abortion voters to the incumbent president.”

wy69

Conservatives pushed for 50 years to make abortion (and similar issues) a States’ rights issue.

Now that has been achieved.

Pushing for a Federal ban is simply accepting the Marxist/Democrat premise - that Fed.gov should decide the issue for the entire country.

I guarantee you in such a case, when Marxist Democrats have complete power again, they will reverse any Federal ban, and go 10X as hard codifying abortion in every Federal action.

The important thing is to destroy Fed.gov power permanently and return it to the States.

“...if Trump is stridently anti-abortion...”

I don’t see it that way. Trump is the first president that came in with a blank sheet concerning the politics of the nation. He really was the first president to come in with a look at the needs of the people and not those of the party. And his actions displayed it.

He threw the press off his plane. He cost China an s-pot of money they had been soaking the people here with by creating the opportunity for the market to flourish. He wouldn’t play the game with the border to try to soak in voters, he stayed within the treaties and asked the Ukraine to investigate possible business irregularities even though a politician was involved, middle-Class family income increased nearly $6,000 – more than five times the gains during the entire previous administration, the unemployment rate reached 3.5 percent, the lowest in a half-century...

And almost all of these things, and more, could have been accomplished by anyone since Reagan...but Trump did it. He understands what a president is, a business manager that overseas the country. Not run it or order it like a dictator even while his own party did the exact thing the liberals wanted and shunned Trump. So if anyone thinks he did all these things for the vote, when he was already rich and famous, then they under estimate him and their reasoning is being swayed by politics and not seeing him. He had nothing personal to gain...but we did. And we got most of it only because of him.

wy69

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