Keller: Arizona abortion ruling has Republicans denouncing decision in campaign year
BOSTON - Abortion has once again reclaimed center stage in national politics. And as Suffolk University Political Research Center pollster Dave Paleologos puts it: "Republicans know that this is an Achilles heel issue."
Do they ever.
Every Republican governor of Massachusetts since 1991 has at least pretended to support a woman's right to choose, with Charlie Baker even signing a bill wiping out old laws restricting abortion rights. Like the 160-year-old abortion ban reaffirmed by the Arizona Supreme Court that left abortion rights opponents jubilant, but had the Republican presidential nominee scrambling for cover.
Republicans denounce decision
"My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both," said former President Donald Trump, who appointed the conservative Supreme Court justices who tipped the balance in overturning Roe v. Wade, in a video posted to his website Truth Social. "And whatever they decide must be the law of the land."
But would Trump sign a national abortion ban if he had the chance? Trump shook his head and mouthed "no" when asked Wednesday.
Democrats hope to make abortion an issue
Says Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey: "We can't let Donald Trump lie his way out of this."
No wonder Democrats are so eager to block the exits.
Strong abortion rights support among independent women voters helped keep the 2022 elections close and put Joe Biden in over Trump in 2020.
"When you probe and you ask about that specific issue, the intensity within the issue is stronger and it shows up in a lot of these state ballot questions," says Paleologos.
"He would sign off on a national abortion ban, let's be very clear about that," says Vice President Kamala Harris. "And that obviously makes the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump quite clear."
But if Trump can put it all behind him now, it'll be up to Biden, Harris and company to make sure those swing voters remember in November, notes Paleologos. "The overturn was in 2022. So it was fresh on the minds of voters. The onus is on the Democrats to remind the voting electorate, those who are swing voters in swing states, to make it an issue again."
But the Democrats shouldn't assume they can ride this issue back into the White House.
Paleologos points out that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pulling more than 20 percent of the female independent vote in some polls, and if enough of them find safe harbor in him, it's trouble for Biden.
One problem with that -- as recently as last summer Kennedy said he supported a 15-week abortion ban before backtracking.
