The 2024 election should be about ABORTION ABORTION ABORTION

[Alben Barkley]

Democrats should never let off the gas pedal, never steer in a different direction, never let anything else at all (especially culture war issues where they DON'T have the upper hand) distract them.

This election should be a referendum on whether people want women to have rights or they want the US to go the road of The Handmaid's Tale. Period. Plain and simple. Motivate every non-brainwashed woman in the country to come out and vote for Biden and the Democratic ticket. Obviously this will piss off anti-choicers, but guess what? They're all voting for the GOP anyway! It also puts Trump and the GOP between a rock and a hard place; they have to either double down on this absurdly unpopular policy that got them BTFO in Kentucky and Kansas, or flip flop and seriously piss off and demoralize their base.

I just worry the DNC will fail to do the obvious here. This election should be turned into a referendum on abortion as much as the GOP turned 2004 into one on gay marriage; despite all the other stuff that was going on and the lukewarm at best popularity of Bush, that was a successful strategy for them. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and Democrats MUST seize the opportunity and capitalize if they are to win.

[Alben Barkley]

It's the economy stupid.

The economy matters but it's never QUITE that simple, as last year proved. The economic indicators did not point to an even remotely successful midterm for Democrats, but it was actually the best midterm for an incumbent in decades. Almost certainly because of two factors: Dobbs, and Trump-endorsed lunatic candidates. Now who is the GOP almost certain to nominate again? Trump. So what issue should we make central in order to replicate those relatively successful midterm conditions as much as possible? Abortion, of course! That's my point!

[Alben Barkley]

The main issue Bush ran on in 2004 wasn’t gay marriage

In several key swing states, including the critical state of Ohio, gay marriage was on the ballot. This was deliberately pushed for by the Bush administration and campaign, who hoped to drive the base out to the polls to vote against it and for Bush.

In any case, while gay marriage specifically may not have been the top issue explicitly campaigned on by Bush, it was certainly a potent one during the 2004 campaign (when Bush endorsed a constitutional amendment forever banning it), and the dogwhistling about "traditional moral values" and such was certainly a top Bush campaign issue. I should know; I lived through this campaign and it was largely my political awakening.

[Alben Barkley]

The main issue Bush ran on in 2004 wasn’t gay marriage

In several key swing states, including the critical state of Ohio, gay marriage was on the ballot. This was deliberately pushed for by the Bush administration and campaign, who hoped to drive the base out to the polls to vote against it and for Bush.

In any case, while gay marriage specifically may not have been the top issue explicitly campaigned on by Bush, it was certainly a potent one during the 2004 campaign (when Bush endorsed a constitutional amendment forever banning it), and the dogwhistling about "traditional moral values" and such was certainly a top Bush campaign issue. I should know; I lived through this campaign and it was largely my political awakening.

Well the thing is GA/WI/PA dont have citizen initiated ballot measures so that strategy wont work.

Many Republicans also proved in 2022 they could win big despite their positions on abortion if they didnt run on election denial as well, so the real question is whether or not someone can defeat Trump in the primaries or not. That candidate can still obviously lose since Republicans sadly have to win one of the rust belt 3 in order to win the presidency and those states dont seem to be either economically or socially conservative

I don't think you need it LITERALLY on the ballot though. That's my point. I think the Democrats can MAKE the election effectively a proxy ballot referendum on abortion, if they play their cards right.