Would shifting to a more moderate stance on abortion help the GOP?

[TheReckoning]

They stick to overturning Roe, but instead of promoting nationwide abortion bans, they say that the issue of abortion should be decided at the state level.

Pro lifers would still overwhelmingly vote GOP, and people who are pro-choice (but don’t consider abortion to be a major part of political ideology) may be more open to voting GOP. I think it could make the GOP more competitive in places like New England are the Pacific Northwest, especially if they continue on the track of becoming more liberal on gay rights issues.

[Skill and Chance]

No, not until after SCOTUS gives it back to the states.  Until then, the pro-life platform is clearly a winning issue for them and may have been decisive in 2016.  Once Roe/Casey is overturned, they can work on developing a pro-choice wing in blue states. 

[Tekken_Guy]

All it would do is alienate the evangelicals and rurals.

[RINO Tom]

All it would do is alienate the evangelicals and rurals.

I think future generations of GOP will only accept a racist Bernie Sanders, because trendz.

(Obviously, the GOP should be REASONABLE on abortion, not moderate; a pro-life stance isn’t unpopular, though I’m personally pro-choice.)

[Alcibiades]

No, the abortion issue never ceases to amaze in turning out numbers on the right. The GOP actually achieving their professed policy goal of overturning Roe vs. Wade would spell electoral disaster for them, as a huge portion of their base would no longer be motivated to do anything, which is why it will never happen.

[Agonized-Statism]

Not really. There's plenty of issues they could moderate on that would help a lot more without alienating the base- drugs, for one.

[EastwoodS]

All it would do is alienate the evangelicals and rurals.

I think future generations of GOP will only accept a racist Bernie Sanders, because trendz.

(Obviously, the GOP should be REASONABLE on abortion, not moderate; a pro-life stance isn’t unpopular, though I’m personally pro-choice.)

So Boris Johnson? The GOP anwser is turning into the UK conservative party? I'm down with that.

[Samof94]

No, the abortion issue never ceases to amaze in turning out numbers on the right. The GOP actually achieving their professed policy goal of overturning Roe vs. Wade would spell electoral disaster for them, as a huge portion of their base would no longer be motivated to do anything, which is why it will never happen.

They can easily get religious conservatives to rally for the cause, given they can wrap it in religious wrapping paper.

[dw93]

Short term, no. Long term, yes

[Lechasseur]

No, the abortion issue never ceases to amaze in turning out numbers on the right. The GOP actually achieving their professed policy goal of overturning Roe vs. Wade would spell electoral disaster for them, as a huge portion of their base would no longer be motivated to do anything, which is why it will never happen.

Yeah I never understood it either tbh.

[EastwoodS]

Short term, no. Long term, yes

I mean their religious leaders seem to be taking a hard turn to the left so I’d only expect a pilgrimage to the Democrats over the next decade.

[Samof94]

Short term, no. Long term, yes

I mean their religious leaders seem to be taking a hard turn to the left so I’d only expect a pilgrimage to the Democrats over the next decade.

A lot of the big mega church pastors who do vote GOP are growing old as well.

[Nightcore Nationalist]

No (religious turnout would plummet with very few votes to compensate elsewhere), but OTOH the GOP's goal of repealing Roe is a massive tactical error and if it ever happened (I'm doubtful) the backlash would be tremendous.