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.

[TML]

While I agree that this will be an important issue that should be emphasized, there may be some regions where other issues are more pressing/salient. Thus, there is still the necessity to "localize" the campaign messaging in some areas in order to focus on what's most important in those areas.

[Tmau]

It's the economy stupid.

[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!

[OSR stands with Israel]

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

[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.

[OSR stands with Israel]

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

[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.

[OSR stands with Israel]

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.

I mean Brian Kemp proved that if a Republican who doesnt run on election denialism is the candidate, they can do well in the Sunbelt.

Of course WI/MI/PA will still be problematic regardless and WWC areas there actually are politically more pro choice than many white Suburbanites in the Sunbelt .

[Redban]

 pro-life governors in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas won in 2022

[Skill and Chance]

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

Not sure about that.  Something to keep in mind is that several competitive states do elect the state's highest court, and we just saw one of those elections effectively turn into an abortion referendum.

IMO the only way out is for the Republican nominee to separate himself from all this on federalist grounds.  Trump seems to get this to some degree.  Most of the others don't, and then you have Sununu who is so pro-choice that it would be a problem in Southern states in the GE. 

[Arizona Iced Tea]

This is why Trump is a good candidate for the general. Dems won't even prioritize policy with him it will basically be his attitude and Jan 6 at the forefront of the campaign. DeSantis they will try to fight him on the issues.

[Suburbia]

Yes, it should be about abortion, but not over other issues like the economy, jobs, and crime. Men vote too....and you will lose Black men over the abortion obsession...

[indietraveler]

Agreed. There should be ads dominating TV showing republican comments on abortion at every level of government. Democrats need to call this out on the debate stage at every debate because I think wishy washy answers from republicans will appear just as bad as supporting something like a 6-week ban. This is a big enough issue to swing close house races.

Same for election denialism. Giving a half-assed answer on this issue by trying to please the MAGA base while living in reality is a form of endorsing this behavior.

[GoTfan]

Abortion and Social Security.

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

pro-life governors in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas won in 2022

Yeah but everytime abortion itself was on the ballot or the central issue the pro-choice side won. If all those GOP gubernatorial candidates had led off with the most extreme anti-choice rhetoric they all likely would have lost.

[Senator Incitatus]

If they go extreme on abortion against Trump, I genuinely think they lose on that issue. A traditional Republican would be a different story.

[Skill and Chance]

Abortion and Social Security.

This would be the approach against DeSantis or Generic R.  The problem is Trump at least partially neutralizes both of these attacks. 

[weatheriscool]

It should be about human rights and freedom. Biden should argue for woman's rights, trans rights and for a society that cares about treating people with respect. At its core is policy that help people instead of against them. We need to define the republicans as the fascist that they're.

[GoTfan]

Abortion and Social Security.

This would be the approach against DeSantis or Generic R.  The problem is Trump at least partially neutralizes both of these attacks.  

He has recently gone on record as supporting a national ban of abortion and would sign Social Security cuts in a heartbeat. There is no difference between him and the other Republicans, apart from the fact that he says out loud how much he hates democracy.

[indietraveler]

Abortion and Social Security.

This would be the approach against DeSantis or Generic R.  The problem is Trump at least partially neutralizes both of these attacks.  

He has recently gone on record as supporting a national ban of abortion and would sign Social Security cuts in a heartbeat. There is no difference between him and the other Republicans, apart from the fact that he says out loud how much he hates democracy.

Plus he's on camera saying women should be punished. That was from a few years ago but even then you can show this as a flip-flop and that he can't be trusted on the issue.