A new poll indicates that Republicans may be punished in the upcoming midterms for the Supreme Court's overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 law that, until last Friday, enshrined America's constitutional right to abortion.
According to the poll, released by CBS News on Sunday, half of Democratic voters said last week's ruling would make them more inclined to vote. Only 20% of Republicans could say the same. The gap may pose a significant hurdle for the GOP in riling up their base against liberal backlash.
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Republicans might also face electoral challenges from a wave of newly-activated independent voters, 63% of whom want abortion to be legal. Sunday's poll reveals that 28% of independents said that the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe would make them more likely to cast a ballot. More broadly, most of America is not on the GOP's side, just 31% of all U.S. voters feeling that the Supreme Court's decision was a "step forward."
Immediately after the ruling, Politico reported that Republican strategists are worried about how Roe's rescission might impact the party's midterm aspirants. Thus far, much of the GOP strategy has simply been to criticize and dismantle the Biden agenda, rather than enacting policies of their own.
"This is not a conversation we want to have," Republican strategist John Thomas said of the abortion ruling. "We want to have a conversation about the economy. We want to have a conversation about Joe Biden, about pretty much anything else besides Roe...This is a losing issue for Republicans."
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"Everything was going our way. Gas is above $5. Inflation is a giant problem," a former U.S. congressman echoed to Politico. "The only thing [Democrats] have got going for them is the Roe thing, which is what, 40 years of settled law that will be changed that will cause some societal consternation," they added. "And can they turn that into some turnout? I think the answer is probably 'Yes.'"
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Still, the outlet reported, no Republican or Democratic experts speculated that the decision would altogether prevent the GOP from regaining the House.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who has taken credit for the ruling, is privately "sh*ting on" on it, according to Rolling Stone. "When you speak to him, it's the response of someone fearing the backlash and fearing the politics of what happens when conservatives actually get what they want" on abortion, a source told the outlet. "I do not think he's enjoying the moment as much as many of his supporters are." The New York Times similarly reported that the former president has been complaining about the decision since last week, calling it "bad for Republicans.
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