A Supreme Court ruling to throw the issue of Roe V Wade back to individual states may backfire on the GOP. As in Colorado, initiatives are already being prepared to protect the essence of Roe v Wade to be on state ballots in 2022. It may fire up a turnout and anger of both women and younger voters in many states, both blue and red. In order to for Democrats to capitalize on this opportunity, they need to get as many legislators in Congress and in statehouses on the record with their votes of Roe v Wade-like legislation and to get state initiatives on the November ballots. Win or lose, the controversy will help bring out more Democratic voters who are now showing they are a bit asleep at the wheels on what should be winning popular public policy and cultural issues from pro-democracy to voting and women's rights and the agenda of enhanced economic assistance to working-class families, and needed attention to environmental issues. That strategy should begin now, ahead of the anticipated SCOTUS decisions. Even if SCOTUS does not go full monte on overturning Roe v Wade and /COVID and inflation fade, the contrast with the anti-democratic tactics and cultural divisiveness of an obstructionist GOP will give Democratic candidates up and down the ballot a rich platform on which to run.
https://coloradonewsline.com/2021/12/01/colorado-democrats-abortion-rights-supreme-court/
Expert observers of the Supreme Court arguments on the Mississippi case yesterday predict that the Court could effectively end Roe v Wade. This assumes the Trump appointees remain true to the GOP efforts to stack the Court with only anti-abortion justices, 3 in the Trump era. The likely outcome is that the majority will rule that, in spite of 50 years of settled law, the Constitution should have been and will be neutral on federal protection of a women's right to choose. The matter is left to the individual states. The fight will continue there where their existing laws banning abortion that had been put on ice pending this Mississippi case outcome. Colorado is not one of those states and measures are already being taken to make sure that a woman's right to choose is protected. The challenge for Democrats is to get out this message and the opportunity to do so, if the Court throws the issue to states, will be when the Roe v Wade type of initiatives appear on state ballots...in Nov. 2022,
/ Attempts to pass ballot measures to end choice in Colorado have always been defeated but tried often. The last attempt beaten down by voters was in 2020. What this means is that in 2022 and 2024, the battle in Colorado will also continue at the ballot box and that positions of incumbents on the issue will be in the headlines and on record and also pressed to state their positions in advance if they are candidates. . What it also means is that those with means needing the services will be coming to Colorado and New Mexico or taking visits to the west and east coasts. The poor people who cannot afford those trips and who live in red states will seek their care in back alleys or with home remedies as they always have in history and many will die from complications, as they always have.
,Politically there are other fallouts.: Justice Sotomayor called out the impact on the Supreme Court, warning there will be the "stench" of politicization that ignores precedent and she predicts it will harm respect of the institution as an independent arbiter of the interpretation of laws. The implication is that the rule of law will then be subject to change as political waves and views change. The reason is that nothing changed in the past 50 years regarding abortion, just more anti-choice justices were appointed to the Court, changing its balance with anti-choice appointees. It was political opportunism. Given the changing demographics in this country, with the strong showing of younger voters (pro-choice) in the 2020 election, the future will lie more than ever in the hands of Democrats as this younger generation rises to power. Women who had taken 50 years of rights for granted, but had not been following the issue, will become "woke" when the bans take place in over half o of the country and will add fire to 'suburban and younger voter turnouts. on behalf of Democrats. One out of 4 women in the US has had an abortion. It is no small group., and they have the motivation and the ability to rally others.. Democrats in the US House have already passed a bill protecting abortion rights as provided in Roe v Wade and are sending it to the Senate since one remedy is to make it a law. If it comes before the Senate, it will get votes on the record win or lose that will be useful to Democrats. The anti-choice forces may win this battle for now, but it will be at the expense of the GOP in future wars. The GOP is making their bed and will eventually lie in it.
How abortion rights might be protected in CO (cpr.org)
There are questions about where the younger voters will go in the future. They played a significant role in Biden's win Young, diverse voters fueled Biden victory over Trump | TheHill A poll recently revealed that younger people are "disappointed" in Biden, though they came out to vote in 2020 for him. Biden Loses Ground Among ‘Fearful’ Young Voters: Poll | Politics | US NewsIn fact, they are in general very pessimistic about their futures and the issues that bother them are the pandemic, the environment , and the state of democracy.. They support Biden on his handling of the pandemic The issue of "choice" was nowhere on their radar, but as they experience the radical restrictions imposed by a Supreme Court, that I think will change their perspectives dramatically. Strange that the very issues Biden has supported are also their positions has not gotten more traction. Like all matters that make a difference in politics are not a matter of absolute, but a choice between candidates whose names are on the ballot. They may be "disappointed" in Biden now, but his name will not be on the ballot in 2022 and probably not in 2024 if he chooses not to run. What happens in the state and local elections are where it is in November 2022, and in their "disappointment" and pessimism, this attitude may dampen turnout and they will inadvertently help exactly the Trump/GOP/ issues that would only hurt their top issues now. , However, they may be more fired up thanks to the anti-choice anticipated rulings on Roe v Wade.
With Roe at Risk, Justices Explore a New Way to Question Precedents (yahoo.com)
for Democrats is to be able to draw the contrast between their party that embraces their issues . need to understand that not voting because of "disappointment" helps the very party that acts against their priorities. The opportunity will arise if the Supreme Court throws "choice" back to the individual states and Roe v Wade in local initiative form will be on the ballot in Nov. 2022 and those state ballot issues can serve as a get out the younger voters vote.
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