Abortion wasn't ALWAYS an issue that Republicans were so fervently committed to. In the mid-70s, @GOP strategists realized they could peel off Democratic voting Catholics & evangelical Protestants if they leaned HARD into this issue.
What was the @GOP stance before this you ask?
What was the @GOP stance before this you ask?
Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate for President in 1964, was pro-choice, and his wife, Peggy even helped set up an Arizona chapter of Planned Parenthood.
In 1967, Republican governor Ronald Reagan signed one of the MOST LIBERAL abortion laws in the entire country, legalizing abortion for women whose mental or physical health would be impaired by pregnancy, or whose pregnancies were the result of rape or incest.
In 1972, a Gallup poll found that 68 percent of Republicans believed abortion to be a private matter between a woman and her doctor.
Just 3 years after Roe v. Wade, public opinion polls showed Republicans SUPPORTED abortion rights even MORE than Democrats.
Just 3 years after Roe v. Wade, public opinion polls showed Republicans SUPPORTED abortion rights even MORE than Democrats.
GOP First Lady Betty Ford called Roe v. Wade a “great, great decision,” & Vice President Nelson Rockefeller CAMPAIGNED for abortion rights in NY.
When Rockefeller was Governor, he signed a bill, making New York the 1st state to legalize abortion without a residency requirement.
When Rockefeller was Governor, he signed a bill, making New York the 1st state to legalize abortion without a residency requirement.
But in 1972 candidate Richard Nixon began staking out anti-abortion positions as part of a STRATEGY to appeal to Catholic voters and other social conservatives.
After winning a majority of Catholic votes, @GOP strategists began forging coalitions with evangelical groups.
After winning a majority of Catholic votes, @GOP strategists began forging coalitions with evangelical groups.
(Hypocritically and unsurprisingly, in recently uncovered audiotapes, Nixon expressed pro-choice sentiment. Reacting to the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, Nixon was recorded saying some abortions were necessary, as in cases of rape). npr.org/templates/stor…
And the rest is history.
GOP strategists learned that abortion was an easy issue to GALVANIZE a base and thus they adapted. Many of the most notable Republicans in our history-George H.W. Bush, Nixon-were privately pro-choice, but eventually couldn't publicly admit that.
GOP strategists learned that abortion was an easy issue to GALVANIZE a base and thus they adapted. Many of the most notable Republicans in our history-George H.W. Bush, Nixon-were privately pro-choice, but eventually couldn't publicly admit that.
If you're a person who wants Roe overturned, here's my question to you:
WHERE & WHEN did you adopt these beliefs? Was there an authority figure (from a church perhaps) who influenced you? Have you talked to someone whose life was saved from access to abortion care?
Thanks. 🙏
WHERE & WHEN did you adopt these beliefs? Was there an authority figure (from a church perhaps) who influenced you? Have you talked to someone whose life was saved from access to abortion care?
Thanks. 🙏
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