There are plenty of predictions floating around online and in Democratic circles about Roe v. Wade and how it might help Democrats stave off the red wave in November. Such conjecturing is both premature and out-of-touch.
First, the Supreme Court has not even struck down Roe, though a leaked draft opinion suggests it is prepared to. And even if it does overturn the precedent in a ruling next month, there are any number of events that could take place between June and November to distract voters from the hysteria Democrats are trying to drum up. Russia is still at war with Ukraine. Gas prices are still ticking upwards. Southern border towns are preparing for yet another summer wave of migrants. On all of these issues and more, Democrats are deep underwater.
But more importantly, Democrats are out of step with the public when it comes to abortion policy. The vast majority of voters don’t want unlimited, on-demand access to abortion — they want restrictions of one sort or another. And they’re not at all worried about whether states will enact those restrictions if the court does strike down Roe. Indeed, the voters most energized by the recent news are happy the court is thinking about striking down Roe.
A new CNN poll found this week that voters “who say overturning Roe would make them ‘happy’ are nearly twice as enthusiastic about voting this fall as those who say such a ruling would leave them ‘angry.’” The news about Roe’s demise also bumped the number of Republicans who say they are extremely enthusiastic about voting this fall up 9 points, compared to 7 points among Democrats.
Overall, the poll found that the recent Supreme Court leak hasn’t changed how most voters feel about Democrats and the Biden administration: They’re sick of them. On the economy, for example, nearly half of adults (46%) said Republicans’ positions are more aligned with their own than Democrats’. In fact, the GOP actually fared better in this poll than in a previous one taken right before the leaked ruling, according to CNN.
Democrats can either read the writing on the wall and start getting serious about the issues people are worried about, or they can keep beating the abortion drum, which will only serve to remind the public just how extreme their position on the issue has become. Either way, Democrats aren’t going to come out on the winning side.
