By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 20, 2022 | Have you detected a major shift in the national political world? If it proves as big as we think it is, there will be some blockbuster surprises come this fall’s election results.
Realizing what we thought was that shift, we have talked to people on both sides of the aisle, Democratic and Republican, those in office and those seeking office. Almost each person, man and woman, recognizes something has radically changed in this political cycle, though some think it will be less impactful than others.
It centers around abortion, and women of all races, in all sections of the country, and old and young, do not want career politicians dictating control of their bodies at either the state and national level.
The bombshell that came out of Kansas on the abortion question may continue throughout the country. Come election day, we see this being the overriding concern of women, and see them shifting to vote for candidates for Congress who can introduce measures to protect women’s rights. A shift of only 10 percent in those voting women for such measures can create a majority in the Congress to protect what these women feel is their God-given right.
In general, this bodes well for the Democrats. It appears to be the overriding issue for the midterm election.
There are other major questions that will be a factor in the fall elections:
Republicans must be troubled about whether they can hold their party together, since it is basically split between the Trumpers, and those who feel allegiance to the party, but are troubled by the continued antics of Donald Trump. While in overly-conservative states, the GOP will no doubt win; there should be a number of former stalwart Republican women who will either not vote Republican, or even stay away from the polls. The upshot will be a weaker Republican turnout.
Remember, in 2020, the Democrats for president outpolled Republicans by seven million votes. More women voting their conscience over abortion should raise the impact for Democrats.
Meanwhile, Democrats find themselves not so split, and ought to do better in the midterm elections, especially gaining support from women who have previously not voted, and from ladies voting Democratic for the first time.
Here in Georgia, more women going to the polls with the abortion question uppermost may give a little more lift to Stacey Abrams. She came close to upsetting Brian Kemp in 2020. This slight shift might hurt Kemp. Though Kemp is slightly ahead in most polls, you wonder if the pollsters can detect that female impact on abortion.
If what we suspect is right, abortion will also affect the Senate race between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. Can you see a majority of females voting for a guy, Walker, who put a pistol to the head of his wife, fathered several children out of wedlock, and finds it difficult to put together lucid thoughts? We suspect most ladies can see through such fog.
When Roe v Wade happened 50 years ago, women at that time did not have the center of the stage as they have now. They have since been led by such luminaries as Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Toni Morrison, Jane Fonda, Yoko Ono, Madonna, Alice Walker, Hillary Clinton and others. Now these and other feminists have led the way to a new way of thinking, and power. And the Court overturning Roe v Wade is their hot topic. We’ll see its effect in the election in less than two months.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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