How did Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear win reelection yesterday in a state that Trump won in 2020 by eight percent? The immediate answer is abortion. As Republicans nationally have taken credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, women, many of them Republicans, have said “not so fast.” Yesterday’s Democratic wins, which include approval of a referendum in Ohio protecting the right to choose and Virginia Governor and once-presidential hopeful Glenn Youngkin being denied Republican control of the Virginia House of Delegates and loss of control of the state’s Senate, means more. Proof is not yet available, but some votes that Republicans lost yesterday were 2020 Trump voters rejecting Trump and Trumpism.
Abortion has proven to be the potent issue for Democrats that many predicted when the Supreme Court overturned Roe in June 2022. Women are not keen on the likes of Donald Trump and his hand-picked Supreme Court justices telling them what they can and cannot do with their bodies. But I also sense a turning point on Trump himself. Even election-denying Trumpers are shaking their head as Trump’s business empire crumbles in a New York courtroom. Even Republicans that want to believe that Trump and his family did not engage in rampant fraud are disgusted by Trump calling prosecutors racists, lunatics, and deranged.
The New York civil case is likely to strip Trump of a key component of his psyche—that he is better and smarter than everybody because he is a self-calculated billionaire. Trump without his money and power is nothing more than a narcissistic loser. My guess is that will not play well among the Trump flock.
It is too early to reach conclusions about the 2023 Democratic election wins other than abortion is a losing issue for the GOP. But it is not too early to hope that yesterday’s GOP defeats will embolden Joe Biden and Trump’s Republican challengers to become bolder in attacking Trump.
Tonight, five Republicans, Haley, DeSantis, Christie, Scott, and uber-MAGA blowhard Vivek Ramaswamy, are debating in Miami. Don’t expect Ramaswamy to do anything other than to defend Trump, who Ramaswamy has promised to pardon if elected president. But will anyone other than Christie call out Trump for what he is—a would-be despot running on a platform of lies, hate, and fear?
If Biden persists in running for reelection, which appears increasingly likely, he needs to take on Trump more directly. It will not be easy. Trump has led himself into a corner where he now resembles a cornered rat. He will spit, kick, show his teeth, and yell in the hopes that Biden will cower, and Republicans will believe that he can still win. We should watch Biden closely to see if his campaign posture changes in light of yesterday’s elections.
The GOP itself is close to hopeless despite polls showing Biden to be unpopular because of his age. Until recently, Republicans have not spent much time thinking about who they support for president: A man facing 91 felony counts, including trying to retain the presidency through violence. If Trump continues to stumble, both legally and psychologically, Republicans may wake up and realize that they supported the wrong guy for too long. Unfortunately for the GOP but fortunately for the rest of us, it will be too late.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
Chris Gordon says
There appear to be a lot of voters who will tell a pollster that they support Trump but stay home when Trump is not on the ballot. The big question is how many of them will cast a vote in the 2024 election. I suspect that you’re right about many of them losing interest as Trump continues to be humiliated.
John Dean says
Thanks for your comment. I’ve been wrong many times about the decline of Trump. Hopefully, as things continue to worsen for Trump, the end of political career will finally happen.
Joseph A. Fick, Jr. says
Putting Mr. Dean’s obsessive and excessive Trump hating aside, it is a shame that a presidential election could be decided by the abortion issue.
The pro-choice abortion argument centers on the woman’s rights and gives little regard to the rights of the unborn.
Women today, thanks to readily available contraceptives, can chose to get pregnant or not, but the unborn do not have any choice in the matter. Abortion seems irresponsible and selfish to me.
Mr. Attorney – why is it when a pregnant woman is murdered, the accused is charged with TWO counts of murder?
Deirdre LaMotte says
Just like you have control over your body, so should women. If one does not want an abortion,
do not have one. The “rights of the unborn” is a ridiculous argument because it is the woman who is carrying the fetus. It is her body. Not yours.
Pregnancy is difficult enough and much can go wrong. A woman has the right, or should,
to decide when or if a pregnancy is continued, not the government. She and her doctor should be the only ones to
determine this.
Realize that this is none of anyone’s business and that is why the GOP is losing, and will continue to lose
with their anachronistic attitudes towards women.
The whole anti abortion argument has nothing to do with protection of a fetus. It is control of women by reactionary people, men and women, who need to mind their own business and keep their religious opinions out of public policy.
How about using this energy to push for helping families with day care issues or fighting solutions for the high
rate of infant mortality in this nation? Then you can feel good about helping children who are actually alive
and need help.
Joseph A. Fick, Jr. says
Women DO have control of their bodies; I am just suggesting that they use their control prior to getting pregnant rather than after.
You may not believe that abortion is “taking a life”, but I do.
And please do not lecture me about who I chose to help. You have no idea where I place my time, energy or money!
Deirdre LaMotte says
LOL. Women’s lack control of bodily autonomy is
the goal of the GOP. To women of child bearing age, bodily autonomy is not a talking point or an agenda. It affects their health, economic well-being and their relationships. Any birth control can fail.
I should know. Never the less, no one should lecture anyone on what she decides to do with an unplanned or dangerous pregnancy. The “life” you
refer to is the woman who carries the fetus. She decides, not you. Very sorry.
And yes, maybe spend time examining the priorities of Americans who are obsessed with controlling women’s bodies.
I find this quite creepy.
James Nick says
So, following Mr Fick’s logic, is it not selfish and irresponsible for a woman to get pregnant if she, say, is obese, has uncontrolled diabetes, is over 35 years of age, or there is a genetic defect in the parental line that will likely result in massive fetal defects or death?
What about women that choose to smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal (or even some legal) drugs during pregnancy? What about women that do not have access to or can’t afford proper pre- or post-natal care and nutrition? Aren’t these women also selfish and irresponsible?
In none of these cases does the unborn have a choice. At what point would Mr Fick propose that the state step in and make all reproductive decisions in order to protect the rights of the unborn?
Joseph A. Fick, Jr. says
The time for a woman to responsibly decide if she wants a child is prior to intercourse, not after. If you don’t want a child or do not have the resources to care for one, then use contraception or don’t have intercourse.
And you are right in pointing out the cases where the unborn do not have a choice and all of those cases show irresponsibility on the part of the woman.
I am not advocating for state control, just responsibility.
James Nick says
So right here Mr Fick has gotten to the crux of the issue when he says that “If you don’t want a child… use contraception or don’t have intercourse.” And at the same time implying that the decision to get pregnant is solely the woman’s responsibility.
Mr Fick must be living in Lake Wobegon where all children are conceived during planned intercourse between financially secure, loving couples in committed, married relationships. He doesn’t seem to acknowledge that in the messy real world there was, is, and always will be rape, incest, spontaneous, unplanned sex, failed birth control, life-threatening congential defects, and high risk pregnancies. Likewise, there was, is and always will be people who are physically, emotionally, or financially ill-prepared, incapable, or unsuited to bring a life into this world for whatever reason but are going to have sex. It is a human imperative and no amount of preaching, lecturing, reasoning, or arguing is going to stop it.
Gren Whitman says
Abortion, GOP extremism, and relentless gun violence are the keys to successful Democratic campaigns at all levels in 2024.
And there’s nothing the GOP can do about it.
Joseph A. Fick, Jr. says
You seem to know everything about GOP extremism but very little about Democrat lunacy.
I do not advocate either, but I am entitled to my opinion.
Champe C. McCulloch says
The Republic may yet survive the current Republican insanity. If only we could unelect our current Representative.
John Dean says
Thanks for your comment. Well said.
Joseph A. Fick, Jr. says
You mean survive the current Democrat lunacy if we could only unseat our current President.