Let me make clear from the outset that abortion is not my issue. I realize it is heresy on my side, but I fully agree that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided, that you will scan the Constitution in vain for any mention of anything even tangentially related to abortion, and that in the end abortion will have to be left to the political process.
That being the case, I am absolutely thrilled to see Texas pass an outrageous law allowing absolutely anyone to sue anyone however tangentially related to providing an abortion, and that the Supreme Court may finally repeal Roe in the upcoming session. My reasons are ones of naked political calculation.
Republicans are incredibly fired up and mobilized right now, over two issues – COVID mitigation, and the supposedly “stolen” 2020 election. They are mobilizing at the most granular level, taking over the Republican Party apparatus from the ground up. They are particularly interested in taking over school boards to block any mandatory COVID mitigations, and all election offices to insure that no Democrat can ever ”steal” another election.
It is normal for the party that lost an election to be fired up and mobilized. Normally, however, they mobilize over genuine complaints and real issues. When the Tea Party mobilized to block Obamacare, when MAGA mobilized to oppose immigration, and when the Resistance mobilized to save Obamacare – well, Congress really did pass and then attempt to repeal Obamacare, and large numbers of immigrants really were arriving from Central America. This time, however, the election was not, in fact, stolen, and Republicans’ hysterical attempts to block all COVID mitigation is causing widespread sickness and death.
In my personal view, preventing mass sickness and death and stopping Republicans from imposing a one-party state are worthy causes that should be more than enough to cause mass mobilization among Democrats. These are truly cases of self-preservation. But they don’t seem to be provoking much of a reaction.
But if there is one thing that can seriously mobilize Democrats at all levels, it is a threat to abortion.
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