(RNS) — Whichever social gathering the midterm election finally ends up placing answerable for the U.S. Senate and Home, the failure of a extensively predicted purple wave to overwhelm Democrats was thanks in no small measure to abortion.
The exit ballot, which samples the early and mail-in in addition to the same-day congressional vote, discovered that abortion was an important challenge for totally 27% of all voters — near the 31% who made inflation challenge No. 1. Amongst that 27%, greater than three-quarters voted for Democrats, in contrast with 71% of the inflation-firsters who voted Republican, leading to nearly equal numbers of these challenge voters on either side. No different challenge — together with crime, gun coverage and immigration — broke 11%.
And take into account this. On the 5 points the place the ballot requested voters which social gathering they trusted extra to deal with, the GOP got here out forward on 4: overseas coverage (51%-45%), crime (52%-43%), inflation (54%-42%) and immigration (51%-45%). Solely on abortion did they belief the Democrats extra, 53%-44%.
Sure, after August’s placing pro-choice referendum lead to Kansas, Republican candidates did what they might to downplay their curiosity in legislating abortion restrictions. However what the Democrats had going for them was the slew of state anti-abortion legal guidelines that handed after the Supreme Court docket’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which they cleverly characterised as intrusive authorities dictates.
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Certainly, the exit ballot discovered 61% of voters who stated they had been indignant (39%) or “dissatisfied however not indignant” (21%) with the court docket’s choice, versus 37% who stated they had been enthusiastic (16%) or “happy however not enthusiastic” (21%).
That differential was on show within the 5 states the place abortion was on the poll: The professional-choice aspect prevailed not solely in deep-blue California and Vermont, but additionally in purple Michigan, purple Montana and, it seems, in deep-red Kentucky too.
White evangelicals are way more anti-abortion than all different main groupings, but even in states like Kansas and Kentucky the place they’re thick on the bottom, they find yourself on the dropping aspect.
I’m guessing that, whilst we converse, GOP pols are planning a legislative retreat on this most potent of Democratic wedge points.
