'Lindsey Graham Really Seems to Have Made a Massive Miscalculation Here'
Many predict Republican's proposed abortion ban only will help Democrats in November
If Sen Lindsey Graham thought that introducing a proposal for a new national abortion ban so close to the November midterm elections would drive up votes for struggling fellow Republicans, his plans will backfire.
That's according to a number of Democrats, left-leaning observers and others reacting to the surprise legislation that the South Carolina lawmaker unveiled Tuesday.
Graham proposed a complete ban of abortion across the United States following 15 weeks of pregnancy except for cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother.
The future of abortion rights in the United States has been up for grabs since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade earlier this year, upending half a century of national abortion rights.
Given that overwhelming majorities of Americans support wide access to abortion, the Supreme Court decision appears to have swung momentum in the crucial 2022 midterm elections towards pro-abortion Democrats and away from the Republicans.
Graham's late-hour proposed ban is being seen as an attempt to try to co-opt the abortion issue and give right-wing voters perhaps something to motivate them to the polls this fall, when the majorities in both houses of Congress are at stake.
Although Republicans still are projected as likely to take control of the House of Representatives, Democrats now are strongly favored to retain the Senate for another two years.
“Lindsey Graham really wants November to be about abortion. He thinks his national abortion ban will galvanize voters. He’s right. It will. I say, ‘Challenge accepted.’ What do you think, friends? So say you all?” tweeted George Takei, the former Star Trek actor and social media influencer.
Takei is not alone in his appraisal.
“someone at [the Democratic National Committee] needs to send Lindsey Graham a gift basket for making clear [Republicans] are after a natl abortion ban,” posted Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin.
The widely followed political account going by “Acyn” tweeted, “Lindsey Graham really seems to have made a massive miscalculation here”.
And podcaster and author Amy Suskind wrote, “Trust me: Lindsey Graham’s plan to remind us that Republicans took away women’s right to control our own bodies is not going to go the way he thinks it is.”
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