Win the Argument, Then Win the Election


The title of this blog is a statement made by Senator Ted Cruz some years ago. It may not have originated with him but he said it often. I'd like to ask him about it today.

It is a helpful way to look at recent events in abortion politics. Abortion has been the subject, not only of elections, but of legal decisions that smack of politics. The latter is the overturn of Roe and the subsequent expansion of abortion services in other states and in medical abortions. A right to life author explained recently why the Roe victory was not the same issue as stopping abortions. Stopping abortions, he argues, requires first winning the argument as to the moral questions surrounding it. Winning in court and reversing Roe is merely a tactic or strategy. Until the argument is won for "pro-life" nothing approaching a victory is possible.

This reasoning does track with what has been happening. If abortion, surgically or medically, was viewed universally as a violation of sound moral principles, abortions would be dropping dramatically. So far as we can tell, they are not. One has to conclude the argument against abortion has not yet been won. 

That the argument against abortion has not been won is evident in last week's elections. Now, seven out of seven individual state measures have been decided in favor of abortion rights. 

The other aspect of the debate about abortion is the debate about the rights of women to determine what they do with their own bodies. That Christianity has the right to instruct women about this clearly has not been won. The large turnout of women registering to vote and voting in favor of abortion rights illustrates anti-abortion has not won that argument either. With some states not allowing abortion, it can be said abortion rights also has not won. The numbers of abortions do not appear to have dropped much if at all since Roe was overturned. I think it reasonable to conclude that even though some states have banned abortions it has had little to no effect on the widespread support for abortion rights.

Those in favor of forced births have had 50 years to win the argument against abortion. The recent election shows us they have yet to do so. 

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