The voters spoke in 2022 and reduced the red wave to a nonexistent one over the issue of abortion.
The Republicans doubled down and paid another price last night in key races as abortion looms as issue one.
Here are the big four:
In Ohio, voters enshrined abortion access in the state constitution, a clear rebuke to Republicans in the state legislature and GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, who signed a six week abortion ban in 2019.
Six weeks does not work, and other Republican led states are going to learn that lesson too.
In Virginia, Democrats held their majority in the state Senate and took the majority from Republicans in the state’s House of Delegates, a victory for the party’s abortion-rights messaging.
A bad night for Gov Youngkin and any presidential plans he had. He was trying to sell 15 weeks.
In Red Kentucky, voters re-elected Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and rejected Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who supported the state’s near-total ban on abortion.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats won the balance-tipping election with their candidate, Daniel McCaffery.
He won a state Supreme Court seat, after running ads promising to defend abortion rights and voting rights.
So, Republicans can talk all the polls they want about the unpopularity of the current President. Abortion trumps all other issues these days. The people have spoken. They have two choices; they can try to sell the 20 week ban, five months in, or just back off and say the voters have decided. To continue taking what they deem is a moral stance will not help them.
Add this, in 2024 President Biden will paint Donald Trump as the man who put three votes in the court to take away abortion rights. No matter how much the former President is running from taking a stand now, it will doom him.
The Republican debate tonight will be interesting. Let’s see how they handle the abortion issue. There will be only five who qualified for the stage.
Gov. DeSANTIS, former Gov. HALEY, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Sen. TIM SCOTT and former Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE.
Non Election Political News
The House resurrected and ended up voting to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her embrace of the controversial “From the river to the sea” slogan amid the Israel-Hamas war.
As you may recall, this vote was defeated last week, but Tlaib’s action caused a Republican who voted no on censure last time to reintroduce the resolution.
In the end, Twenty-two Democrats joined most Republicans in supporting the resolution. Four Republicans voted no on censure.
The story is that President Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a three-day pause in fighting to allow progress in releasing some of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, two U.S. and Israeli officials said.
The Situation:
According to a proposal being discussed between the U.S., Israel and Qatar, Hamas would release 10–15 hostages, the U.S. official said. Hamas would also use the three-day pause to verify the identities of all the hostages and deliver a list of names.
At least 240 people were kidnapped during the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, according to Israeli officials.
The two U.S. and Israeli officials said Netanyahu told Biden he doesn’t trust Hamas’ intentions and doesn’t believe they are ready to agree to a deal. Netanyahu also said that Israel could lose the current international support it has for the operation if the fighting stops for three days, the officials said.
Thoughts:
I just don’t believe we should be dictating to Israel anything as they conduct this operation for their very survival.
Everyday now there’s a story of car makers cutting back on EV models. They say that the vehicles are just not selling and there is no demand. Think about that in light of what they committed to in changing their entire fleet.
Here’s today’s news:
GM and Ford paused work on new EV factories and scaled back their sales targets.
Honda cancelled a $5 billion plan to make affordable EVs with GM.
Battery-makers Panasonic and LG Energy Solution noted an EV market slowdown.
Even Tesla sounds cautious, saying it would slow plans to build an EV factory in Mexico.
And we hear of major rebates (up to $7,500) being offered to consumers to buy existing EV’s.
The push from the administration was always before its time. We repeat – Hybrid – is the way to go.
Just Some Thoughts Today.