Trump's Abortion Comments
In the media world that I follow, President Trump’s statement on abortion—that he believes right-to-life legislation should be handled at the state, rather than the federal level—has been the dominant story. I’m currently in the midst of unpacking and preparing a broader discussion that will go into our current moment on every level, from the biblical to the philosophical and right down to the granular politics. I hope you’ll be able to tune in (it will be on video) when I do get it all together.
But for today, I want to keep it simple and political, and share with you another video. Regular listeners know that I frequently quote and cite the work of pollster Rich Baris, of Big Data Poll and host of the thrice-weekly show Inside the Numbers. When it comes to the practical political considerations, Rich said everything I would have said on his Monday program, so why not just share that?
The video is at the bottom of this post and the abortion discussion is the first 30 minutes. I strongly encourage people—especially those in the pro-life movement to listen. Not simply because Rich shares my view that Trump acted correctly—not just for his own candidacy but for pro-lifers in general. But because within his commentary, there is a message of hope for our side. You here Rich talk about his own personal conversion to a pro-life belief, coming out of the public school system in New York.
He’s also someone, as you will hear, who’s been hired to do research on where public opinion is at. The news isn’t bleak—there are a lot of areas where people are with us. Maybe not as much as we’d like. Maybe it hasn’t become the voting priority that it is for a lot of us. But there are trends that are definitely going in the right direction.
But, as one who’s professional job is to read the election returns and know which voting blocs will decide elections, you also get the reminders of some difficult realities. That our side has been getting its clock cleaned in every abortion referendum that goes on the ballot—and in places like Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and Kentucky, where Trump will win handily. That people who “mostly disapprove” of Joe Biden but are terrified of our side on abortion (wrongly, but that’s the reality) will swing the election in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Abortion and the right to life have always been among the most difficult topics in the political world. It’s gotten even more so in the years since I first formed my pro-life views as a teenager in 1984. The devastation Planned Parenthood has wreaked on this civilization means that for so many people, this is now an issue that has, in some way, directly impacted them. I have to credit my wife with the observation that it’s no longer about having a logical discussion about when life begins or what the full extent of human liberty should be—it’s about dealing with a gravely wounded society. Without going into too much self-disclosure, I’m not immune from that.
As you listen to Rich’s commentary, I’m proudly one of the hardliners he refers to—who believe the ultimate objective is not simply states’ rights, but a personhood amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But in addition to being something that’s a long way off, the constitutional amendment process has to go through the states. You have to get 38 state legislatures to approve any amendment, along with Congress. Thus, turning it back to the states, as Trump did, is the sweet spot where short-term political pragmatism and long-term principle can meet.
My inbox this morning contains a headline from Life Site News, blaring that “Trump will refuse to sign federal abortion ban.” All federal legislation needs 60 votes in the Senate to pass. The Republicans have not had 60 senators in my lifetime and I’m not sure offhand if they ever have. There is no viable path to 60. And even if there were, it would include at least 5 or 6 who wouldn’t be on board anyway. So, this is all a thought exercise.
But more to the point is this—while the headline is, I guess, accurate, it could also be rephrased to say this “Trump saves pro-life movement from itself by steering the fight away from Washington D.C. where we face danger and puts it in state capitols where we can start the post-Roe rebuilding project.” (Yes, I know, that isn’t the most concise headline in the world, but you get the point.).
If you have a half-hour while driving around, at home, or at work, please listen to what Rich has to say. In addition to his show, he hosts an open-to-the-public Zoom Book Club every Sunday at 3 PM EST (Check his Twitter feed for the link on Sunday). He and his wife Laura have opened up their lives in a way rare (if not unheard of) for a public figure. You don’t have to agree with every opinion, but they’re the real thing. And when it comes to understanding where the public is at, and presenting it in a pro-life mindset, the commentary needs to be absorbed: