Iowa Politics: Iowa Stops Paying for Plan B, Abortions for Rape Victims
In my slightly bizarre attempt to gather all sorts of information from hither and yon, The Des Moines Register is one of the roughly dozen or so US newspapers to which I maintain an electronic subscription. I scan them daily for local news of national import. Keeping abreast of Red State extremism is one of the ancillary benefits of this practice, the origin of which was my desire to provide modest support to America's dwindling roster of serious newspapers. Today's DM Register brought the following news that Iowa, a formerly progressive state not all that long ago, is now deep crimson. Its GOP leadership will do almost anything to force any rape victims within its borders to carry their rapist's baby to term.
They may think that is one way to create future Republican voters, but I suspect its impact will be the opposite--and long before the innocent victims reach voting age.
The issue of Slavery brought the demise of the Whig Party in the 1850s. Am I being overly optimistic to think that abortion extremism might do the same to today's GOP? (Gun law extremism is also playing a helpful role.) A recent poll showed 61% of Iowans thought that abortion should be "legal in most or all cases," only slightly below the 67% nationally who feel that way.
That 61% of pro-choice Iowans includes 34% of self-identified Republicans, with similar results in such prominently Red States as Tennessee and Florida. The continual rushing pell mell by Red State Republican officeholders to the most extreme positions on this subject, while unpleasant to observe in the short run, will build ever larger--and ultimately permanent IMHO--Democratic majorities in all but the Reddest of states. Those roughly 15 states, mostly smaller ones with 3 or 4 Electoral Votes each, will I believe form a shrinking minority in any future national election.
Not long ago, calling Arizona or Georgia a "swing state" would have been laughable. No longer, with North Carolina, Kansas and--down the road--Texas going from dependably Republican to toss-ups in future elections. Yes our side has apparently lost any chance at Ohio and Florida, but we have gained Pennsylvania and Michigan as former swing states now fairly consistently voting Democratic.
I know many of my correspondents view my thoughts as overly "optimistic." I immodestly prefer to call these predictions "realistic."