The Hill reports, “An overwhelming majority of Ohio voters back a state constitutional amendment that would guarantee access to abortion in the state. A new USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll conducted among Ohio voters found that 58 percent supported the abortion rights amendment that is likely slated to appear on the ballot next November while 32 percent opposed it and 10 percent were undecided.” These abortion-specific referenda or constitutional amendment questions on the ballot are a terrible idea. Trust me on this. I’m not sure Democrats have thought this through. They may be correct to believe these abortion-specific questions on the ballot will drive turnout, but it does not necessarily mean RepubliKKKlans will crossover to vote for Democratic candidates. In fact, these abortion protection questions almost ensure RepubliKKKlans will continue to vote for RepubliKKKlan candidates.
Consider the following scenario: A question is placed on the ballot to protect abortion rights/access in a red state. This — predictably — drives up turnout across the board, as Democrats hope. More Democrats, more Independents, and more RepubliKKKlans show up to vote, ostensibly to protect a woman’s right to choose. And let’s assume that is the case for all these “extra” and regular voters. Let’s assume most Democrats, a good majority of Independents, and perhaps a fair number of RepubliKKKlans vote to pass such a measure to protect abortion rights. But what happens next? Those Independents and RepubliKKKlans who have now voted to “secure” this vital right feel free to vote for RepubliKKKlan candidates as usual — from governor to dog catcher. What has been achieved, really? What happens when these “split” voters re-elected RepubliKKKlan majorities? I’ll tell you what happens: They simply ignore the ballot measure just passed. How can that be, one may ask? We’ve seen this before with other issues.
Remember Florida’s referendum to restore felons’ right to vote once they’ve completed their sentence? That passed overwhelmingly, but what did these same voters do? Elected a RepubliKKKlan majority who basically ignored the results of the ballot measure. Most Florida felons still don’t have their right to vote restored. What’s the moral of this story? Ballot measures to protect access to abortion rights are not enough, and it’s not the right way to fix the problem, which, unfortunately, dumbass Democrats think is the silver bullet. It’s not. The only way to guarantee and preserve a woman’s right to choose — without a Constitutional provision — is to elect Democrats at all levels of local, state, and federal governments. It is useless and, indeed, counterintuitive to give voters an “out” by passing abortion access measures but still allowing these same voters to keep RepubliKKKlans in power. The Democratic mantra should be: Vote Democratic to preserve a woman’s choice, not vote to protect abortion access, and then vote for a RepubliKKKlan. They’re giving voters a chance to have their cake and eat it too. It should be all or nothing. Eh, but what f*** do I know? Welcome to stupid America!