Donald Trump needs to regain ground both morally and logically if he is to win over pro-life voters by 2024. It would be a grave error to assume that this vote is guaranteed just because Biden advocates for abortion.
Pro-life voters are steadfast. Trump lost several key states by narrow margins in 2020, so every vote is important.
For the past 40 years, pro-lifers have felt betrayed by Republican politicians who talk but do not act. These politicians are not well-liked. Republicans already have trust issues in this area. If pro-lifers feel taken advantage of, some may decide to stay home and watch another Republican lose. Democrats do not face a similar trust deficit.
Pro-life voters have choices, even if they seem to contradict game theory. This election presents four options:
- Biden
- Trump
- Third-party candidates
- Stay at home
Pro-abortion voters have only one clear choice, while pro-life voters have multiple options.
Trump played his cards well in 2016:
- He promised to nominate judges that Republicans had failed to nominate in the past.
- He provided a list to prove his sincerity.
- He supported those who had brought him into the party.
- He knew that if the state court took the case, he could sidestep the issue.
This approach was logically sound but morally flawed. Trump attended Marble Collegiate Church, a New York City church where sermons emphasized positive thinking rather than moral theology. Trump is weak when it comes to pro-life issues.
Politically, the issue is not the logic of 2016 but Trump’s inconsistent comments in Arizona. He has reopened a wound by giving off-the-cuff opinions on how states should deal with the issue instead of letting voters and states decide.
His goal seemed to be suburban women. These voters are more concerned about their finances than about abortion. In the last election, they were probably more concerned about the pandemic than about abortion. Trump will never win the support of abortion advocates, but economically-minded people may overlook this issue if Trump convinces them that he can provide financial stability.
St. Paul told Timothy that money is the root of all evil. Abortion advocates often justify their position through economic convenience, unresolved guilt, or pride. Politicians should ignore pro-abortion rhetoric and base their strategies on these facts.
Here are some points that will not convince pro-lifers that you care about their needs:
- Supporting a ban on abortions after three months. This is a zero-sum game as the majority of abortions happen before that.
- Talking about the lives and health of mothers instead of promoting maternal healthcare. With good healthcare, the maternal mortality rate during childbirth is almost zero. Address the real issues instead of using talking points.
- Ignoring the eugenic aspects of abortion. For decades, in New York City, more black babies have been aborted than born. Republicans must confront this reality.
- Not demanding the death penalty for those who commit rape, incest, or child rape. Justice demands severe consequences.
- Ignoring calls to ban financial and ethical conflicts of interest on panels that approve abortions to protect maternal health. No abortionist should certify that an abortion is “medically necessary.”
- Using “emotional distress” as a justification for abortion. Emotional distress should not be used to justify abortion.
Republicans must also find common ground on issues such as parental consent, banning sex-selection abortions, prohibiting surrogacy, and ending abortions for Down syndrome or physical disabilities. Do not compromise on issues where both sides can agree. Use empathy and reason to fight for pro-life.
The bottom line is that the pro-life position is for everyone. If you are human, you are a member of the moral community. The people who want to exclude the unborn as human beings should be on the defensive, not those speaking out for them.
