Yoest: Democrats erred in putting abortion above inflation in 2022 election

SHANNON LONGWORTH: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling over the summer, which effectively reversed Roe v Wade. There are five states with abortion related measures on the ballot. California, Michigan and Vermont will vote on proposals to protect reproductive rights. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s amendment essentially does the opposite, making it clear the state’s constitution does not protect abortion. Montana’s LR 131 will guarantee medical treatment for infants, including those who survived and attempted abortion. Joining us now to discuss is Charmaine Yoest, conservative strategist and former president and CEO of Americans United for life. Charmaine, it seems you can pretty much guess how most of these will play out. But the real question is about Michigan’s proposal three, how do you see that going?

CHARMAINE YOEST | CONSERVATIVE STRATEGIST: Well, you know, I’m really glad that you asked that question, because to me, what’s exciting about seeing all these different measures on the ballots across the country is this is exactly what you wanted in a post DOBS world. Abortion is so divisive in our country, and it needs to be decided by people closest to the ground. And when you see people having the opportunity to go to the ballot box and express their opinion. That’s that’s how it should work in our favor Federalist Society. And Michigan when you have two women dueling it out at the top of the ticket. I think that’s a particularly interesting situation to have both abortion on the ballot, both as a measure but also represented by two women
at the top of the ticket,

LONGWORTH: Democrats who are putting abortion rights front and center early on in the campaign, but they seem to fall behind as Election Day got closer and Republicans focused on the economy. Why do you think that message didn’t resonate with voters?

YOEST: Well, I think that’s another really great question. Because all along, I’ve been saying that I think the Democrats really overestimated the purchase that they had, on the abortion issue. people have this misconception that women are predominantly a pro abortion when in fact, women consistently pull more pro life. Sometimes people women will get more energized on this particular issue. But as the summer has gone on, and the economic crisis in this country has deepened, what you’ve seen is people are really, really focused on what the the old old fashioned Politico’s used to call the kitchen table issues. What you’re seeing in this election is that kind of thinking about issues is still very, very relevant today. People vote their pocketbook, they’re going to the gas station, having a difficult time filling up their car, go into the grocery seeing their grocery bills, doubling, tripling heading into a winter, where the energy bills are, are, are just astronomical and predicted to get worse. People are really, really worried. And it’s interesting, even tonight, as we get deeper into election night, we’re already seeing exit polling that showing people coming coming out and saying that they’re voting because they’re angry. They’re angry about their financial situation. And those are the things you know, way back when they used to there was the old cliche, it’s the economy stupid. Well, you’re seeing that in this election.

LONGWORTH: If the Republicans are able to take the House and the Senate, do you expect them to move on Senator Lindsey Graham’s proposed a 15 week abortion ban? Or will they go for something else?

YOEST: I think there’s a lot of different approaches to abortion that are on the table right now. And so I will be interesting to see how that plays out. I think that really the focus is going to continue to be on the state level initiatives, because that’s where the that’s where the Supreme Court tossed the issue too.

LONGWORTH: With so much going on, what do you think Democrats could have done to keep abortion in the conversation?
To keep it in the conversation?

YOEST: I mean, this is the thing it has been in the conversation for decades now. And so I don’t think there was any way for Democrats, I don’t think it would have been smart for them to continue to raise it any more than they already did. It wasn’t getting it was energizing the people that it was already going to energize. And I think that that was their miscalculation, in thinking that it was going to bring new people to the polls. I’m sure that it did to a certain degree, but I don’t believe that it was ever going to energize more people than they were thinking that it was.

LONGWORTH: Conservative strategists, Charmaine Yoest, thanks for being with us.

YOEST: Thank you. It’s good to be with you.

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