The Democratic Effort to Hype Abortion as a Major Issue

It’s no question that the matter of abortion has been a hotly debated issue in the United States for generations. Since the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling by the US Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson 2022, “reproductive rights,” as the left of the political spectrum calls them, have been a rallying cry to progressives and, in turn, many Democrats.

In the 2022 midterm elections, as that this ruling had been fresh in the minds of the public, liberals were pretty successful in making it a big part of their races for national office. They limited what some had expected to be a massive “red wave” in which Republicans would take over both houses of Congress to one in which Democrats lost the House of Representatives by only a small margin and actually retained a slight lead in the Senate. They are attempting to do it again this year, but a lot has changed in that short time.

At this point, abortion ranks as a distant third at best in order of the top issues people care about for the November 5, 2024 presidential election. Some polling shows it lower. And while I find it to be a very important issue, I’m actually surprised it is even that high on the list. The top issue by far is the economy, with immigration ranking second.

The fact is that abortion, or so-called “reproductive rights,” which sounds better and more marketable for progressives, is only applicable to a small portion of the population. According to statistical records, there are currently 43.4 million women in the United States that are of what is considered childbearing age. This accounts for less than 19% of the overall population. If you account for women who are barren, the rate drops even more.

On the other hand, the economy literally impacts 100% of all Americans. And for all intents and purposes, the same goes for immigration, as that this issue indirectly factors in with the economy. Crime and safety, which is also a high-priority issue, undoubtedly has a universal impact too. So dare I say, unless you are a woman who has been directly impacted by abortion, it really should be a backburner issue for people right now.

Liberals will have you believe that the vile acts of rape and incest account for a large number of abortions in our country. This may be a good strategy to play on emotions, but it is far from the truth.

In a survey of more than 2.4 million women who had an abortion between 1996 and 2020, only 0.39% of the respondents cited either of these two despicable crimes as the reason for seeking out the procedure. That’s less than one half of one percent for crying out loud! It makes one wonder what the real reasons are for most abortions. Perhaps it is simply a rather extreme option for birth control or an easy out to shirk the idea of being responsible for one’s actions?

Data even shows that the likelihood of getting pregnant from rape or incest is also less than a 1% chance. And of those women who suffer the deranged act of rape, remarkably and probably shockingly, almost 40% actually carry their babies to term and often give them up for adoption.

Progressives will also tell you that conservatives don’t care about the life of the mother in the event that she could be at risk from going through labor. This is yet another myth at minimum and flat-out lie at worst. Virtually everyone, including the Catholic Church, sees this as a life-saving procedure and not an abortion.

The point here is simple: abortion is not and should not be the top issue for most Americans at this time. We should be more focused on things that impact everyone.