Thank you Jessica! I love your statement, "These past few months, I’ve read story after story of women who were anti-abortion until they found themselves unable to get medical care for a life-threatening pregnancy or severe fetal abnormality. While I have an incredible amount of empathy for anyone whose health is endangered by their pregnancy—I’ve been there and know how awful it is—these are women who only started caring about abortion once it impacted them personally."
Exactly what did they think was going to happen. Now their daughters, nieces, grand-daughters and transgender family members are affected by their silence. sigh...
All I have to say Jessica is that I wish you were the President of this fucked up country. This coming from a 68 year old white male. Keep up the good work… I have tremendous admiration for you
I feel like there is less furor over abortion then there should be. I live in Georgia and when the abortion ban first passed (prior to Roe being overturned) everyone I knew was appalled and horrified but when it actually went into effect the intensity of opposition had waned which I found surprising. my anger has intensified because horrible things are happening to women and it is not the same for those around me. If Abrams loses in November I likely will move (fortunately I have the ability)and I know of no one else who is thinking about this. It’s one of the reasons I appreciate your writing so much, you channel my fury!
Oh man, keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you in Georgia. And to be honest, I think a lot of people feel this way - it's like, how are we not talking about this all the time, every day?? I think for some people it's easier to put out of their heads
Thank you for the Georgia perspective! I'm in Wisconsin (would like to move) and we're on needles and pins here too. Georgia is huge for both parties. I have to say your report doesn't make me optimistic but maybe we'll be lucky yet? It is, I think, getting to the point where giving up feels like an option, which is kind of what I'm thinking about the blue states regarding the USA. I feel like California and New York will not tolerate things that Georgia still might.
it is definitely still salient but I am worried because I do not think the Democrats are using it is as a wedge issue like they could. People are not thinking about abortion on a daily basis (like they are thinking about how to pay the rent) but constantly reminding women that the Republicans are taking away your freedom and intentionally causing women to suffer right now in our state will definitely be effective. My previous comment was really about people who are voting Democratic but are not as enraged as I am about the loss of womens rights and the suffering the Republicans are intentionally causing women.
As long as they're voting! I know Georgia tries to make it hard to vote. Afaik Democrats have confidence that Abrams knows how to campaign in the state but yes she is still the underdog. Warnock is supposedly in better shape but that could be more down to Walker. Best of luck to all the Georgia Dems!
It's close. Even in 2018 Evers barely won, although that could be because the incumbent Scott Walker had always been strong, because Sen. Baldwin did quite well that same year. Ron Johnson has never been popular, but I worry about whether a Black man from Milwaukee can win in such a very white state, although Obama did win twice here, but then that was before the 2016 shift really started. Fingers crossed because things look a lot rosier nationally if Barnes wins here. Long term though I think Arizona and Georgia are more favorable for Dems than Wisconsin (but then I'd take that trade).
I think this will be the last shot in Georgia for a while if the Republicans win state wide. They will double down on restrictions to voting and falsely charge democratic strongholds with voter fraud. And now they will have the Supreme Court on their side.
To be more optimistic, have women stopped fighting now because they know how they are going to vote and know that voting against republicans is the only way to regain their autonomy.
That would be the calm and collected approach. I'd been hoping for more civil disobedience myself but the election in November is still the easiest way out of this. If that falls short everyone may need to rethink strategy.
AMEN. Any woman who is a Republican is a traitor to her sex. TANYA MELICH left the Republican party and wrote "The Republican War on Women." 1996. It is as important today as it was when she wrote it.
I do disagree though that it isn't about having enough people on our side. Very much disagree tbh. It's our system, which is not just majority wins. There are multiple elements that give a leg up to white voters, rural voters, conservative voters. But there is a point at which the dam breaks; it's just not 50-50 or 51-48 even.
If we had two more Democratic senators none of this would be happening. No filibuster and legislation would be passed protecting women's health care. (Not to mention election and voting rights.) Now idk exactly how good the legislation would be but I think at least the pre-Dobbs standard would be a minimum (which is Roe but yeah Roe was eroded between 1973 and 2021 so idk).
But every state gets two Senators. So the math is that even if every state that voted Biden sent two Democrats (and that includes states he won very narrowly), it would still only be 50-50 (you'd need all Democrats to be anti-filibuster). It essentially means that winning the vote by three or four points isn't enough.
And we can talk about how state legislatures are skewed Republican, but, again, there's still a threshold with these things.
What I'm saying is the marginal value of a vote is not always the same. I think saying, 'we already voted and voters don't want this' isn't considering the maths of our system of government.
Now yeah I'd prefer a completely different constitution and probably most other Americans would too. And honestly that might be where we're headed if Republicans get back in power because that just might cause the old system to collapse. But if we can somehow get through this without a few years of a full fascist dictatorship first that might be less damaging, idk.
So tl;dr voting still matters; Democrats just need to win by a little more than they have been. I just don't want to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when we're so close.
But then we don't all need to be prepared to message to swing voters. We just need enough people who are good at it just as we need enough people to turn out the base. Politics is hard and I honestly would have preferred more civil disobedience the last six years. But remember the other side wants violence; that's where all their rhetoric is headed and it's only getting worse.
This reminds me of a radio piece I heard about the father of a Mexican immigrant family who voted for Trump and then was shocked when his family got deported. Like "they say they will do X, but we never thought they'd really DO X..."
You’ve put everything I’ve been feeling into words so perfectly. Thank you!
Thank you Jessica! I love your statement, "These past few months, I’ve read story after story of women who were anti-abortion until they found themselves unable to get medical care for a life-threatening pregnancy or severe fetal abnormality. While I have an incredible amount of empathy for anyone whose health is endangered by their pregnancy—I’ve been there and know how awful it is—these are women who only started caring about abortion once it impacted them personally."
Exactly what did they think was going to happen. Now their daughters, nieces, grand-daughters and transgender family members are affected by their silence. sigh...
All I have to say Jessica is that I wish you were the President of this fucked up country. This coming from a 68 year old white male. Keep up the good work… I have tremendous admiration for you
I wish I could hit the like button fifty thousand times. Yes yes yes!!!
I. Don’t. Either.
Perfectly said!
SAY IT LOUD, Jessica. Every single word of this piece should be written on Capitol walls.
I appreciate the dawning despair some Republican women are finally experiencing, but the old saying is still true: Too little, too late, baby.
Thank you! I am really and truly so over it
They are all horrible! I don’t know how any woman can vote Republican.
💯‼️
I feel like there is less furor over abortion then there should be. I live in Georgia and when the abortion ban first passed (prior to Roe being overturned) everyone I knew was appalled and horrified but when it actually went into effect the intensity of opposition had waned which I found surprising. my anger has intensified because horrible things are happening to women and it is not the same for those around me. If Abrams loses in November I likely will move (fortunately I have the ability)and I know of no one else who is thinking about this. It’s one of the reasons I appreciate your writing so much, you channel my fury!
Oh man, keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you in Georgia. And to be honest, I think a lot of people feel this way - it's like, how are we not talking about this all the time, every day?? I think for some people it's easier to put out of their heads
Thank you for the Georgia perspective! I'm in Wisconsin (would like to move) and we're on needles and pins here too. Georgia is huge for both parties. I have to say your report doesn't make me optimistic but maybe we'll be lucky yet? It is, I think, getting to the point where giving up feels like an option, which is kind of what I'm thinking about the blue states regarding the USA. I feel like California and New York will not tolerate things that Georgia still might.
it is definitely still salient but I am worried because I do not think the Democrats are using it is as a wedge issue like they could. People are not thinking about abortion on a daily basis (like they are thinking about how to pay the rent) but constantly reminding women that the Republicans are taking away your freedom and intentionally causing women to suffer right now in our state will definitely be effective. My previous comment was really about people who are voting Democratic but are not as enraged as I am about the loss of womens rights and the suffering the Republicans are intentionally causing women.
As long as they're voting! I know Georgia tries to make it hard to vote. Afaik Democrats have confidence that Abrams knows how to campaign in the state but yes she is still the underdog. Warnock is supposedly in better shape but that could be more down to Walker. Best of luck to all the Georgia Dems!
Thanks! How does it look for Evers and Barnes in Wisconsin? I have been myopic about Georgia and have not been paying close attention to other races.
It's close. Even in 2018 Evers barely won, although that could be because the incumbent Scott Walker had always been strong, because Sen. Baldwin did quite well that same year. Ron Johnson has never been popular, but I worry about whether a Black man from Milwaukee can win in such a very white state, although Obama did win twice here, but then that was before the 2016 shift really started. Fingers crossed because things look a lot rosier nationally if Barnes wins here. Long term though I think Arizona and Georgia are more favorable for Dems than Wisconsin (but then I'd take that trade).
I think this will be the last shot in Georgia for a while if the Republicans win state wide. They will double down on restrictions to voting and falsely charge democratic strongholds with voter fraud. And now they will have the Supreme Court on their side.
To be more optimistic, have women stopped fighting now because they know how they are going to vote and know that voting against republicans is the only way to regain their autonomy.
That would be the calm and collected approach. I'd been hoping for more civil disobedience myself but the election in November is still the easiest way out of this. If that falls short everyone may need to rethink strategy.
AMEN. Any woman who is a Republican is a traitor to her sex. TANYA MELICH left the Republican party and wrote "The Republican War on Women." 1996. It is as important today as it was when she wrote it.
Yes, this!
Yes, it sucks being right, doesn't it?
I do disagree though that it isn't about having enough people on our side. Very much disagree tbh. It's our system, which is not just majority wins. There are multiple elements that give a leg up to white voters, rural voters, conservative voters. But there is a point at which the dam breaks; it's just not 50-50 or 51-48 even.
If we had two more Democratic senators none of this would be happening. No filibuster and legislation would be passed protecting women's health care. (Not to mention election and voting rights.) Now idk exactly how good the legislation would be but I think at least the pre-Dobbs standard would be a minimum (which is Roe but yeah Roe was eroded between 1973 and 2021 so idk).
But every state gets two Senators. So the math is that even if every state that voted Biden sent two Democrats (and that includes states he won very narrowly), it would still only be 50-50 (you'd need all Democrats to be anti-filibuster). It essentially means that winning the vote by three or four points isn't enough.
And we can talk about how state legislatures are skewed Republican, but, again, there's still a threshold with these things.
What I'm saying is the marginal value of a vote is not always the same. I think saying, 'we already voted and voters don't want this' isn't considering the maths of our system of government.
Now yeah I'd prefer a completely different constitution and probably most other Americans would too. And honestly that might be where we're headed if Republicans get back in power because that just might cause the old system to collapse. But if we can somehow get through this without a few years of a full fascist dictatorship first that might be less damaging, idk.
So tl;dr voting still matters; Democrats just need to win by a little more than they have been. I just don't want to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when we're so close.
But then we don't all need to be prepared to message to swing voters. We just need enough people who are good at it just as we need enough people to turn out the base. Politics is hard and I honestly would have preferred more civil disobedience the last six years. But remember the other side wants violence; that's where all their rhetoric is headed and it's only getting worse.
Spot on as usual - or should I say Fuck Yeah!
🙏🙏🙏
This reminds me of a radio piece I heard about the father of a Mexican immigrant family who voted for Trump and then was shocked when his family got deported. Like "they say they will do X, but we never thought they'd really DO X..."
Yes! It's like the "I never thought the leopards would eat my face!" meme
exactly! Yes to every single word of this!