Trump Walks Abortion Tightrope as Search for Middle Ground Proves Elusive
-
Politicians are finding it increasingly difficult to find middle ground on divisive issues like abortion and Middle East policy. Base voters want more extreme positions.
-
Trump is trying to soften GOP opposition to abortion by supporting state-level restrictions rather than a federal ban, but even that is seen as too moderate.
-
The overturning of Roe v. Wade has eliminated the middle ground on abortion access, forcing a binary choice between fully restricting or fully allowing.
-
Trump hopes to replicate his 2016 strategy of staking out a more moderate position than his party on entitlements, but abortion may be too fundamental an issue for that to work.
-
Ballot initiatives clearly guaranteeing abortion access are likely to pass in states like Arizona and Florida, motivating younger voters and swinging moderate voters toward Democrats.