How the Left Banked on Abortion . . . and Lost

“It’s the economy, stupid!”

The 1992 campaign rally cry that catapulted President Bill Clinton into the White House was all but forgotten by the Left in 2024. Perhaps they considered it too outdated, too simple, or just not radical enough?

Regardless, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign pushed all its chips in on “reproductive rights” – or what everyone else calls abortion. Her campaign bet the farm on women being motivated by abortion “rights” and hoped for a record turnout to help elect Kamala Harris. The plan failed.

In hindsight, banking on abortion might have been the most catastrophic miscalculation of the entire election cycle.

Understandably so, the far Left was in a serious economic pickle. Convincing voters to “turn the page” was no small task when the far Left held the keys to a sluggish economy while promising to fix it. Only a finely tuned message from an impeccable candidate with full support from the mainstream media could help the far Left pull that off. But as we previously pointed out, abortion was pushed to the forefront even after Americans clearly showed they didn’t prioritize social issues more than paying rent and putting food on the table. But the far Left didn’t listen. And so abortion – not the economy – became the Harris campaign’s central issue.

Now the far Left is navigating the five stages of grief after its historic Electoral College loss and popular vote thumping. With the blame game in full swing, some experts are directly admitting that the Harris-Walz ticket fumbled the ball on its most crucial play call. Here is Anthony Salvanto, CBS News’ executive director of elections and surveys, ripping off the abortion band-aid:

They thought they would do better with women. They did not. They thought that the abortion issue would drive more people to the Harris side. It did not.

According to CNN, even with the abortion message at center stage, the Harris ticket underperformed with women when compared to Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

But the 2024 election results only get worse for the Left. The issue of abortion is proving to have major flaws, even on state ballots. In the former swing state of Florida, a measure to enshrine abortion into its state constitution came up short – a first for any state since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In fact, of the 10 states voting on abortion in 2024, abortion expansion failed in three. While going three for 10 might not seem like much, it is a signal to the pro-life movement that serious cracks are forming in the Left’s abortion message at the state level.

The Left should have seen all this coming, especially considering the appetite that states have shown for the pro-life agenda. The signs were there. For example, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was reelected by nearly eight points after signing a six-week limit on abortion. Similarly, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine won in a landslide after a six-week limit on abortion was passed, and Ohio is no longer a swing state. In other states like Iowa, Texas, Florida, and Utah, conservative governors have been reelected despite their pro-life agendas that put major restrictions on abortion.

If history is an indicator, the Left probably won’t pick up on these obvious clues that the American people are not interested in a radical abortion agenda. Just like it forgot the 1992 rally cry, the Left will likely forget the 2024 referendum: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Though the Left banked on abortion and lost, the fight for life is far from over. That’s why the ACLJ remains committed to working for every American to protect the rights of the unborn far beyond 2024.