Republican senators were surprised by Tuesday's huge win for abortion rights in Kansas, even as they sought to downplay the electoral implications for their party.
Lindsey Graham said that it was a wake-up call for them.
It is difficult to find the words in Kansas. The senator from North Carolina said people should look at the vote.
It was a huge win for abortion rights advocates when Kansans rejected an amendment that would have removed abortion protections from their state constitution.
Democrats said the vote, which favored protecting abortion rights by nearly 20 percentage points, sent a loud message to the nation that Americans support abortion rights. They thought the GOP would feel bad for helping to overturn the abortion law.
If there is a similar referendum on abortion in California, Republicans in swing districts will be worried. It is not clear if voters in other states with no abortion rights will head to the polls in the same numbers.
Republicans argue that concerns over heightened inflation, particularly gas and food prices, along with poor approval ratings for President Joe Biden, will push them to victory in both the House and the Senate.
The economy is going to be the biggest motivator for voters this time, according to the senator.
It is difficult to argue that voters are not paying more attention to abortion rights and where their elected leaders stand on the issue.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a polling presentation on how their candidates should discuss abortion after the leak of a draft of the Supreme Court decision.
Voters were asked to pick between two candidates. There are exceptions for the life and physical health of the mother or severe fatal abnormality of the baby that the Republican supports. A Democrat supports unlimited abortion up until the moment of birth.
More than half of voters would choose the Republican, while less than one third would choose the Democrat.
There is a flaw in the survey. There are no members of the Republican caucus who hold the outlined position. Both Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska oppose the overturn of the Supreme Court's decision on abortion. All but one of the 48 Republican members support total bans on the procedure.
The Republicans were told to be compassionate on abortion.
It is always a good idea to be in touch with what your friends and family are supporting. There is a 22 week ban on abortion in Kansas. It is a policy that a lot of Republicans seem to think is okay, according to Tillis.
The article was first published on HuffPost.
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