Election night 2023 was a GOP disaster, and Fox News is pissed—killing off Youngkin’s candidacy before it existed and telling Republicans to set aside their abortion fixation.

A year after promising viewers a “red tsunami” in the 2022 midterms, only to be left with egg on their faces after the GOP drastically underperformed, Fox News was once again wondering what went wrong after Democrats romped to victory in statewide elections on Tuesday night.

Despite recent polls showing President Joe Biden deeply underwater with voters and even losing to Donald Trump in several battleground states, the Democratic incumbent governor easily won victory over his MAGA-endorsed opponent in deep-red Kentucky. And over in Ohio, a state Trump won by eight points in 2020, voters overwhelmingly passed an amendment ensuring access to abortion care in the state’s constitution.

The continued drag that undoing Roe v. Wade has had on the GOP was especially apparent in Virginia, where Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin had promised to implement a 15-week abortion ban if the GOP was able to gain unified control over the state’s General Assembly. Instead, not only were Youngkin’s hopes of a Republican sweep dashed, but the Democrats now control both chambers.

  • SapphironZA@lemmings.world
    302·
    1 year ago

    Not an American, but from what I have heard, that along with the outright ban at 15 weeks, they also often include other inhumane things.

    Making the woman listen to the fetus’s heartbeat. Forced waiting periods. Parental consent required for minors. Forced counseling. Etc.

    • Ook the Librarian@lemmy.world
      351·
      1 year ago

      Also, medically unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds and doctors forced to read scripted lies to scared patients. (just thought I’d fill in some of the etc.)

      Also, pregnancy is declared to have begun basically four weeks before the last missed period. So a 15 week ban is really an 11 week ban. And you only get 11 weeks if you are regular and are keeping track.

      Now keeping track, in some states, is becoming a legal liability. So these antiabortion measures are just going to cause more oopies. It’s just evil for the sake of being controlling.

        • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
          11·
          1 year ago

          And about gaining power in general. The Ainsley Earhardt quote in the article is very telling.

          “Republicans need to look at all of these numbers, and really think about what’s more important. Yes, most people that are Republicans are probably pro-life,” she stated. “And we love our babies. And I love being a mother. But what’s most important? Republicans taking over. And Republicans being able to keep our country!”

          She is flat out stating that they should drop the anti-abortion stance if it means gaining and keeping power. Abortion is, and has always been, nothing more than a tool the GOP uses to win elections and now that the tool is ceasing to be useful, they should discard it.