Could Abortion Become a Wedge Issue in the South’s Last Semi-Swing State?

Slate ^ | January 12, 2016 | Nora Caplan-Bricker

[presidio9]

Could abortion become a wedge issue in North Carolina-the South’s last semi-swing state-in 2016? That's question raised by a New York Times piece published Sunday about an anti-abortion law that took effect on Jan. 1. The new measure requires doctors who perform abortions after the 16th week of pregnancy to send an ultrasound of the fetus to the State Department of Health and Human Services. The state says that demanding the ultrasounds, which can be used to determine "probable gestational age," is a legitimate way to make sure that clinics are complying with the cutoff for legal abortion in North Carolina: 20 weeks, with exceptions for medical emergencies. Opponents argue that the law's real objective is to intimidate doctors, and that it puts women's medical records at risk, since the health department has suffered recent data breaches.

The debate is heated, but it's not really new. State-level Republicans across the country have passed hundreds of stringent anti-abortion laws since 2010 without suffering a discernible backlash, and North Carolina Republicans didn't sacrifice their hold on their own state when they infamously snuck abortion provisions into a motorcycle safety bill in 2013. Plus, Louisiana and Oklahoma have already instituted this kind of ultrasound requirement. So why does the Times piece emphasize that the bill may become a weapon in the hands of the Democratic party as it tries to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and carry North Carolina in the presidential race? Hillary Clinton has already called the bill "outrageous," but is there any reason to think that enough voters will care?

"When a race is really, really close, something like this could matter," -SNIP-

[presidio9]

Bring it Hillary.

More than 2 thirds of Tarheel voters are pro-life, and 70% support a 20 week ban on abortions. Period.

If there is a wedge issue in North Carolina, I predict that it will be gun control, and that it will favor the Republican candidate.

But if Clinton wants to open up another can of worms here, this one will blow up in her face as well.

My prediction is that Hillary will talk about abortion on the campaign trail, but that she will be very selective about where she does so.

If the Republicans ever want to put abortion front and center as a campaign issue, 2016 is the year to do so.

[Roses0508]

I don’t see this as a wedge issue either. Good folks need to get out and vote this primary. I have talked my “all her life” Dem voting MIL into registering as Republican to vote in this primary. She doesn’t want to vote for any of the Dem candidates.

[Impy]

Granny Stalin isn’t gonna carry North Carolina.