Bill Maher reverses midterms prediction, says abortion can save Democrats

The Hill ^ | 09/27/2022 | JUDY KURTZ

[ChicagoConservative27]

Bill Maher says he’s no longer predicting that Democrats will be pummeled in the midterm elections, with abortion offering a “turning point” on momentum.

“Things have really turned around,” Maher told ITK in a recent interview.

“The Republicans are the dog that caught the car with abortion,” the HBO “Real Time” host said of the Supreme Court’s June ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the federal right to the abortion established by Roe v. Wade.

“They’ve been trying to do this for 50 years, and then now you notice that the Republican candidates don’t even want to be asked about the subject. And sometimes when they do get asked about it, they kind of backtrack: ‘Abortion, I guess I heard something about a ruling recently,’” Maher said.

[cld51860]

Non-stop ads in Arizona, targeting Blake Masters, on this issue alone.

[UNGN]

I get a text a day from Beto fo Texas. They think I’m Genevieve. My grandmother was Genevieve. She died in 2003 at age 92, so I don’t think it’s her.

They said they were going to send a mail in ballot to me, not sure where they are going to send it.

[skimbell]

I'm over on the west side of Illinois and we're having a battle over the seat open due to Bustos quitting.
The Republicans are running a pretty right leaning female JAG attorney named Ester Joy King, who almost beat Bustos last cycle.
The dems are running a local ex tv weatherman named Eric Sorensen. He's big in the LGBT community. Last year while he was still employed by the local ABC affiliate, he did his weather broadcasts from gay bars around town during Pride Month.
The Republicans are attacking his flamboyant lifestye and implying that he's looking to join in on the swamp action.
The democrats are attacking King viciously by repeatedly stating that she is "unapologetically pro-life". I can't see how that sort of attack is going to hurt her in western Illinois.

[Vaduz]

Agree abortion is not an election issue it’s been settled it’s in the hands of the states as well as it should be.
It’s the only thing the democrats have to divert attention away from all their f*** ups and the poor economy and massive debt they keep making.

Democrats MEVER get anything right note history.

[Dr. Sivana]

Well, I think it’s also going to be a bit of an issue in the “purple” suburbs. Plenty of “moderate” Republicans still want the freedom to abort babies.

In places like Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and upstate NY, they are at least offset by union Democrats who don't like abortion, but figured doing anything about it was off the table until last summer's decision.

There is a reason why the code word "choice" was ALWAYS used. Now, the mask is down. They HAVE to say ABORTION, and that will cost them some.

[GulliverSwift]

Why do people even write articles about the random words he spews? Who cares what some TV host says? Maher is not a political activist or officeholder with influence or control over people.

[Reily]

He’s a political pundit to a lot of millennials!

[nbenyo]

The abortion issue is hurting Republicans. It will boost Democrat turnout. The special elections have shown this. Even Kansas voted strongly against restricting abortions.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I have been living in Indiana since 2013, first congressional district, which has been safe D forever. Sometimes there has been no Republican running (I voted Libertarian once) and the last couple of times the R was a perennial candidate and loser. The Democrat Frank Mrvan is in his first term. The Republican is Jennifer-Ruth Green, who is black, conservative, a veteran, and strongly pro-life. I have never seen any kind of TV ads in this district before, but this year both sides are running them. Green is running against Mrvan’s voting record on taxes and the economy. Mrvan’s ads against Green paint her as an anti-abortion “extremist” (a lie). I get nice campaign literature on my doorstep a couple of times a week from Green. I have no idea what the polls look like, but I am wondering if the Dems are afraid of losing here. There is an unusual amount of attention being focused on this race. If Green runs strong in Republican areas and can get black votes in Hammond and Gary, who knows?

[frank ballenger]

RE: Safe Dem districts.
That is insightful.
TV news keeps saying women are impatiently waiting for the election so they can furiously protest the loss of Roe by a tidal wave of votes. 65% is the usual support for abortion cited.

But CA,NY,MA and sadly MI may tip the polling while other states do not view it as a Dem cornucopia of ballots.

[odawg]

“Then you don’t know them like I do.”

Just wondering, how many millions do you know?

[Fresh Wind]

Is there anything a celebrity doesn’t know?

[Vinnie]

I think he’s right. Abortion is a huge issue.

[qam1]

If true, this nation is screwed - not because the Democrats will win but because there are a significant share of voters who don’t give a rat’s ass about the economy or whether they’ll get mugged or killed and instead are more focused on whether their bestie can obtain an abortion.

We live in a country full of idiots. The economy is hard, abortion is simple. The Kardashian crowd couldn't explain what inflation even is, but they know Republicans are anti-women and taking away their rights.

[Uncle Lonny]

The Row Wave will Trump the Red Wave. Wait and see.

Kansas was a warning not an outlier.

[qam1]

I really wish it had not occurred this year. I know a lot of people do not like that, but the stakes are very high.

Yes, it would have been much better if they released their ruling in Feb 2023, then we could have fought it out in the 2023 elections (which have little national meaning) and gotten it out of our system by 2024.

[Chgogal]

Billy Boy got a nasty communication from Mein Fuhrer Biden.

[dfwgator]

Bill thought he’d get more Conservative fans, now he knows where his bread is buttered, so now he’s back in the fold.

[GulliverSwift]

Yeah but there are scores of people out there like that (radio hosts, TV hosts, and so on). They all have their opinion and it’s worth just as much as anyone else’s unless they’re in office. I don’t particularly care what any one of these political celebrities has to say since they’re not in office or running for one.

[Reily]

Yeah, but some have a measure of credibility due to background and such, so their influence is understandable. Not saying I follow it but at least I understand it. Mahr just has a loudmouth and a show. So, it idiotic he’s influential!