The Secret to Turning Republicans into Democrats
How to Leverage the Abortion Issue in 2024
Hello Folks!
Let’s talk about the most important issue in 2024: Abortion.
Here are three persuasion tips for the week, plus two inspiring quotes, and one useful resource.
3 Smart Tips
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Republicans unleashed a wave of legislation imposing strict limits on reproductive rights across the country. While a disaster for women personally, the fallout will likely work to our political advantage.
The GOP is now far out of step with the vast majority of voters, including Republicans. Although it’s true Democratic voters are more supportive of abortion rights than conservative voters in general, voters on the right are not as different from us as we often assume. Consider the following:
40% of Republicans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases (Pew, 2023)
Only 14% of Republicans believe abortion should be illegal in all cases (PRRI, 2023)
20% of Republicans identify as pro-choice (Gallup, 2023)
47% of Republicans believe abortion should be legal during the first trimester (Gallup, 2023)
Almost 30% of Republicans disapprove of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade (Pew, 2022)
55% of Republicans oppose laws banning medication abortion (NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll, 2023)
Nearly 50% of Republicans are concerned bans on abortion would make it difficult for doctors to safely treat patients, leading to complications (KFF, 2023)
This makes abortion not simply an issue for winning in 2024, but a rare opportunity for political realignment—that is, an opening for turning Republicans into Democrats long-term.
Here are three tips for engaging in these discussions more effectively.
Learn What They Really Think:
Begin conversations by exploring where the other person falls on the abortion spectrum. Views on abortion are not binary but exist on a continuum. Even among those who identify as pro-life, opinions vary—from opposition only after the first trimester to exceptions for rape, incest, or life-threatening situations.
Next, distinguish between their personal feelings about abortion and their views about government involvement in women’s lives. Often it turns out that people opposed to abortion in all cases still want abortion decisions to be made by women themselves rather than the government. Finally, find out how important the issue is to them. Is this something they are passionate about or not a priority?
Elicit Their Personal Experiences:
After clarifying their stance and the importance of the issue, explore their personal experiences. Most adults have had a personal or vicarious encounter with abortion at some point in their lives. Even if they haven’t had to make a decision about ending a pregnancy themselves, they likely know someone who has.
You can also ask about their experiences since Dobbs. A recent poll, for example, found that over half of women ages 18 to 49 (and a third of women overall) say that in the past year they or someone they know have had their reproductive decisions influenced by concerns about accessing abortions (KFF, 2023); such as delaying getting pregnant, buying Plan B, or getting an IUD.
Share Your Personal Experiences: Once the other person has had an opportunity to fully share their opinions and experiences, you can share your own. Research shows that people who have talked to someone about the experience of having an abortion or the decision to have one are more supportive of abortion access. (Vox/PerryUndem, 2015) Tell them about a time you or your partner had an abortion or considered the possibility of having one. Talk about the experience of a family member. If you don’t have any stories of your own, share a powerful story you’ve seen in the news about a woman seeking or denied reproductive care.
2 Smart Quotes
“If we lived in a culture that valued women's autonomy and in which men and women practiced cooperative birth control, the abortion issue would be moot.”
— Christiane Northrup
“Governments who manipulate population growth have two choices: making maternity pleasant, or making it inescapable.”
— Kate Millett
1 Smart Resource
Many groups around the country use an approach called “deep canvassing” to reach Republican and independent voters on wedge issues like abortion. The skills involved are very similar to those we use in Smart Politics. In this piece from NPR, you’ll learn about Planned Parenthood activists in Maine who used the approach to build support for abortion rights. If after hearing the story you want to do this yourself, check out the trainings at the Deep Canvass Institute and get involved in one of their current canvassing campaigns.
NPR, All Things Considered, “A new way to talk about abortion? In Maine, using deep conversation to reach voters," by Patty Wight, December 17, 2021.
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