[deleted]
The reason they are able to do this comes down to gerrymandering.
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Submitted 1 year ago by mookulator@lemmy.world to [deleted]
Comments
Ducks@ducks.dev 1 year ago
mookulator@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Granted, but that doesn’t really answer the question. I’m asking why they’re so insistent on doing it, not how they’re maintaining power despite being unpopular.
Ducks@ducks.dev 1 year ago
The article touches briefly on it, essentially even though a minority wants these terrible policies, that minority are the GOP base and are generally single issue voters and religious. That minority has an outsized say due to gerrymandering. And there is also a feedback loop in this country where the GOP gerrymanders, they cut education and other social services, blame the “enemy” for the downturn in QOL for their constituents, and repeat. It solidifies the us vs them mentality that has these people voting against their own interests.
Obviously super simplified outlook on it since it is a very complex issue. Other people in the thread have explained better.
Archpawn@lemmy.world 1 year ago
You have to remember that pro-life people consider fetuses to be people. How many of your constituents would need to favor murdering babies for you to vote in favor if it?
bluestribute@lemmy.world 1 year ago
If they consider fetuses people why don’t they invest in healthcare to protect the fetus? Why do they only seek to end procedures that would at least save the mother’s life?
ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 1 year ago
They consider fetuses to be people only because they were taught that by people who wanted to use it as a culture war issue to win power. Very few people believed such things before then. This plan was championed by Peter Weyrich, the co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, and Jerry Falwell, famed televangelist, because they wanted the power to have segregated religious schools.
downpunxx@kbin.social 1 year ago
Abortion represents sexual liberation for women, who, if they wish not to be, are no longer tied to the forced work, pain, suffering and danger of gestation, birth, and child raising, which men only ever had to choose to be a part of tangentially.
Republicans are racists, before anything and everything else, they are also misogynists a close second, the fact that free access to abortion grants the undeserved minority community, is the crux where the entire abortion issue flexes, and they simply cannot abide.
Ragdoll_X@lemmy.world 1 year ago
There’s a few reasons. From a substack I wrote a while back:
A 2014 study analyzed the data of more than 7400 people and found that “perceptions of preborn humanness explained very little of right–left differences in abortion support, and the association between preborn humanness perceptions and abortion opposition was no stronger for those on the political right (vs. left).”4
By contrast, a 2017 study found that sexism accounted for 30% to 70% of the left-right difference in abortion stance even after controlling for other relevant variables.5 An earlier study found that authoritarianism had a significant correlation with an anti-abortion position and aggression towards women,6 and a 2019 study found that right-wing authoritarianism had a significant correlation with anti-abortion stigma both before and after controlling for other variables.7
A Pew poll also found that 33% of Americans simultaneously believe that a fetus is a person with rights and that the decision to abort should be up to the woman, so the idea that life begins at conception explains only some of the difference in abortion opinion, with it mostly being determined by factors such as sexism, religiosity and sex. It should go without saying that Republican politicians are mostly conservative religious men, and there’s far less diversity of demographics and opinions among them compared to their constituents.
In that same poll they also found that while a significant chunk of Republicans believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a majority (60%) still believed that abortion should stay illegal in most or all cases. So Republican politicians may also believe that this is still a winning issue for them in the culture war (although the “red wave” that never was may suggest otherwise).
The GOP also gets a lot of donations from anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion religious groups, so they are undoubtedly motivated to please said donators to keep the money coming, even at the expense of their voters.
Hillock@kbin.social 1 year ago
Republicans know their voter base is slowly dying out. Younger generations tend to vote more and more Democratic. To counter this decline in voter base the Republicans have to increase the number of younger generations that would become Republican voters.
A lot of women who opt for an abortion do so because they aren't ready for a baby. If they suddenly are forced to give birth, they are very likely to be stuck in the lower middle class. Their children are unlikely to go to college. And then the Republicans blame immigrants and other minorities for their struggles. Luring them to vote Republican.
After abortion ban we will see restrictions on birth control, to further increase the number of children born. Next will be restrictions on divorces, forcing families into the lifestyle Republicans want or further increasing the amount of lower middle class people. Who, due to having a child, can't start fighting the system and instead are glad to hold a job. So it's a win-win situation for Republicans.
Also, everyone knows the no-abortion rule doesn't apply to them and only to "others" because their abortion had "reasons" that are "different" from others.
And of course there is the big fear of "white people are being bred out". The fear of white people becoming a minority is very ingrained in Republicans. But the current economic system also relies on a constant increasing population. With birthrates decling the system starts to fail. So the only options are, increase birth rates, allow more immigrants, or change the economic system. Only one option aligns with Republicans.
Phoebe@feddit.de 1 year ago
You are right. I want to add some historical perspective as well (but sorry i am no englisch naitive):
Marriage is importaint for a society who has land and money to own. To give it to the next generation, your kind. Marriage wasn’t that of a deal until martin luther, who declared it as a holy union between two people.
Every republican tries to argue with Religion, but they don’t know where these stuff came from. They don’t care, cause if they unreavel it, they would see it’s all constructed.
All of history woman worked in all kind of jobs. They never was a big issue about that. But the industrial Revolution chanced that. Since than rich people tried to structure workplaces, tried to increase their money. While making a huge impact on societys structures. Woman became unpaid housewifes. Put into care work. City Infrastructur, healthcare is for men, so they can work more and better. So their boss can make more money.
It is scary. So scary. And frustrating. But it is importaint to deconstruct what conservatives are saying. They try to argue with Tradition or science. But we felt for it over the decades. We made fun of feminism, queer folk, vegans or PoC. Or disabelt people. We turned on each other.
Snapz@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Theocratic fascism. Handmaid’s take is their blueprint, not a cautionary tale.
pepperprepper@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Its about exploiting the people in organized Christianity faiths to get them to vote for their side.
broguy89@lemm.ee 1 year ago
Republicans support the things that mosy people don’t. It’s why they’re so unpopular and rely on gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the electoral college.
tillary@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Anything they can do to distract the population from all the government corruption. They learned it from Trump. And the panama papers. Overwhelm people with problems and they lose the ability to focus on any one of them.
borkcorkedforks@kbin.social 1 year ago
The main issue is that the Republican party has tied themselves to single issue voters and the kind of religious people who support a ban. They need those voting blocks to keep getting elected.
For a single issue voter their pet issue is the only thing that matters. They will vote based on that one issue alone. There are a few issues like that but anti-abortion is a big one. If the Republican party dropped it they stand to loose a lot of votes and thus elections. No, they wouldn't necessarily attract a lot of pro-choice people. Maybe a few if the person is mostly conservative but was pro-choice.
The reasons someone would actually support a ban on it basically comes down to how they view it as morally wrong. Almost always it is based on the person's religious views.
Stumblinbear@pawb.social 1 year ago
The use of Americans and Republicans in the title is interesting. It sounds like you’re implying Republicans aren’t also Americans
mayo@lemmy.world 1 year ago
It’s the party vs. the people. The people are Americans and the party has members who are Americans, and these people still largely support access to abortion.
Imbrex@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Not all Republicans have been voting in favor of abortion restrictions, so using Americans in general makes sense.
Rac3r4Life@lemmy.world 1 year ago
They are an embarrassment to Americans.
Stumblinbear@pawb.social 1 year ago
Largely irrelevant, as they’re still Americans
mayo@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Not the question though
lateraltwo@lemmy.world 1 year ago
We can be clearer if you like, American people of the Democratic Republic of the United States vs. Republicans of the Autocratic Republic of Private Industry.
Stinkywinks@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Red wants to ban abortion for more cheap labor, blue wants immigrants for more cheap labor. Both sides fuck the working class. Welcome to corporate merica, where the laws are written by corporations and the ultra wealthy
ZooGuru@lemmy.world 1 year ago
No one talks about if, but I think the underlying cause is feeding the capitalism machine. We have an aging workforce and people aren’t having kids at near the rate needed to replace them. If people won’t have kids they want, force them to have kids they don’t won’t. It’s fucked up, but I think there is some truth to it in addition to virtue signaling to their base.
CaptObvious@literature.cafe 1 year ago
Because it’s a popular position with old evangelical Southerners. It was part of Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” to marry Republicans to evangelical Christians. Now that Christians have lost the culture war, Republicans don’t know how to walk away.
Blamemeta@lemm.ee 1 year ago
Because large portions of America don’t like Abortions, and it’s not evenly distributed. If you’ll notice, those polls aren’t exactly perfect in their sampling.
TrismegistusMx@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Nobody likes abortions, dipshit.
mister_monster@monero.town 1 year ago
That’s not true. I know a couple of women who’ve proudly had many. Some people do in fact like them.
Jah348@lemm.ee 1 year ago
It’s an extremely polarizing wedge issue. I have understanding for those opposed to it. While I may support it being legally accessable I don’t think it’s illogical to view it as a form of murder. The start of life and what exactly quantifies it is a complex topic.
realcaseyrollins@kbin.projectsegfau.lt 1 year ago
Americans seem to support slavery. Why do Republicans keep trying to block it anyway?
mookulator@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I’d like you to cite a source to back up that claim.
dandroid@dandroid.app 1 year ago
Wat
ImFresh3x@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
God talks to these people. Reason is out the question.
profdc9@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Since people mostly vote along party lines nowadays, regardless of whomever each party nominates, the race is really who is nominated by each party. The problem now for a party is increasing turnout, not changing the minds of voters. And turnout in primary elections, which determines the nomination, is dominated by the extreme elements of a party. So you get candidates that appeal to the most extreme elements that vote in the primaries.
scarabic@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Republicans only need a little more than half the voters, and a big block of the ones they have a chance with do get fired up about this issue. If you consider that only some people vote in the first place, it starts to make more sense how a small group of people can swing a major party.
OptimusPhillip@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Because the Republican Party aims to represent the minority of Americans who do oppose abortion access. That’s the job of a political party, to represent a voting interest. If every political party aimed to represent the voting interests of the majority, they would become irrelevant.
dunning_cougar@waveform.social 1 year ago
They’re just following the science, biology in this case. The law is unclear on the exact point of development when life begins, so they fall back to DNA synthesis at conception to cover their bases. They distinguish very clearly between intentional pregnancy termination and miscarriages. There are endless elaborations, but that’s the basis of the right’s view on the issue.,
pqdinfo@lemmy.world 1 year ago
It’s the two party system. The choices you’re given are what the largest groups in each party are in favor of, not what most people prefer.
So with Republicans, most Republicans are pro-forced birth, so that’s their platform, however unpopular it might be.
With Democrats, you don’t notice it as much because the largest bloc in the Democrats is basically the “Centrist” group. But that’s also why they keep doing these bone-headed “Trying to be Bipartisan” things that nobody except columns for the New York Times really likes rather than actually using solutions that work.
DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
Exerting control over others.
xc2215x@lemmy.world 1 year ago
More of their supporters are not for abortion access than are for it.
Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world 1 year ago
If you’re paying attention to abortion then you’re not paying attention to what they are really doing
transientpunk@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
This is a simple one. Republicans want to be rulers, not representatives.
mister_monster@monero.town 1 year ago
Because they aren’t a “do anything to win” party, you’ve answered your question.
Or, not entirely. Politicians in general take whatever stances they need to strategically to win. There are some hills that people will die on, and politicians know that, and pick the strategy most likely to guarantee their success. They all pander to someone.
The issue with abortion is the overstepping of boundaries of morality. Most people do support abortion rights, but the extreme on the pro abortion side is pushing it to the due date. Most people think that’s infanticide. So you’ve got a situation, people support reasonably early abortion, but if it’s all or nothing between no abortion or baby murder people dont like the idea of baby murder. Strong conservatives know this and so they highlight laws and bills like the one in Virginia a few years ago allowing for abortion up until the day before the due date, even relatively liberal people see that and it keeps the issue contentious. It’s not a losing issue when regular people see infanticide on the horizon.
richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 1 year ago
the extreme on the pro abortion side is pushing it to the due date
[Citation needed]
Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 1 year ago
As potent as Dobbs is, it is more than that. It is about freedom. It is about citizens having a full and fair say in policy and in who represents them.
This crap of the GQP changing the rules constantly, like a schoolyard game, and gerrymandering and voter suppression is bullshit and it needs to be ended.
Last night was another step towards that.
donut4ever@lemm.ee 1 year ago
Easy. It’s all about religion. Not that Republican politicians care about religion, their voters do. So, politicians do what their religious voters want. Banning abortion is one of them.