In a statement, Hogue called for the Democratic party “to build an inclusive, durable, fifty-state electoral infrastructure to support not just one candidate or constituency in the next election cycle, but all democratic-minded people for years to come.” But Hogue and other pro-choice leaders have played a key role in driving moderate, religious, and pro-life Democrats from the party by pushing for taxpayer-funding of elective abortion under Obamacare and Medicaid. Pro-life House Democrats suffered huge loses in 2010 after the passage of Obamacare, and Hillary Clinton lost white Catholics in 2016 by 23 points, a historically bad performance for a Democratic candidate that likely cost Clinton the decisive states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Hogue was greeted with cheers when she recounted the story of the time she had an abortion because it was an inconvenient time to become a parent:
When talking about abortion, Democratic politicians and activists usually prefer to speak euphemistically: The dismemberment or lethal poisoning of a baby who hasn’t been born yet is almost always referred to as “reproductive health care” or “a woman’s choice.” The group NARAL, once known as the National Abortion Rights Action League, went so far as to change its name to NARAL Pro-Choice America so its supporters and allies could avoid saying the a-word. But there’s been a growing push on the left to not only defend abortion as a necessary evil that should be “safe, legal, and rare” but to celebrate it as a positive good. (See the #ShoutYourAbortion Twitter campaign of 2015.) And so on Wednesday evening, Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention and told the story of the time she aborted her first child because it was an inconvenient time to become a parent. “To succeed in life, all we need are the tools, the trust, and the chance to chart our own path,” Hogue said during her DNC speech. “I was fortunate enough to have these things when I found out I was pregnant years ago. I wanted a family, but it was the wrong time. I made the decision that was best for me—to have an abortion and get compassionate care at a clinic in my own community.” At this point, applause and cheers could be heard in the crowd.
