While one quarter of Democrats believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, the Democratic National Committee’s head just said that view is verboten in his party.
DNC Chairman Tom Perez’s declaration that every member of his party should support abortion rights alienates significant portions of the electorate, just as Democrats are seeking to rebuild their national coalition.
After his “Unity Tour” came under fire from liberals for supporting a Nebraska candidate with a moderate record on the issue, Perez released a statement last week proclaiming that abortion rights are “not negotiable” for Democrats. “Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman’s right to make her own choices about her body and her health,” he said.
In a January post compiling recent data on support for abortion, the Pew Research Center reported that 24 percent of Democrats believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, according to a 2016 survey. That number is higher among Independents, 37 percent of whom said the same. Forty percent of women and 37 percent of 18-29-year-olds were opposed to the practice in all or most cases as well.
In crucial Rust Belt states Democrats lost in the 2016 presidential election, even greater portions of the public are opposed to abortion, a 2014 survey from Pew found. In Wisconsin, for instance, 45 percent of adults believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Forty-four percent of Pennsylvania adults, 47 percent of Ohio adults, and 42 percent of Michigan adults agree.
That is a staggering amount of people to reject from your party, especially as you’re attempting to convince them to reconsider it.
Take West Virginia, another blue state Democrats dominated for decades but have struggled in recently. There, a massive 58 percent of adults believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
A Gallup poll taken last May found that only one percentage point separated pro-choice and pro-life respondents, with 47 percent and 46 percent identifying as a member of each category respectively.
Telling nearly half of the country it does not belong in your party is a strange way to broaden appeal.
During his campaign to lead the DNC, Perez told the crowd at a listening session in Wisconsin, “The message of opportunity and inclusion of the Democratic Party should resonate in every ZIP code.”
It is hard to see how the position he staked out on behalf of the DNC last week does anything but undermine that campaign pledge.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
