This week’s debate proved Democrats’ abortion extremism once and for all

At one time, the Democratic Party’s collective defense of abortion was to treat it as a necessary evil, rather than a moral good. In fact, it was President Bill Clinton who declared his view that abortion ought to be “safe, legal, and rare” in the mid-1990s. How times have changed.

Now, abortion is not only considered a “human right” but is enthusiastically praised and promoted. Liberal campaigns such as “Shout Your Abortion” work to “normalize abortion through art, media, and community events all over the country.” And just the other day, Planned Parenthood tweeted that abortion is “moral.” The Democratic Party has become the political arm of this radical pro-abortion movement and is only too happy to assist in the destigmatization.

It is because of the Democrats’ unwavering and reprehensible position on abortion that the politically homeless should steer clear of supporting their party, regardless of their personal feelings about President Trump.

More so than any other issue, abortion can spur a voter to support or reject a candidate outright. Those who take a single-issue approach can sometimes be seen as unserious participants in the democratic process. Critics say attaching so much weight to one subject must surely be a failure on the part of the voter to vet a politician and his platform thoroughly. But this could not be further from the truth. For anti-abortion individuals, the willingness to introduce and uphold protections for the unborn is the most basic campaign for liberty. The right to life is a fundamental aspect of conservatism.

The transformation of a Democratic Party that once believed abortion should be a last resort to now, when it is basically a celebrated form of birth control, has been stark. It is also a good indication of what to expect in the future.

Earlier this year, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia publicly condoned denying medical care to infants unsuccessfully aborted moments earlier. Conservatives were horrified at the barbaric suggestion. Meanwhile, Northam’s fellow Democrats were quick to defend him by saying his words had been twisted, and no one was actually advocating for infanticide. But with third-trimester abortions increasingly supported by many 2020 Democrats, is a future where actual infanticide is welcomed into the Democratic Party mainstream really all that unlikely?

Throughout this most recent presidential debate, several of the candidates mentioned the need for decency to make a comeback in both politics and American life. But exchanging Trump and his insufferable behavior for a kinder, gentler leader whose policies are harmful to many, most especially the unborn, is not a transaction worth making. Anti-abortion independents and Never Trumpers alike must recognize this.

How our society treats the least among us says everything. The weakest among us, the unborn, have, for too long, been preyed upon by an increasingly radical, pro-abortion Democratic agenda. Since 1973, there have been more than 60 million lives taken by abortion. This is an existential crisis. Unfortunately, Democrats view it as nothing more than the choice of liberated women.

There are plenty of valid reasons to take issue with Trump’s leadership. When criticisms of the president are warranted, his behavior should not be excused just because he is a Republican.

Yet choosing an abortion-supporting Democrat to replace him would mean forsaking the principles conservatives hold most dear. Democratic candidates may fancy themselves the moral alternative to the 45th president, but one only needs to look at their evolving embrace of abortion to realize the truth.

Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.