It is only in this post-Roe environment that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley could have given the speech she delivered on Tuesday about the future of abortion.
Speaking at the Susan B. Anthony List headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Haley tried to position herself as a common sense, but still anti-abortion, consensus builder who would unite the country on a topic that’s divided America for generations — a lofty goal if I’ve ever heard one. “My goal as president will be the same as it was when I was governor and ambassador: I want to save as many lives and help as many moms as possible,” she told the roomful of press and supporters. By the time her speech ended, though, I was more convinced than ever that the GOP will remain stuck in an ideological trap of their own making for at least another election cycle.
Since the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade last year, Republicans have been paying a heavy political price. A recent NBC News poll showed that 58% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal all or most of the time, and that those who do rank it as one of their most important political priorities. But many of Haley’s would-be competitors, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have opted to see how far they can push the country to the right now that Roe has been overturned. DeSantis earlier this month signed into law legislation that bans most abortions after six weeks; Pence has repeatedly called for a nationwide ban on abortion, period.
A recent NBC News poll showed that 58% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal all or most of the time, and that those who do rank it as one of their most important political priorities.
In her address, Haley neither supported nor rejected the thinking behind the policies that Pence and DeSantis have supported. She also didn’t offer up any solid positions on matters like how many weeks into a pregnancy abortion should be legal. Instead,…
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