Dreaming in Technicolor: Post-Roe Received "Wisdom" Edition
By Since we’re undoubtedly in for a rash of silly “contrarian” articles arguing that criminalizing abortion in at least 20 states will be good for abortion rights for some reason, I’m happy to see than online magazine publisher Atrios gets it:
As a secondary issue I’ve always been a bit puzzled by those who think that the Roe decision somehow made politics nasty. When legislatures have the power to legislate this issue, it will be, at least for a time, the central issue for every candidate in every state and federal election. It will be all abortion all the time
.
Yes. A thousand times yes. I suppose people can argue about whether or not Roe made abortion politics more nasty, although the next person to offer any substantial evidence for this claim will be the first. We cannot argue that Roe created the New Right or the pro-life movement; people who make that claim are people who simply don’t know what they’re talking about. And, certainly, it’s just baffling that people think that overturning Roe would somehow moderate the debate. It would make the issue more salient, and make it increasingly nasty as bills are brought to votes in Congress and a majority of state legislatures.