Pro-lifers blame Republican waffling on abortion for red-wave fizzle

The abortion issue was credited with helping shield Democrats from a red tide in Tuesday’s midterm elections, but as far as pro-life leaders were concerned, the Republican fizzle was self-inflicted.

Both sides in the abortion debate were poring over the final returns and the Republican gains that were far less than expected. Pro-choice groups were cheering a string of wins in state referendums on abortion rights, including an unexpected victory in conservative Kentucky.

Pro-life groups were toting up the list of Republican candidates who won their races after taking strong stands for abortion restrictions and fighting Democratic efforts to portray them as extremists. The Republican Party leadership’s strategy was to deflect on abortion or dismiss it as a state issue.

“The advice there was to pretend it wasn’t there, quickly say something, anything, and then move on to other issues, instead of dealing with it in a mature, deliberative and principled manner,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.