Ohio Passes Issue 1 to Allow Killing Babies in Abortions Up to Birth

[mystery-ak]

Ohio Passes Issue 1 to Allow Killing Babies in Abortions Up to Birth
State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 7, 2023   |   9:33PM   |   Columbus, Ohio

Ohio voters approved Issue 1 tonight after a monumental abortion battle in the Buckeye State. With 57 percent of the vote counted, Ohio voted 56% to 44% for Issue 1, which will make killing babies in abortions a so-called “right” in the state constitution.

The result was not surprising given how abortion advocates bought the vote. Also, Ohio voters also voted today on a ballot measure to legalize marijuana. That very likely increased turnout of liberal voters who were more likely to vote for abortion.

The pro-abortion side dominated fundraising – with reports towards the end of the election showing that they had 3-1 fundraising advantage over pro-life groups. The out of state dark money and millions from leftists like George Soros, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood allowed the pro-abortion side to dominate TV and online with blatantly false commercials that further angered liberal voters and drove them to the polls in higher numbers.

The Associated Press (AP) reported last Thursday that since September 8, the pro-abortion “yes” side in the referendum has raised almost three times more money than the pro-life “no” side: $29 million compared to less than $10 million. Much of the money for the pro-abortion side — likely over $50 million by the time it’s said and done — came from out of state and even out of the country while major pro-life donations came from within Ohio.

more
https://www.lifenews.com/2023/11/07/ohio-passes-issue-1-to-allow-killing-babies-in-abortions-up-to-birth/

[Free Vulcan]

While they may have spent alot of money, the bottom line is the majority of the electorate bought the BS. If America has one achilles heel, it's we'd rather feel righteous than actually be right.

[mountaineer]

Bittersweet Day for Abortion Abolition as Ground is Gained in North Carolina and Lost in Ohio
5 hours ago
 Paul Brown

Election Day 2023 was a bittersweet day for abortion abolition, as delegates to the North Carolina Baptist Convention gave their stamp of approval to an abolitionist proposed resolution, and Ohio voters enshrined the right to murder the pre-born into their state constitution. ...

https://protestia.com/2023/11/08/bittersweet-day-for-abortion-abolition-as-ground-is-gained-in-north-carolina-and-lost-in-ohio/

[libertybele]

Absolutely disgusting.

[The_Reader_David]

I'm afraid the pro-life movement is making the perfect the enemy of the good, and will keep losing these battle as long as it does.

Whenever something like this is proposed in any state, the opposing tactic should be to offer an opposing state constitutional amendment that uses a utilitarian preamble that acknowledges a right to bodily autonomy, but on the basis of a state interest in the prevention of fetal pain, allows the legislature to forbid abortion after the 12th week of pregnancy except to save the mother from death or permanent disability* or in cases of rape or incest in which a criminal complaint against the circumstances of conception has been filed and a court is convinced on a preponderance of the evidence standard that the mother was prevented by circumstance beyond her control from obtaining the abortion in the first 12 weeks.

Without an explicit framing as more-or-less "we want to copy a Nordic country's abortion law", the issue will always be framed by the pro-abortion side as no abortions (alas a losing proposition at the ballot box) v. allowing abortion (and glossing over the fact that it's at any time in pregnancy for any reason).  Polling shows that most Americans would be happy with a Nordic-style abortion regime.

*Sorry about that, but if one is going the utilitarian route, one needs to go the utilitarian route.

Really getting rid of abortion on demand in America is a matter of moral and religious revival, not of law and politics.

[catfish1957]

By the day, I am coming more to conclusion that this country is a lost cause now.......  saddled by a majority who are entitlement junkies, the lawless, and a morally corrupt populus.

Increasingly evident we have to individually prepare for a world much like the sci fi  Mad Max.  Strategy soon will be around accumulated weapons, stores, and necessities to protect our families and closest friends.

How long?  Who knows.....   But hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

[mountaineer]

J.D. Vance
@JDVance1
For pro lifers, last night was a gut punch. No sugar coating it.

Giving up on the unborn is not an option. It's politically dumb and morally repugnant. Instead, we need to understand why we lost this battle so we can win the war.

I was very involved in the "no" campaign for issue 1, so let me share a few insights.

First, we got creamed among voters who disliked both Issue 1 and also Ohio's current law (heartbeat bill). We saw this consistently in polling and in conversations. "I don't like Issue 1, but I'd rather have that extreme than the other extreme." This is a political fact, not my opinion.

Second, we have to recognize how much voters mistrust us (meaning elected Republicans) on this issue. Having an unplanned pregnancy is scary. Best case, you're looking at social scorn and thousands of dollars of unexpected medical bills. We need people to see us as the pro-life party, not just the anti-abortion party.

Third, as Donald Trump has said, "you've got to have the exceptions." I am as pro life as anyone, and I want to save as many babies as possible. This is not about moral legitimacy but political reality. I've seen dozens of good polls on the abortion question in the last few months, many of them done in Ohio. Give people a choice between abortion restrictions very early in pregnancy with exceptions, or the pro choice position, and the pro life view has a fighting chance. Give people a heartbeat bill with no exceptions and it loses 65-35. (The reason we didn't lose 65-35 last night is that some people who hate "no exceptions" restrictions will still refuse to vote for things like Issue 1).

Fourth, we've spent so much time winning a legal argument on abortion that we've fallen behind on the moral argument. I talked to so many decent people who voted yes on Issue 1, and their reasons varied. Some described themselves as "pro life" but hated the lack of a rape exception in Ohio law. Some were worried that Ohio law would prevent them from addressing an ectopic pregnancy, or a late term miscarriage. Some didn't understand the "viability" standard in Issue 1, and thought that of course you should be able to abort a "non-viable" pregnancy as that would be a danger to the mother. You can criticize the propaganda effort on the other side for lying to people about these issues or confusing the populace, but it suggests we have to do a much better job of persuasion. And I'm not just talking about 30 second TV commercials--I'm talking about sustained, years long efforts to show the heart of the pro life movement.

Fifth, money. We got outspent big time on Issue 1, and across the country. Republicans are almost always outspent by Democrats. Relatedly, Democrats are better at turning out in off year elections. The national party should be focused on two, and only two issues: how to juice turnout in off year elections and how to close the finance gap with Democrats.

A lot of people put their heart and soul into this campaign. The local right to life organizations in Ohio, The Center for Christian Virtue, SBA, Governor Dewine, and so many others. I tip my hat to them.

A lot of people are celebrating right now, and I don't care about that. I do care about the fact that because we lost, many innocent children will never have a chance to live their dreams.

There is something sociopathic about a political movement that tells young women (and men) that it is liberating to murder their own children. So let's keep fighting for our country's children, and let's find a way to win.
12:54 PM · Nov 8, 2023

[Smokin Joe]

I'm afraid the pro-life movement is making the perfect the enemy of the good, and will keep losing these battle as long as it does.

Whenever something like this is proposed in any state, the opposing tactic should be to offer an opposing state constitutional amendment that uses a utilitarian preamble that acknowledges a right to bodily autonomy, but on the basis of a state interest in the prevention of fetal pain, allows the legislature to forbid abortion after the 12th week of pregnancy except to save the mother from death or permanent disability* or in cases of rape or incest in which a criminal complaint against the circumstances of conception has been filed and a court is convinced on a preponderance of the evidence standard that the mother was prevented by circumstance beyond her control from obtaining the abortion in the first 12 weeks.

Without an explicit framing as more-or-less "we want to copy a Nordic country's abortion law", the issue will always be framed by the pro-abortion side as no abortions (alas a losing proposition at the ballot box) v. allowing abortion (and glossing over the fact that it's at any time in pregnancy for any reason).  Polling shows that most Americans would be happy with a Nordic-style abortion regime.

*Sorry about that, but if one is going the utilitarian route, one needs to go the utilitarian route.

Really getting rid of abortion on demand in America is a matter of moral and religious revival, not of law and politics.

While, in principle, I disagree and feel that the hideous practice of slaughtering the young in the womb should be stopped, saving the lives of those babies that make it past an arbitrary threshold beats open season on the little nippers up to the moment of birth.

Ohio joins the ranks of the murder states.