Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly criticized Republicans' "no exceptions" policy on abortion as "too extreme for the voters" after Democrats swept to victory in Tuesday's elections largely driven by support for abortion rights.
In Ohio, a significant milestone was reached as voters approved Issue 1, which enshrines the right to abortion into the state's constitution. This win for abortion rights marked the seventh consecutive victory in state ballot measures since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in mid-2022. The passage of Issue 1 was met with a strong voter turnout.
The dust had barely settled before Kelly tore into Republican candidates for being too extreme for voters when it comes to abortion, calling that stance "a f**king loser" for advancing the party's overall agenda elsewhere, such as in Kentucky, where Democrat Andy Beshear secured another term as the state's governor.
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Kelly said:
"The Republican Party—I understand it's a pro-life party—they're too extreme for the voters. That's irrespective of how any of us may feel on the life-choice issue."
"They are too extreme for the voters, even in states like Kentucky, and they're gonna keep losing unless they come to that realization."
"This is going to be a gradual fight that they're going to have to win bit by bit. They cannot win by saying ‘no abortions and no exceptions.’ It's a f**king loser."
Many concurred with Kelly's assessment of the GOP's viability.
It's worth noting that liberal commentator Ed Krassenstein agreed with Kelly's analysis—at least in part.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he acknowledged that the GOP's "stance against abortion is proving to be devastating to their chances." He added, however, that the party's abject refusal to drop former President Donald Trump "is also hurting them tremendously amongst moderate voters."
Krassenstein noted that Trump "is very possibly going to be convicted in multiple courts of law" but that the GOP has nonetheless stubbornly held on because "they refuse to admit that he could have done anything wrong."
He concluded:
"Americans aren't stupid enough to believe that someone can be found guilty and liable in multiple courts for multiple crimes or misdoings, and not have done anything wrong. That just may happen."
You can seee his post below.
Ohio's GOP leaders voiced concerns regarding the abortion amendment, even though repealing a constitutional amendment once it's in effect can be challenging.
The ballot measure's success in Ohio makes the state the seventh where voters decided to protect abortion access. Notably, Ohio was the only state to place abortion access on the ballot this year.
Republicans have reaped the consequences since the fall of Roe. The GOP has been up in arms over the issue ever since it became clear voters would retaliate against them.
The first blow came just two months after Roe was overturned, when Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected efforts to restrict reproductive rights in the state by moving to enshrine them in the state's constitution.
Democrats have won in key contests since, a development largely seen as a reaction to the radical Supreme Court decision.
note on @mychal3ts/Threads post