ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Abby McCloskey is a columnist, podcast host, and consultant. She directed domestic policy on two presidential campaigns and was director of economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Abortion has fallen off the GOP agenda. In its place is a campaign against transgender issues, largely centered on children’s sports. Politically, I understand it. Ethically, I don’t.
Consider Texas. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is unabashedly pro-choice and supports restoring Roe v. Wade, this time as a federal law. But there’s been nary a mention of abortion in Republican Ken Paxton’s campaign flyers nor in the anti-Talarico ads bombarding Texas households. The GOP ads are almost singularly focused on Talarico’s stance on trans issues and “boys playing in girls’ sports.” (Talarico has recently somewhat moderated his stance for “safety” and “fairness.”)
Republicans in close races in Ohio and Iowa are making a similar play. The Republican midterm convention in Dallas last month also featured the new drumbeat ...