Why the abortion 'debate' among Republicans is a total farce: journalist

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law, one of the people who thought it was a bad move politically was — of all people — Ann Coulter.

The author and right-wing firebrand and DeSantis supporter has a long history of railing against abortion and identifies as "pro-life," and she applauded the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with its 5-4 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. But even Coulter is acknowledging that ultra-strict abortion bans are causing Republicans to lose elections.

Some Republicans, especially in swing states and blue states, are trying to avoid talking about abortion any more than they have to. They are obviously trying to avoid scaring away swing voters, but they don't want to risk offending the Religious Right either.

READ MORE: 'Not realistic': Nikki Haley won’t endorse national abortion ban

On Tuesday, journalist Joan Walsh argues in a scathing article published in The Nation that the abortion "debate" among Republicans is a farce. Republicans in general, Walsh emphasizes, are terrible when it comes to abortion rights — even when they try to conceal it.

The GOP presidential field, according to Walsh, "seems to have learned a lesson from" frontrunner Donald Trump: "on divisive issues like abortion, say whatever you need to get elected, and then pursue an extremist agenda."

Walsh describes the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America's recent criticism of Trump as a "kayfabe," pointing out that the group later described a meeting with him as "terrific." In professional wrestling, a "kayfabe" is a staged conflict.

"The GOP presidential primary season is just getting started," Walsh writes, "and I’m already sick of covering it. How do you pay genuine attention to the policy claims of the candidates when nothing matters? Nothing any of them says about abortion means anything: if they get elected, they will continue to erode our rights."

READ MORE: Anti-abortion group reunites with Trump after scathing criticism

Joan Walsh's full article for The Nation continues here.