Now that Dems are waking up in a world without Roe, they’re asking themselves just how they got in the place they are today.
Well, one place to start is the 2010 midterm elections which are being called “the most-overlooked political story of the Obama era” by the Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty:
This from @kzernike is a very important story for anyone wanting to understand how we got here. The transformation of state capitals was probably the most-overlooked political story of the Obama era. https://t.co/tPyQOAkuUd
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) June 26, 2022
LOL. Overlooked by whom? OUR SIDE certainly saw this coming:
Overlooked by whom, exactly. I'd like, maybe, you know, professional designations. https://t.co/T3gh4X9r5d
— Wordy McWordinson (@McWordinson) June 26, 2022
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Maybe it was a shock to the new class of young journo or staffer in D.C., but those of us who lived through it never discounted what happened:
The extent of the Democrats' 2010 wipeout in state legislatures never ceases to shock. Very good @kzernike piece tracing the collapse on abortion rights to that moment: https://t.co/y6u87yrfyU pic.twitter.com/YuOKgps7er
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) June 27, 2022
But back then, a lot of the think pieces were about how the wipeout was caused by racist backlash to Obama:
Many here are noting backlash to the first Black president as a major cause for the 2010 wipeout. Yes, definitely.
But also: anger over Wall Street bailouts/lack accountability after financial collapse.
And the success of McConnell's stonewalling: drag out ACA etc, sour voters.— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) June 27, 2022
But that’s not what happened. Obama blew up his party over Obamacare:
Voters ousted half of House Democrats who opposed health-care law http://wapo.st/c7GB3f #p2 #tcot #teaparty #election #hcr
— Post Politics (@postpolitics) November 3, 2010
Obamacare was so unpopular it even took out Dems who opposed the bill. From the Washington Post:
In the Ohio district next door to Space’s, Democratic Rep. John Boccieri voted for the bill, but he also lost. Ditto for Virginia. Nye said no, but Rep. Tom Perriello said yes; both were bounced out from office by Republicans who want to repeal the bill.
Democratic leaders were hoping voters would reward Democrats like Boccieri and Perriello for staying true to their convictions. Instead, the two freshmen lawmakers were among the 32 (at last count) Democrats who supported health care and were defeated.
And he took pro-life Dems with him:
Stupak announces he will vote yes, along with group of other anti-abortion Dems #hcr http://ow.ly/1p6eW
— Post Politics (@postpolitics) March 21, 2010
It didn’t have to be this way. Republicans begged Obama not to go with Obamacare, but nah:
"There had been a time, in the 15 years after Roe, when Republicans were as likely as Democrats to support an absolute right to legal abortion, and sometimes even more so. But 2010 swept in a different breed of Republican."
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) June 26, 2022
Yeah, the national media was too busy playing the race card and the dopey birth certificate story:
It wasn’t overlooked in the places where it happened. The DC press corps had bigger fish to try. https://t.co/ZYDrmh4nKH
— Micheline Maynard (@MickiMaynard) June 26, 2022
Texas used to be a purple state, but not after 2010:
150 member #txlege House was 76 Rs/74 Ds before 2010 election. After, 101 Rs/49 Ds–Rs had supermajority & didn't even need Ds for quorum. I won by 4 votes out of >50K cast. 2011 session resulted in gutting of women's health programs & beginning of relentless anti-choice bills. https://t.co/mkTWqWMEcq
— Donna Howard (@DonnaHowardTX) June 26, 2022
We believe the phrase is, “Thanks, Obama!”:
You dont even need 2016 to think that. Obama oversaw worst collapse of statehouse & house seats in US history (!) (@ryanlcooper/@geoffreyvs) pic.twitter.com/70DPMgkBlF
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) December 8, 2016
Even better? Karl Rove’s group behind this strategy only spent $30 million to make it happen:
And the Republican effort to win those legislatures–netting 680 seats in total–cost only $30 million, less than Democrats have spent on individual losing Senate races in recent years.
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) June 27, 2022
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