When Vice President Kamala Harris held an abortion roundtable in Nevada, it was poorly attended by top Democrats in the state. I wrote that the notable top-of-the-ticket absences, like embattled Governor Steve Sisolak and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, might signal the post-Roe abortion issue wasn’t resonating with voters, here: VP Kamala Harris’ Abortion Tour Flops in Nevada
I was wrong, sort of.
Democrats are not avoiding the abortion issue, they are avoiding President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris.
Cortez Masto was filmed at a campaign event on August 12, during a Tacos El Gordo franchise grand opening (local’s tip: yes, it’s good food) in Las Vegas. In an exclusive video obtained by the Daily Caller, Cortez Masto refuses to answer a constituent question regarding if she plans on campaigning with Biden. While filming, the attendee asks the Senator,
“Sen. Masto, will you campaign with Biden this fall?”
Cortez Masto’s staff acted like the event attendee did something irredeemable or even dangerous. They respond to her question by ushering the Senator away, then blocking and interrupting the naughty question-asker, who attempts to ask again amid the frantic posturing of aides. Not to be discouraged, the attendee manages another ear-assault on the representative by inquiring,
“Will you please answer for your constituents?”
It’s a ridiculous scene, but we already know the answer, so tell the staffers to calm down. The Dems are dodging Biden.
In July, the Washington Post wrote,
“Those economic anxieties, combined with low approval ratings for Biden, have put Democrats like Cortez Masto on the defensive. The word “inflation” does not appear on the senator’s campaign website. Asked what she thinks of the White House’s efforts to address people’s economic woes, Cortez Masto neither praised nor criticized, and focused on Republicans. She does not answer questions about whether she supports Biden for reelection, telling reporters she is focused on her state.”
Cortez Masto may be avoiding aligning with the President on the campaign trail because of his devastatingly low approval rating in the state, at just 30 percent. Or, it could be the recent headlines about how the Senator’s husband had business dealings with the Biden campaign… and ended up in a cozy email on the Hunter Biden laptop from hell, here: For Sen Cortez Masto (D-NV), Being in Bed With the Bidens Is Bad Business.
Cortez Masto is considered one of the most vulnerable Senators in the nation, with a Trafalgar poll published Friday showing Trump-endorsed nominee, Adam Laxalt pulling ahead of the incumbent by 2.5 points.
As for the abortion issue, the Dems are attempting to ride the coattails of the Roe reversal. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak (D) was busy rallying about reproduction on Friday with Rep. Jackie Rosen (D-NV). Both were absent from VP Harris’ visit, including an abortion roundtable in the state earlier in August.
Ahead of her own race in the general, and on the taxpayer’s dime, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) just sent me a multi-page, full color, high gloss mailer about her Congressional work on (non?) reproductive care — bolstered with photos of her and pro-choice protestors who drew coat-hangers and expletives on poster board. Thank you, American taxpayers, that was a real joy at the dinner table.
Yet, in Nevada, there isn’t really a fight. It’s a fake fight. The state constitution was amended in 1990 to allow abortion up to 24 weeks, and state law allows for later than 24 weeks for specific reasons. So, SCOTUS kicking the issue back to the states doesn’t mean much here. To change the state constitution, it would have to go to ballot, twice.
Spoiler alert: it’s not on the ballot, but a bunch of liars will be. When they aren’t too busy clutching pearls over being asked basic questions, Dems-n-friends like to prey on the emotions of uninformed voters to win power.
Although their silence screams the loudest, Nevada’s Democrats aren’t alone in their aversion to the Biden Administration on the campaign trail. Ten-term congressional Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee for Ohio’s Senate seat, missed Biden’s early July visit to Cleveland. Democratic candidate for Governor of Georgia, Stacey Abrams skipped an Atlanta event in January, where the president called on senators to eliminate the filibuster and nationalize election laws.
While admin-allergy has been spotted in the swing states, it’s easy to confuse the Democrats’ absences and aversions toward the Biden cabinet as not wanting to alienate Hispanic voting blocks. In the Silver State, where Hispanics are anticipated to swing the election, abortion polled among the least important issues to Latino voters. Worry not, our Dems are not bowing out from a fight that isn’t one; they are just avoiding constituent questions and all things Biden in their re-election campaigns.