Nobody believes the media has the GOP's best interest at heart, but that didn't stop Cuomo Prime Time guest host Michael Smerconish and his Friday guests from urging the GOP, for their own good of course, to stop being pro-life and embrace abortion.
Speaking to former liberal Republican Rep. Charlie Dent, Smerconish praised the Dent family, "I didn't recognize, you come from this pedigree of Republicans who will stand up and oppose their party on the abortion issue. I never knew that Mary Crisp Dent, Mary Dent Crisp, I should say, was an aunt of yours. Please explain what happened in 1980."
Using the left's euphemisms, Dent explained that, "she objected to the party's position to turn its back on what was then the Equal Rights Amendment and also women's reproductive rights and at the 1980 Republican convention in Detroit, she basically resigned and walked out over the whole issue."
He added that, "she warned at the time this was going to cost Republicans a lot of women voters, and there would be deep political consequences, and she was right, because there's been a gender gap ever since in laws like this one we have just seen passed in Texas will further widen that gender gap and turn it into a massive canyon."
Earth to CNN: Ronald Reagan was elected in a landslide in 1980, as well as in 1984. In 1980, the gender gap with women voters was nine points. Over time it has gone up and down, but the trend line has remained flat. In 2020, the gender gap was nine points. Democrats and their media allies never acknowledge a gender gap also exists among male voters.
Smerconish almost recognized the absurdity of this thesis, turning to Obama White House alum and CNN political commentator Ashley Allison, he declared "Ronald Reagan then won in a landslide, so maybe this is not all doom and gloom for the GOP."
Allison, the former Obama staffer, sounded almost identical to her CNN-Republican counterpart:
Well, I think it's important to realize that from Reagan to Bush to Clinton, people's views on abortion have drastically shifted. If you look back to 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush really ran on abortion as an issue that really actually pulled some Democrats, moderate African-Americans, people, moderate Democrats to vote for him. Of course, there is a whole host of issues we could discuss about that election, but from that point on until present day, the overwhelming majority, even Republicans and particularly Republic women support a woman's right to choose. They see it as a form of health care, as a form of reproductive rights.
Almost none of this is true, in fact most of it is just the opposite and not just the subtle election delegitimizing. In 1995, pro-choice Americans outnumbered pro-life Americans 56-33, by 2021 the margin was down to 49-47. It also simply wrong that most Republicans are pro-choice. In reality, there are more pro-life Democrats (26%) than pro-choice Republicans (22%).
Maybe CNN should invite on more pro-life Democrats to talk about abortion. They probably imagine they don't exist.
This segment was sponsored by Chase.
Here is a transcript for the September 3 show:
CNN
Cuomo Prime Time
MICHAEL SMERCONISH: You know, Charlie, I didn't recognize, you come from this pedigree of Republicans who will stand up and oppose their party on the abortion issue. I never knew that Mary Crisp Dent, Mary Dent Crisp, I should say, was an aunt of yours. Please explain what happened in 1980.
CHARLIE DENT: Yeah, she was my father's sister. She was co-chair of the Republican National Committee at the time, and leading Republican from Arizona, grew up in Pennsylvania, but she objected to the party's position to turn its back on what was then the Equal Rights Amendment and also women's reproductive rights and at the 1980 Republican convention in Detroit, she basically resigned and walked out over the whole issue and she warned at the time this was going to cost Republicans a lot of women voters, and there would be deep political consequences, and she was right, because there's been a gender gap ever since in laws like this one we have just seen passed in Texas will further widen that gender gap and turn it into a massive canyon.
SMERCONISH: Right. But I have to point out, I mean, what you're saying is that your aunt objected to the GOP going full on pro-life in the platform in 1980, but Ashley, I'll direct this to you, Ronald Reagan then won in a landslide, so maybe this is not all doom and gloom for the GOP.
ASHLEY ALLISON: Well, I think it's important to realize that from Reagan to Bush to Clinton, people's views on abortion have drastically shifted. If you look back to 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush really ran on abortion as an issue that really actually pulled some Democrats, moderate African-Americans, people, moderate Democrats to vote for him. Of course, there is a whole host of issues we could discuss about that election, but from that point on until present day, the overwhelming majority, even Republicans and particularly Republic women support a woman's right to choose. They see it as a form of health care, as a form of reproductive rights. I do think there's a part of the Republican base that is pro-life and will never want a woman to have a right to choose over her reproductive health, but women are half of this country, and over 60% of people believe that the Texas law is not a good law. People aren't necessarily paying attention to how the Supreme Court did it, but I do think if this becomes an issue in 2022, it is an issue Democrats should run on and should not be afraid of, it is our body, our choice.
