Nikki Haley’s speech on April 25 on abortion policy makes her a more appealing general election candidate but is unlikely to swing primary voters, according to one prominent elections analyst.
In what her campaign billed as a “major policy speech on abortion,” Haley, who is pro-life, didn’t offer concrete legislative or executive proposals but did point to a few areas where the voters on both sides of the issue could agree, including making adoption easier and protecting children who survive abortions.
“Haley needs to put herself in the best position to win the primary first and then the general election. Those are two very different constituencies,” Nathan Gonzales, publisher of Inside Elections, told The Epoch Times. “This speech looks like an attempt to stay relevant in the national conversation and demonstrate a different way of talking about a critical issue.”
However, he noted, “Republican primary voters expect all of the candidates to be pro-life, so I’m not sure there’s a lot of room to gain the upper hand on the rest of the field.”
Haley’s tone could make the difference in the general election but likely not in a primary, according to Gonzales.
“It’s possible Haley is trying to present herself as a more electable general election candidate by her tone and message on abortion, but primary voters don’t prioritize electability,” said Gonzales. “In a general election, Haley’s tone on abortion would be drowned out by state legislatures and Trump-appointed judges taking tangible steps to restrict access to abortion. I don’t think Haley’s speech is going to satisfy voters with fears about abortion access being taken away completely.”
Haley struck a personal tone on abortion as the only female candidate and mother in the Republican field.
“Abortion is a deeply personal topic for both women and men. I understand why,” said Haley at the top of her speech in Arlington, Virginia. “Someone’s body and someone else’s life are not things to be taken lightly, and they should not be politicized. The issue should be addressed with sensitivity and respect, not judgment and hate.
“Reaching consensus starts with humanizing, not demonizing. Just like I have my story, I respect everyone who has their story,” said Haley later in her remarks. “I don’t judge someone who is pro-choice any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life.”
Ken Farnaso, campaign press secretary for Haley, told The Epoch Times that Haley sought to unite voters behind her pro-life agenda.
“Conservatives won’t win the hearts and minds of the American people if we don’t communicate our pro-life principles with compassion. Nikki Haley is the only presidential candidate who has a track record of bridging divides in a way that appeals to swing voters and independents (that) Republicans need to beat Joe Biden,” Farnaso said.
Haley’s husband was adopted a few years after birth by impoverished parents. Michael Haley’s father was an alcoholic who was in and out of prison, and his mother suffered a traumatic brain injury after a car accident.
“Adoption literally saved them,” she said. “Every day is a blessing because someone gave him life. Every day is a blessing because a family loved and raised him under difficult conditions. The world is better because of Michael Haley.”
She went on to praise him for being “an amazing father and husband,” for his military service, and for helping “adoption and at-risk-youth causes.”
Haley mentioned that it was difficult for her and her husband to have children.
While Haley said she’s clearly pro-life, she noted that abortion should be decided on the state level, as the Supreme Court ruled last year overturning the landmark case Roe v. Wade. She applauded states that have enacted pro-life laws and, though she lamented the states that enacted pro-abortion laws, she said, “That’s what the founders of our country envisioned. It’s the reality of living in a democracy.”
When she was a state legislator and governor of South Carolina, Haley voted for and signed into law pro-life legislation.
She acknowledged what it will take for the GOP to enact generational nationwide pro-life policy, which is easier said than done: the White House, the House, and a filibuster-proof 60-seat Senate majority.
Haley noted the GOP is “nowhere near to reaching that point” and that “there haven’t been 60 Republican senators since 1910.” She predicted that a filibuster-proof GOP Senate majority is “unlikely to happen soon.” And she acknowledged that pro-life legislation that was enacted in deep-red states has no chance of being replicated at the federal level.
Haley remarked there are already areas where most Americans can agree on the abortion issue.
Examples she cited include beliefs that babies who survive attempted abortion should live; that adopting children should be easy; that doctors and nurses who are against abortion should not be forced against their beliefs; that late-term adoptions are extreme; that there should be more, not less, contraception; and that women who have abortions should not be put behind bars or to death.
“We don’t need a president who endangers lives while dividing our country even more,” Haley said. “We need a president who unites Americans and brings out the best in them, even on the toughest of subjects.
“That will be my approach as president. I believe in conversation. I believe in compassion. I believe in empathy, not anger. We’re not just talking about policy here. We’re talking about people. That’s often lost in this debate, on the left and the right. But it’s front of mind for me. I acknowledge the humanity of both the unborn baby and the pregnant mom. I want to save as many babies and help as many moms as possible. That is my goal, to do that at the federal level.”
