White House pleased with ‘abortion issue’ state election wins…”Votes, more important than polls”

U.S. President Joe Biden. AP-Yonhap

The Democratic Party in the United States is showing signs of satisfaction as it secures virtual victories in local referendums, legislative elections, and Supreme Court elections. They are particularly encouraged by the enduring power of the abortion issue, which contributed to the Democrats’ performance in last year’s midterm elections.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, stated in a briefing on November 8th (local time), “Voters once again endorsed President Biden’s agenda of fundamental freedoms, building a middle-class economy, and protecting democracy.” She emphasized that “the message voters sent last night is that voting is important, but polls are not.” This highlights the discrepancy between recent polls showing Biden trailing former President Donald Trump, and the actual voting sentiment.

On the previous day, a series of elections in various battleground states resulted in outcomes favorable to the Democrats. In Ohio, a constitutional amendment that enshrines the right to abortion in the state constitution passed in a public vote. This makes Ohio the seventh state to guarantee the right to abortion since the Supreme Court overturned the ‘Roe v. Wade’ decision last June.

The Democrats also won the majority in both houses in the Virginia state legislature, where the abortion issue was a key point of contention. In the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election, Democratic Judge Dan McCaffery was elected. McCaffery is a supporter of the right to abortion. In conservative-leaning Kentucky, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear defeated the Republican candidate to win re-election.

Vice President Kamala Harris, in an impromptu meet with reporters at the White House, stated, “As the American people have clearly said (in the vote), they are ready to stand for individual freedom, the promise of America for freedom,” and added, “Last night was a good night for democracy.”

She emphasized, “From the midterm elections to last night, voters have declared that the government should not interfere with decisions related to a woman’s body.” The midterm elections held last November saw the Republicans initially predicted to win both houses, but they only managed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives. The interpretation in U.S. political circles is that the decision to overturn abortion rights had an unexpectedly significant impact on the election.

However, unfavorable poll results for President Biden continue to emerge. According to a poll reported by CNN on the day, Biden trailed former President Trump 45% to 49% within the margin of error (±3.3 points) in a hypothetical two-way matchup. The poll was conducted by SSRS from October 27 to November 2, surveying 1,514 registered voters nationwide.