Opinion: It’s time to launch a counterattack on the abortion issue, Republicans. Here’s how

Editor’s Note: Patrick T. Brown is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank and advocacy group based in Washington, DC. He is also a former senior policy adviser to Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. Follow him on Twitter. The views expressed in this piece are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

CNN
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Facing adverse political headwinds, Democrats’ best hope for maintaining control of Congress has been the US Supreme Court’s correct but unpopular decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the ability to restrict abortion to the states.

Democratic incumbents in tough Senate races, like Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, have sought to paint their Republican challengers as extremists on the issue of reproductive rights. Gubernatorial elections in Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia and Pennsylvania have likewise seen millions of dollars in ads painting Republicans as seeking to ban abortion without exception.

So far, most Republican candidates have sought to dodge the topic or change the subject. But in these final weeks of the campaign, it’s not too late for a more deliberate counterattack to win over moderate voters.

We know that abortion is a huge motivating force for voters who identify as Democrats. But for independents, the dynamic is more complex. A recent KFF Health Tracking Poll found one-third of Democratic women want to hear candidates talk about abortion, but only 16% of independent women share this sentiment.

In fact, polling by FiveThirtyEight suggests abortion has begun to fade from some voters’ minds, as inflation remains stubbornly high, crime rates stay elevated and fears of an economic downturn continue to grow. In the immediate wake of the Dobbs ruling in June, 29% of women aged 18 to 44 listed abortion as one of their top three political priorities. In a poll conducted in September, that number had dropped to 12%.

This suggests the possibility for a renewed opening for Republicans to compete for middle-of-the-road voters who are conflicted about abortion but like the GOP’s economic agenda. There is no question that Republicans’ greatest political liability continues to be their lack of preparation for a post-Roe world. And if they are…