The pro-life vote in Kansas is shaping up to be a bloc that could win the race for U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R) on Tuesday.
As The Hill reports, Roberts, who is in a virtual tie with independent candidate Greg Orman, launched a radio ad (below) this week charging that Orman “would give President Obama another pro-abortion vote in the Senate.” Roberts also noted that Orman recommended during their debate that America should move on from the abortion issue.
Roberts, who holds a 100% pro-life voting record with National Right to Life, has been helped by national pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) which has operated an effective ground game in four key swing states, including Kansas.
“The abortion issue, especially if you’re pro-life, it’s a motivating issue,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List. “It means you try to reorganize your day on Election Day because it means that something like life and death is at stake.”
“When you talk about late-term abortion, most people recoil against that–there’s an emotional intensity against that idea, it’s more persuasive often than some of the subtle economic arguments that are made in a race,” she explained.
As the Weekly Standard observes, while Orman describes himself as pro-choice, during a press conference following a debate between the two candidates, he would not say how he would vote on two abortion bills–one that would prohibit taxpayer-funding of abortion and the other, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, banning late-term abortion.
Orman spokesman Mike Phillips, however, told The Hill that his candidate has been forthright with his position on abortion.
“Greg’s position on [abortion] has been pretty clear–he was pretty straightforward when he was asked about it at the debate, and nothing has changed,” Phillips said.
Kansans For Life noted on Thursday that all three abortion clinics in the state are supporting Orman in the race.
Kansas has a long pro-life history. In 1991, thousands of pro-life activists descended on Wichita, which was considered to be ground zero for the “Summer of Mercy.” Pro-lifers staged sit-ins at abortion clinics and held a massive rally at the Wichita State University stadium.
The Hill notes that Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, indicated that pro-lifers’ organization could lead to higher voter turnout among social conservatives, leading to a win for Roberts.