Title: On Abortion Rights, 2020 Democrats Move Past ‘Safe, Legal and Rare’ - The New York Times
Headings: On Abortion Rights, 2020 Democrats Move Past ‘Safe, Legal and Rare’
On Abortion Rights, 2020 Democrats Move Past ‘Safe, Legal and Rare’
The Democratic presidential candidates don’t want to simply defend abortion rights. They want to go on offense.
A basic reframing
An emboldened defense
A shift to offense
Betting on public opinion
HOW WE COLLECTED THE DATA

Content: The positions reflect a hugely consequential shift on one of the country’s most politically divisive issues. Every candidate The Times surveyed supports codifying Roe v. Wade in federal law, allowing Medicaid coverage of abortion by repealing the Hyde Amendment, and removing funding restrictions for organizations that provide abortion referrals. Almost all of them say they would nominate only judges who support abortion rights, an explicit pledge Democrats have long avoided. Very few support restrictions on abortions late in pregnancy. Seven say abortion pills should be available over the counter. Nine want a federal approval process for state abortion laws. And Joseph R. Biden Jr., whose ambivalence on abortion rights has been a theme for decades, is seeking to recast himself as a full-throated champion of them. The 2020 candidates’ responses reflect a fundamental change in the Democratic Party’s approach to reproductive issues. In other areas, from health care to taxes, there is a divide between liberal and moderate candidates. Here, it is minimal.