Sen. Tim Scott: Serious Conversations + ??? = Federal Abortion Ban!

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SCareolina) was never going to be the next Republican presidential nominee, but his comments on abortion reflect the GOP’s thumbfumbling after their win against human rights and modern medical care.

TOM LLAMAS: –I wanna start there. There’s been some back and forth. I wanna know what– and you’ve spoken so much in the campaign trail about abortion, and yet today in your announcement the– there were only a few words it sounded like. Where do you stand on abortion?

SENATOR TIM SCOTT: Well, I believe that life has intrinsic value, because it comes from god. I have a 100% pro life voting record. I’m 100% pro life conservative. As president of the United States I would sign the most conservative legislation, pro life legislation that can get to my desk.

He then tried to change the topic by claiming Democrats support abortion during labor. But Llamas exhibited behavior that would have gotten him fired at CNN. He kept asking for details, including an answer to a question that you’d think a Republican could answer without breaking stride: At what point should abortion become illegal?

He eventually gets Scott to say he has “signaled” he would sign a bill that bans legal abortion after 14 weeks (the second trimester begins at 12 weeks). However, Scott also acknowledges no one is passing a federal ban “if we don’t first win the hearts and minds of the American people.”

How does Scott think the GOP can convince the American people that the shit sandwich they keep shoving in our faces is really Nutella? With serious conversations about the culture of life and pretty persuasion.

None of that is possible. So we’re having hypothetical conversations–until we actually have a serious conversation with the American people. And that’s why I think you have to have a president with the power of persuasion.

Bzzzt. Wrong answer. The Republican voters who will pick the nominee claim there’s no difference between a freshly fertilized egg and a new born baby, thought Dobbs would mean the end of legal abortion and the start of bombing runs on Planned Parenthood clinics by the USAF. They can’t understand why states are piddling around with six week bans. They don’t want to hear about serious conversations, or winning hearts and minds. They want to hear about scorched earth, scolds’ bridles and public whippings for any woman who objects.

And what’s Sen. Scott’s message for the Republican ladies in states controlled by Democrats? Don’t worry about federal-level attacks on your autonomy until the grown ups have some serious conversations.

TOM LLAMAS: What would you say to a female voter who says, “I like Senator Tim Scott. I wanna turn the page from Trump, but I don’t want him messing with my body”?

SENATOR TIM SCOTT: I would say, (LAUGH) this is a simple conversation, until we have the power of persuasion there is not a legislative path forward.

When Llamas pressed for an answer, Scott accused him of being stuck on abortion.

SENATOR TIM SCOTT: Yeah, well, I think my message actually works. You’re stuck on abortion, I’m not. So the truth is that if we continue to have a conversation about the culture of life, I think we’ll have more converts. If we don’t have that conversation, if all we’re gonna do is demonize folks, we won’t get there.

Perhaps I too am stuck on abortion but it seems that if the previous GOP conversations about the culture of life – what you and I call lying about abortion – failed to convince people, a fresh batch of lies isn’t going to help. But then, all they have is lies.

None of this will stop national outlets from calling him “reasonable” on abortion rights.