Did you know that Terry McAuliffe doesn’t support any restrictions on abortion after 20 weeks gestation -- a position most Americans find repugnant and out-of-the-mainstream? Because that’s exactly what he told students at George Mason University earlier this week.
Here’s the transcript (via LifeNews):
Woman #1: “So as governor, would you oppose any restrictions on my right to an abortion at any time?”
McAuliffe: “Yes.”
Woman #1: “No, Yes?”
McAuliffe: “I would support stopping any restrictions.”
And then to remove any doubt, he told another woman that as governor he would be a “brick wall” against even the most common ground limitations on abortion.
Woman #2: “Also, if any anti-choice Republicans were to introduce legislation preventing me from getting an abortion after 20 weeks would you oppose it?”
McAuliffe: “So you have a Constitutional right. This has been determined in our nation. It is a Constitutional right. It is. What I said here is that I will be a brick wall to stop any erosion of any Constitutional right that any woman has in Virginia. I will be a brick wall.”
That’s a stunning admission, although it remains to be seen what kind of impact, if any, it will have on voters' minds. Single issue, pro-life Virginians were never going to vote for Terry McAuliffe anyway. They’re fully behind Ken Cuccinelli. But how will it impact, say, conservative Democrats and centrist Republicans? A Quinnipiac poll from last summer showed that 37 percent of Old Dominion residents think abortion should be illegal in “all or most” cases. That’s a solid plurality.
So will McAuliffe's comments influence their decisions on Election Day? I guess we'll soon find out.