As the mainstream media keeps up its fealty to the Biden White House and Democrats, they continue to ask GOP midterm candidates about their views on abortion while ignoring the radical abortion policies preferred by Democrats along with the economic and crime crises caused by their other failed policies.
Such was the case over the weekend when Kari Lake, the GOP nominee for governor in Arizona, was asked about her position on the issue of abortion during remarks at one of the RNC's Hispanic Community Centers in the Grand Canyon State.
"Abortion is effectively banned in the state right now...is that something you support?" came the question from a reporter covering the event as Lake embarks on an "ask me anything" tour of Arizona. What the reporter was looking for was a soundbite of Lake saying she supported "banning" abortion.
But Lake was, seemingly, ready and waiting for a question like this as Democrat candidates and their friends in the mainstream media take Biden's lead in trying to make the midterms a referendum on abortion — a strategy that is not going well toward making abortion a leading concern for midterm voters according to recent polls.
"I support saving as many lives as possible," Lake replied, denying the reporter's desired soundbite. "And what I really want to know, and I've been waiting, I tune into you guys all the time, I want to know where Katie Hobbs stands — I never hear you guys ask her that."
Lake didn't shy away from declaring, "I'm pro-life" and then briefly explained her position. "My plan would be that every woman who walks into an abortion clinic know that there are options out there, they don't have to choose that," the Trump-endorsed candidate said. "There's families who would love to adopt a baby. Right now, the way it's been going, they go in and they only have one option," Lake said of abortion clinics. "Nobody tells them that there's other options. We want to help our women — if they're afraid we want to help them. We want to give women healthcare and I want to help people," she added.
Lake then continued by challenging the mainstream media to ask her Democrat opponent — current Secretary of State Katie Hobbs — to explain her position on abortion, and then outlined Hobbs' stated support for radical policies.
"Let me tell you where she stands," Lake said as she defined her opponent's pro-abortion position. "She supports abortion right up until birth and after birth. She supports, if a baby survives a botched abortion, that that baby die on a cold metal tray," Lake summarized. "And none of you ever try to get her to talk about her stance. So get back to me after you do," she challenged the mainstream media. "And tell her that I want to debate this topic on October 12, but she really needs to show up for that debate."
Hobbs has, as Lake alluded to, refused to debate thus far — joining a growing number of Democrats who are delaying or denying voters a chance to hear and compare their ideas to the GOP position.
What Lake demonstrated is what more Republicans on the campaign trail ought to be doing. Deny liberal media the soundbites they seek, refuse to take the bait, define the conservative position, and flip the script to talk about their Democrat opponent's radical or do-nothing positions.
The clip above isn't the first time Lake has leaned on her years of experience in the media to see a combative "gotcha" question coming and flipped the script on a liberal reporter. Most GOP candidates are used to dealing with oppositional media and if — like Lake — they're smart, they'll be ready to smash the premise of a biased question to turn things around into highlighting the problems in the Democrat position the media is trying to defend or obfuscate.