The Buckeyes may have released a new hype video ahead of their showdown against Notre Dame on Saturday night, but OSU isn't the only team looking to get Ohioans' attention this weekend.
Protect Women Ohio, the group leading the opposition to a proposed ballot question that would amend the Buckeye State's constitution to erase protections for the unborn, women, parents, and minors, is looking to capitalize on attention surrounding the game by running an advertisement highlighting the radical aims of the amendment.
Titled "Join Them," the 30-second TV spot set to air during the Ohio State-Notre Dame game highlights bipartisan opposition to late-term abortions carried out when babies are able to feel pain, one of many practices to be allowed if the amendment is approved by voters this November. As Townhall recently reported, proponents of Ohio's proposed amendment are looking to follow in the footsteps of pro-abortion activists in Michigan who — after securing passage of a similar amendment — are now pushing a series of bills that include allowing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.
Featuring now-President Joe Biden's previously expressed support for bans on partial-birth and late-term abortions along with former President Trump's statement that late-term abortions are "not okay with me," the ad set to air Saturday evening seeks to point out how extreme the proposed amendment in Ohio is.
"The practice of late-term abortion is so barbaric that Republicans and Democrats agree it should be banned," remarked Molly Smith, a member of Protect Women Ohio's board. "The groups behind Issue 1, including the ACLU, clearly missed the memo: abortion-on-demand up until birth is too extreme for Ohioans. Period," she emphasized.
As Townhall previously reported, the coalition of leftist groups pushing for the amendment to be approved have a not-so-hidden track record of taking radical positions, such as calling for all parental rights to be abolished by state legislatures.
Further demonstrating the bipartisan opposition to the proposed amendment, the Ohio chapter of Democrats for Life is urging voters to reject the measure. "Issue 1 poses risks to Ohioans of all ages," noted the group's VP of communications Barb Driehaus. "It removes all protections for the unborn, allowing for late-term abortion when the unborn child is capable of feeling pain, and puts teenagers at risk," she explained. "Democrats cannot support these radical measures."
"By repeatedly using the word 'individual,' never 'adult,' 'woman,' or 'person over 18,' Issue 1 allows minors to legally obtain abortions without parental consent or even parental notification," Driehaus continued. "An abuser could coerce the minor victim and Issue 1 will make it easier to cover up the crime. Even those who favor expanded abortion laws ought to vote 'NO' on Issue 1," she urged.
Kristen Day, Democrats for Life's executive director, also emphasized that "Issue 1 is not about preserving 'choice' or 'reproductive freedom.'" Instead, she explained, it would "open the door to painful, late-term abortion and remove reasonable health and safety protections for women — something Democrats and Republicans are against."
"As Democrats, we need to refocus on protecting people and providing alternatives to abortion instead of using abortion to drive people to the polls," Day stated. "We need to send a message that protecting the vulnerable is more important than profit and power. Democrats should vote 'NO!'"
The bipartisan opposition to late-term abortion is reflected in the American electorate, too.
According to an AP-NORC poll, a majority of Americans say abortion should be illegal after the first trimester, including 65 percent who say life should be protected in the second trimester and 80 percent who said abortion should be illegal in the third trimester. What's more, Gallup found — just after the Dobbs decision leaked last year — that 65 percent of the country believes there ought to be limits on abortion. And a Harvard-Harris survey revealed 72 percent of voters would support limiting abortion after 15 weeks — with 75 percent of women, 70 percent of independents, and 60 percent of Democrats agreeing. Just 10 percent, on the other side, said there shouldn't be any protection for the unborn.
That means the proponents of Ohio's amendment are representing just 10 percent of Americans and seeking to allow an unregulated abortion free-for-all that has bipartisan opposition consisting of, by some counts, nearly three-quarters of the country. That's the message Protect Women Ohio is seeking to deliver to Buckeye fans this weekend, and one that ought to resonate as voters learn more about the real consequences of the proposed amendment they'll be asked to vote on in just a few weeks.