After weeks of speculation, earlier this week Marco Rubio announced that he would like to champion a bill shifting the ban on abortions from 24 weeks after conception to 20 weeks.
Rubio admitted as much to Politico in a story run on Wednesday. If someone else would like to do it instead of me, Im more than happy to consider it. But Id like to be the lead sponsor, Rubio told Politico. I feel very strongly about this issue. And Id like to be the lead sponsor on it if we can find language that we can unify people behind."
Rubio is thinking about running for president. Theres an easy assumption that he is leaping at the chance to be the public face of this bill to win back the favor of conservatives after his role in getting an immigration bill through the Senate which won only a handful of Republicans support. Thats certainly part of the calculation but theres more to it than that.
Forty years after Roe v. Wade, Americans pretty much are where Bill Clinton was when he first ran for president in 1992. They want it safe, legal and rare.
But they also remain a little uncomfortable with abortion, especially in the latter half of a womans pregnancy. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Thursday has 56 percent of Americans supporting moving the ban on abortions to 20 weeks, while 27 percent want to keep it at 24 weeks.
This is not an anomaly. A Gallup poll from earlier this year showed 64 percent of Americans would be fine if abortion was banned in the second trimester.
Sure, Rubio is trying to reassure conservatives he will stand with them after his role in the immigration bill. But in calling for moving the abortion ban from 24 weeks to 20 weeks, Rubio has his finger on the pulse of the American electorate.
Democrats control the Senate so this bill is going nowhere. But Rubios prominence on this issue will extend beyond the primaries. If he is the Republicans presidential nominee next time out, which isnt a safe assumption right now, Rubio can use his support on moving the ban back a month in the general election.
Since a majority of Americans are with Rubio on this issue, its a chance to use one of Democrats favorite tactics against them and paint them as out of touch and extremists on the issue. Rubio would be wise to play up his stance here as much as he can in the months to come and into the 2016 election.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
