Beto O'Rourke ad claims he'll flip GOP voters over Texas abortion law
AUSTIN, Texas - The election for Texas governor is only four weeks away. Beto O'Rourke's campaign believes the state's restrictive abortion law will cause moderate Republicans to come his way.
"Well, I told him he has a convert like you got to convert. Do you think the last time I voted Republican was the last election for Mr. Trump? I have three lovely grown daughters. I have two lovely granddaughters. So a lot of the abortion situation was a big factor in it," a man in the Beto Ad states.
O'Rourke's campaign spot goes on to claim that Texas has become too extreme, even for Republicans.
Travis County Democratic Chair Katie Naranjo and Political Consultant Ashley Brasher join FOX 7 Austin's Rebecca Thomas to discuss.
Rebecca: Katie, how much of a driving factor do you believe abortion will be for Texas voters this November?
Katie: Well, we see that 60% of Texans want abortion in all instances that are legal right to safety of the mother's health when it comes to rape, incest, etc.. And it also is a fundamental disagreement with what the Republican Party believes, because the Republican Party is supposed to be about freedom, however, not when it comes to how you decide what you do with your body, whether it be with abortion, whether it be if you're LGBTQ or if you're in relation to an interracial marriage. So it's also antithetical to what I think the core base of the Republican Party believes. So we're seeing lots of people turn out just to register to vote to come into early. So we're very optimistic.
Rebecca: Ashley, will the issue of abortion override other issues such as the border for moderate Republicans?
Ashley: I don't believe so. I think that all the polls have shown that more people are diving into the Republican Party versus the other way. I think we all at a certain age decide whether we believe abortion is a good thing or whether it's wrong, whether it should be at a certain point in the pregnancy, whether it should be not at all. I don't think that this law is really going to change anybody's mind at that fundamental level as to what they believe is morally correct.
Katie: Actually, why does what you think matter as to what I do with my body? Isn't that against the Republican Party's views? I mean, if you are a Texan.
Ashley: The Republican Party is about freedom and that baby has a right to have those rights and freedoms. It's alive. It's a person. It has rights to.
Katie: So difference does that baby. Does that baby have a right to go to school without getting killed or go to a grocery store without getting killed? Do they have a right? That's more.
Ashley: Democrats do. They can't stay on topic when they don't have any real arguments, they start changing the subject.
Rebecca: All right, Katie, so what is the message that Democrats and O'Rourke need to drive home for Texas voters, especially if you want to flip Republican voters?
Katie: Is your life better today than it was eight years ago? If you're a person who can have a child, if you're a person who's gay, if you're somebody that's known, someone that's ever had to make a choice about their body or believes in contraception. Right. And you follow the Republican Party's platform all the way through. They're also anti birth control. So if you feel like your life is not better today than it was eight years ago, there is another option. Whether you're a moderate, a Republican, independent or Democrat, you can vote for a better Iraq.
Rebecca: Ashley, similar question. What message do republicans need to make clear to voters?
Ashley: I think absolutely Republican voters need to know that the party is supporting their values and their morals. We believe that the unborn baby has a right to live and should not be murdered. We believe that children should be able to go to school safely, but we also have a right to bear arms for the Constitution. We have a right to defend ourselves. I think the fundamental values of the Democrats versus the Republicans are pretty clear at this point. We don't believe that you should be able to abuse your 11-year-old when they decide they want to wear a dress one day, and they're a boy. We don't think we should have beta blockers for children. I mean, I think the lines are pretty clear at this point. Freedom is one thing, but we've got some pretty serious concerning immoral behavior on the Democrat side, and we need to protect our children.
Rebecca: The November election is coming up in just about four weeks. Ashley and Katie, thanks for sharing your perspectives.