Michelle Obama made the case for abortion rights in a way Joe Biden never could

October 29, 2024:

Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama stand onstage with one arm around the other’s shoulders and one arm raised. — Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks ahead of the arrival of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally at the Wings Event Center on October 26, 2024, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. | <p>Brandon Bell/Getty Images</p>

In one of the most powerful speeches of the election cycle thus far, former first lady Michelle Obama laid out the effects of rolling back abortion care in some of the clearest terms that Democrats have used yet.

During remarks that she delivered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday, Obama said:

To the men who love us, let me just try to paint a picture of what it will feel like if America, the wealthiest nation on Earth, keeps revoking basic care from its women, and how it will affect every single woman in your life.

Your girlfriend could be the one in legal jeopardy if she needs a pill from out-of-state or overseas, or if she has to travel across state lines because the local clinic closed up.

Your wife and mother could be the ones at higher risk of dying from undiagnosed cervical cancer because they have no access to regular gynecological care.

Your daughter could be the one too terrified to call the doctor if she’s bleeding during an unexpected pregnancy.

Your niece could be the one miscarrying in her bathtub after the hospital turned her away.

This will not just affect women. It will affect you and your sons.

Obama’s approach stood out for its explicit focus on the human consequences of abortion restrictions. It’s a framing that has also been used by Vice President Kamala Harris, who spoke about the concrete effects of overturning Roe and state abortion bans during the September debate and at an event with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year.

Their approach marks a stark contrast from that of President Joe Biden, who for years struggled to talk about abortion and only more recently became a vocal champion on the issue. Even in a State of the Union address earlier this year, Biden opted not to use the word “abortion” and instead spoke in more sweeping terms about “reproductive freedom.”

Obama’s speech comes as the party tries to close a gender gap this election, which has Harris seeing far stronger backing from women while Trump has a large lead among men. Protecting abortion rights has been an especially motivating issue for women — including swing voters — this year and during the 2022 midterms.

Obama acknowledged in her speech that men might be disillusioned with the slow pace of change and the current state of politics. Her remarks, however, sought to underscore that the fallout from abortion policies is relevant to them as well.

“If we don’t get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother, we as women, will become collateral damage to your rage,” she said.

Reproductive rights are a key issue for some swing voters

In 2022, reproductive rights were central to Democratic victories including in the swing states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. In Michigan, Democrats flipped control of the state legislature for the first time in years as they fought to enshrine protections for abortion rights into the state’s Constitution. And in Pennsylvania, the party also flipped a Senate seat and maintained control of the governor’s mansion as then-candidates John Fetterman and Josh Shapiro emphasized their backing for Roe.

An August 2024 New York Times/Siena poll found that abortion remains a top issue for many voters, with 27 percent of Democrats in swing states saying it’s their main issue, and 12 percent of independents saying the same. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in September and October also found that a majority of women voters — 58 percent — believe that Harris would do a better job on abortion policy than Trump.

The Harris campaign told Politico in mid-October it thinks it still has room to grow on this issue both with women under the age of 40 and with women without a college degree. In the waning days of the election, the campaign — as Obama’s speech indicated — has also tried to bolster its support among men.

For voters who may be less engaged or still on the fence, abortion access represents an issue area where it is easy to draw stark contrasts between the candidates.

Trump has bragged about appointing the judges that overturned Roe, and Harris has emphasized she intends to try to restore those protections. In her speech this weekend, Obama sought to make the consequences as explicit as possible for men and women still weighing their decisions.

“The last voters who need to be mobilized are very low information, and the abortion issue is very clear,” Democratic pollster Celinda Lake previously told Time.

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