The Future of the Pro-Life Movement - Interview with Matthew Lee Anderson

As we hit the homestretch of the 2024 election, we’re witnessing significant changes to the demographics of the Democratic and Republican coalitions. Political scientists call this “realignment” and we haven’t seen one this big in a generation. Just this last week, a new report came showing that for the first time ever, registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats nationwide. That expanding tent creates a more favorable electoral map for the GOP, but it also creates some difficult realities for constituencies that have long formed foundational blocs in the GOP. One such group is the pro-life movement that has anchored the social conservative vote in the GOP for the last 50-plus years. This year, however, it’s different. As public opinion has shifted on abortion and pro-life sponsored legislation on abortion failed in battleground states (and even some red ones), the GOP platform for 2024 followed the lead of Donald Trump and visibly distanced itself from the pro-life position. In this interview, I sat down to chat with Baylor University’s Matthew Lee Anderson and unpack a recent article he wrote for The Dispatch on the future of the pro-life movement. We discuss the shifting political realities that appear to have put the pro-life movement on its back foot, before delving into how the pro-life movement can use this time of being in the proverbial “political wilderness” to hone its outreach and messaging to the broader American culture. Just a reminder Get a weekly dose of analysis on world events by signing up for my Substack newsletter.  Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today and get 30% off for being a loyal listener!