Opinion | Kellyanne Conway Has Some Weak Advice for Her Party

It is beyond obvious at this point that abortion is the Achilles’ heel of the Republican Party. The prospect of a national abortion ban almost certainly helped Democrats stave off a red wave in the 2022 midterm elections, and assisted them the following year in both statewide and state legislative races in Virginia and Kentucky. The prospect of abortion bans has also pushed voters in states such as Ohio and Michigan to approve sweeping affirmations of reproductive freedom in their respective state constitutions. And abortion looms over the 2024 race, as well; Democrats will spend countless millions to tell Americans that a vote for Trump, or any Republican on the ballot, is a vote for a national abortion ban.

Republican strategists are well aware that abortion is an albatross around the party’s neck. Their advice? Find new language.

“If it took 50 years to overturn Roe v. Wade, it’s going to take more than 50 minutes, 50 hours or 50 weeks to explain to people what that means, and more importantly, what it doesn’t mean, and to move hearts and minds,” said Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to Donald Trump, at Politico’s Health Care Summit on Wednesday. During the conversation, she advised Republican candidates to focus on “concession” and “consensus” and to turn the conversation toward exceptions. She also urged Republicans to avoid ballot initiatives on abortion, for fear that they could mobilize voters against them.

I have no doubt that Republicans will take this advice; they are desperate to neutralize the issue. But the Republican abortion problem isn’t an issue of language, it’s an issue of material reality. The reason voters are turned off by the Republican position on abortion has less to do with language and more to do with the actual consequences of putting tight restrictions on reproductive rights. Countless Americans have direct experience with difficult and complicated pregnancies; countless Americans have direct experience with abortion care; and countless Americans are rightfully horrified by the stories of injury and cruelty coming out of anti-abortion states.

No amount of rhetorical moderation on abortion will diminish the impact of stories like that of K Monica Kelly, who had to travel from Tennessee to Florida to end a potentially life-threatening pregnancy, thanks to Tennessee’s strict post-Dobbs abortion ban. Nor will it obscure the extent to which the most conservative Republicans are gunning for other reproductive health services, from hormonal birth control to in vitro fertilization.

It is too much to say that Republicans cannot save themselves from the political consequences of their assault on abortion rights, but if they do, it won’t be because they find another way to try to put lipstick on a pig.

What I Wrote

My Tuesday column was on the ignominious legacy of Mitch McConnell:

There’s no question that McConnell is one of the most consequential politicians of his generation. This isn’t a compliment. McConnell is not consequential for what he accomplished as a legislator or legislative leader — he’s no Robert F. Wagner or Everett Dirksen. He’s consequential for what he’s done to degrade and diminish American democracy.

My Friday column was on the stakes of the 2024 election now that both Trump and Biden have secured the presidential nominations of their respective parties:

Personality certainly matters. But it might be more useful, in terms of the actual stakes of a contest, to think about the presidential election as a race between competing coalitions of Americans. Different groups, and different communities, who want very different — sometimes mutually incompatible — things for the country.

The latest episode of my podcast with John Ganz is on Michael Bay’s action thriller “The Rock.”

Not long after we moved to Charlottesville, my wife and I made an impromptu stop at the S.P.C.A. We were interested in adopting a dog and wanted to see if there was anyone available at the shelter. We met several animals, but we didn’t really connect with any of them.

As we were leaving, one of the volunteers asked us if we had met Rose. She was an older hound dog, about 7, who had been abandoned and brought to the shelter. She was set to go to an adoption event but it was canceled. We could meet her if we were interested. We were, and we took her for a walk. The next thing we both knew, we were on our way home with a new dog.

Rose was, for the next six and a half years, our constant companion. She was sweet, friendly and incredibly gentle with us and, in time, our children. She wasn’t much for playing, but she loved long, meandering walks where she could explore. She loved to swim. She loved to lay on the couch with me as I worked or read or watched a movie. She slowed with age, as all dogs do, but she was in good health for nearly all of the time we had her.

That is, until the last few months. And when it became clear that she was very ill and would not recover, my wife and I took her to say our goodbyes. We put Rose to sleep last week. We were with her the entire time. She was an important part of my life — a much-loved member of our family — and I thought I would share a little bit of her life with all of you. Thank you for reading.

Now Eating: Cashew, Cauliflower, Pea and Coconut Curry

I liked this recipe because it was an opportunity to empty the fridge and freezer of leftover vegetables and other items. I had some cashews leftover from making cashew cream; half a bag of frozen peas, three-quarters of a can of coconut milk, and some cilantro that was on its last legs. The only thing I actually had to buy was a head of cauliflower. The resulting meal (recipe from New York Times Cooking) was incredibly filling and surprisingly popular with the kids. I don’t think I would make any modifications but would say that you can’t go wrong with a nice carrot raita on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 green chile, roughly chopped (seeded if you prefer less heat)

• Kosher salt

• 4 tablespoons canola oil

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander

• 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon chile powder

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 1¼ pounds), broken into bite-size florets

• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

• 4 ounces unsalted cashews (about ¾ cup)

• ½ cup frozen peas

• ½ teaspoon garam masala

• 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves chopped, for serving

• 1 lemon wedge, for serving

• Cooked basmati rice, for serving

Directions

Place the ginger, garlic and green chile in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. Mash until a paste forms and set aside. Alternately, finely chop the ginger, garlic and green chile together, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then mash into a coarse paste using the flat portion of your chef’s knife.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium. Cook the onions until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, chile powder and 1¼ teaspoons salt. Stir in the cauliflower and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium. Fry the cashews, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the peas and garam masala to the cauliflower mixture and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Top the curry with the cashews, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon just before serving. Serve with a big steaming bowl of basmati rice.