|   After Alabama passed its draconian abortion ban, the latest state law meant to challenge Roe v. Wade, the leading women in contention for the 2020 Democratic nomination pulled no punches. They didn’t talk about how abortion should be safe “but rare.” There was no measured rhetoric about the settled Supreme Court precedent. Instead, they let their voices be heard. Here is Emily Peck on the story.How did you come up with the angle? What was the seed?
We're in this unprecedented situation where four highly capable female Senators are in contention for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Part of my beat here at HuffPost looks at the intersection of women and power. So I've been keeping my eye on these women: Are they treated differently? (Yes, sometimes.) What is their policy lens like compared to men? (Different.) What is their rhetoric like compared to men? After Alabama passed its draconian bill banning abortion outright, these women started putting out statements supporting abortion rights. I could sense a different vibe.Once you had the hypothesis, how did you report out the data to back it up?
This was more about collecting anecdotal data; I looked at the statements, videos, tweets from the candidates and then I called up a few activists and professors who follow the politics and know the history really well. Did they agreed there was something new happening here? Could they explain what's going on and put it in context? We talked about how the rhetoric around abortion is really heating up on the left right now because the threat of Roe being overturned has never been as great. The fact that we have more women in powerful roles to fight this battle is just part of the story, but a crucial part. There's also the fact that we have more than 20 people in contention for the Democratic nomination so they really need to be loud and out-there to differentiate themselves.Did you discover anything surprising?
I didn't realize how the conversation around abortion had really changed with the 2018 elections. Female candidates were more vocal about being prochoice, so much so that one Congressional candidate -- Katie Hill -- even opened up and talked about getting an abortion when she was 19 during her campaign. And she won her race in California.Anything else you'd like to add?
I'm a reporter so I am not actually backing a horse in this race, but I really am excited about having women run for president again. I'm looking forward to watching what happens next. 👋You may have noticed our website is now www.huffpost.com. Don't worry, it'll still be the same HuffPost you know and love, just with a new URL. Make sure to update your bookmarks! HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media Group. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More.The internet's best stories, and interviews with the people who tell them. Like what you see? Forward it to a friend. Or sign up! Can't get enough? Check out our Morning Email. ©2019 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
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