North Carolina, shoo-in for the 2013 Most Improved Player Award in red states' unofficial League of Whackadoodlery (perennial champions: Arizona and Florida, natch), has a bit of a PR problem on its hands. You see, the state's Republican-run state government got a little carried away recently; one thing led to another, and before you knew it, the legislature had passed a bill that tacked on a bunch of regressive and unnecessary anti-abortion measures to a bill that was supposed to be about motorcycles. And now, the public is taking it out on the state's Republican governor, whose approval rating has dropped 15 points since the beginning of this whole motorized uterus business. Can anyone see that? Is that... writing? On the wall?


Frustrated legislation watchers have sardonically dubbed the controversial legislation the "motorcycle abortion" bill after the sneaky way the rapscallions of the North Carolina state House tacked a ban on sex-selective abortions (which, statistically, do not happen in the US) AND new regulations on abortion providers designed to overburden them with so many regulations that they can't continue to operate onto a bill that was originally about motorcycle safety. You can't make this shit up, campers. This is really a thing that adults elected to serve the people of North Carolina did during their summer. Do they need to turn the air conditioner up in the capitol down there? Is the seasonal heat making all the old men cranky and itchy under their gladhanding toupees?

Problem is, the bill is a huge political nightmare. According to Public Policy Polling, only 34% of North Carolina voters approve of the bill, and 80% disapprove of the way the abortion restrictions were passed. In addition, only 35% of voters approve of the way the state government is being run, with 55% disapproving. It's worst for McCrory, though — since June, his approval rating has dropped 15 points. VOTERS HATE THIS SHIT, YOU GUYS! They hate it!


Regardless of the why of the motorcycle abortion bill or the textbook oblivious ideologue response it's getting from the state government, the frankenbill is now careening at full speed toward the State Senate, where it will likely pass. And Governor Pat McCrory, who last year promised that he wouldn't sign more abortion restrictions if he was elected governor, has decided that he was just kidding and that if it comes to it, he'll sign that motorcycle abortion bill into motorcycle abortion law. Sturgis is going to get weird this year.



[Politico]