White House GOP Hopefuls Trying to Find Anti-Abortion Support

On Friday, Republican presidential hopefuls were trying to distinguish themselves before an important group of conservative activists, using the National Right to Life Convention as a way to share their stories and detail the restriction of abortion that they helped into law.

The big question now is whether this scramble helps or hurts the anti-abortion movement that is seeking unity as Republicans try to win back the White House next November.

GOP candidates praised one another, while hammering Hillary Clinton the top Democrat, who supports abortion rights. Still, the candidates spent the majority of their energy asserting the personal conservatism on the issue.

Rick Santorum boasted about how he had sponsored the law banning certain abortion procedures that are late term after he initially soft pedaled his stance on abortion due to the closely divided Pennsylvania electorate.

Rick Perry predicts the next president would nominate up to four justices of the Supreme Court, who could overturn the Roe vs. Wade 1973 rulings that legalized abortion on a national level.

Perry, the former governor of Texas said that if he had the opportunity to nominate Supreme Court justices they would not be “squishy.”

Marco Rubio the Senator from Florida called his opposition to abortion as inseparable for the effort of reclaiming the American dream for each child. And he recalled abortion restrictions he helped to pass while the Florida Speaker of the House.

Jeb Bush mentioned the same laws that Rubio mentioned in his video presentation. He did not attend the convention.

Ben Carson a neurosurgeon, who is retired, has never held any elected office. He blasted all abortion providers by calling them evil.

Chris Christie the Governor of New Jersey supported the right of abortion during his early political career, which he generally tries to avoid discussing now.

Scott Walker the Governor of Wisconsin celebrated the ban of most abortions in the state beyond week 20 of pregnancy.

Lindsay Graham a Senator from South Carolina sponsored a ban after 20 weeks on abortions. However, he has been blasted by some conservatives for voting to confirm the two nominees to the Supreme Court nominated by President Obama.