Kari Lake wants an abortion debate? Me too. How about Lake ('22) v. Lake ('24)

Kari Lake is strutting all over social and conservative media, squawking about how Ruben Gallego is just too chicken to debate her on abortion.

It seems Gallego — a Marine who served in actual combat as opposed to Lake’s fake “war room” campaign schtick — just isn’t man enough to go toe-to-toe with Arizona’s MAGA queen. Or so we are told.

“Ruben was given the opportunity to tell the people of Arizona where he stands on this issue, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have the testicular fortitude to take it,” her campaign said.

This, as she ignores Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb’s offer to debate on abortion — a reasonable request given that Republican voters actually do have a choice in the July 30 primary.

Kari Lake is all over the map on abortion

As for her challenge to Gallego, perhaps it would help if Lake laid out which of her various positions on abortion she wants to debate.

Is it the Lake who has called abortion “almost demonic” and has repeatedly declared the 1864 near total abortion ban a “great law?”

Or the Lake who called for repeal that “great law?

Or the one who then flipped yet again, lamenting that the “great law” wouldn’t be enforced?

Is it the one who says abortion is murder? Or the more recent Lake who thinks murder is apparently acceptable in cases of rape and incest?

Lamb and Gallego are much more consistent

When it comes to abortion, you can get dizzy watching Lake try to spin herself to Arizona voters, a clear majority of whom believe abortion should be always or mostly legal, according to an October New York Times/Siena Poll.

While Lamb is consistently pro life and Gallego has been a consistent supporter of abortion rights, the deepest of Lake’s deeply held beliefs seems to be whatever will get her elected.

In February 2022, she was rooting for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade so the 1864 law — the one that criminalizes abortion even in cases of rape and incest — could make a comeback.

“We have a great law on the books right now," she said during a Republican gubernatorial candidate forum. “If that (overturning Roe) happens, we will be a state where we will not be taking the lives of our unborn anymore.”

When Roe was repealed in June 2022, Lake pronounced herself “incredibly thrilled” and by fall, she was still on Team 1864.

Lake keeps changing her 'pro-life' stance

“I’m pro-life,” Lake said on Fox News. “I’ve never backed away from that and never will.”

Until she did on April 9, within hours of the Arizona Supreme Court reinstating that 1864 law.

Abortion repeal helps GOP: It would rather retaliate

“I oppose today’s ruling, and I am calling on (Gov.) Katie Hobbs and the State Legislature to come up with an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support,” Lake said.

By April 11, Lake was sounding almost like she thought a woman should have a choice in the matter.

“I never would ever assume that any woman had the same exact feelings that I had or situation I had,” she said in a five-minute video set to music. “We know that some women are economically in a horrible situation. They might be in an abusive relationship. They might be the victim of rape.”

Yet nine days later, she told the Idaho Dispatch that “unfortunately,” the near total ban on abortion would not be enforced.

Lake opposes abortion, except ...

So, it’s full circle then, back to Lake circa September 2021, when she was extolling the virtues of Texas’ heartbeat bill banning abortion at about six weeks, even in the case of rape or incest.

Lake said she’d sign such a bill “in a heartbeat.”

And now?

“I believe that there should be exceptions for rape, incest and the life of a mother,” she told NPR in late April.

So, to sum it up, Lake opposes abortion except to save the political life of, well, Lake.

Reach Roberts at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @LaurieRoberts or on Threads at laurierobertsaz.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake wants an abortion debate. How about Lake ('22) v. Lake ('24)