For lack of a better term, the evening network newscasts pounced- or seized, if you will, upon the Arizona Supreme Court ruling tossing out the state’s 15-week limit on abortion and putting in place the 1864 territorial statute which bans abortion in all instances except to protect the life of the mother. As you can imagine, the focus of all this collective seizing and pouncing was on the potential electoral effects of this ruling.
Most exemplary and most over-the-top, as is usually the case, was ABC’s coverage. After a lengthy lead-in politically framing the story, anchor David Muir jumps back on in order to make sure that correspondent Rachel Scott lets viewers know “what’s at stake”:
DAVID MUIR: So, this is really shaping up to be an issue that could affect the presidential race in November. Rachel Scott back with us tonight covering the race…
