Earlier this year, Meghan Clark wrote “Cuomo Holding Women’s Equality Hostage for Abortion.”  This week, New York Governor (and likely future failed presidential candidate) Andrew Cuomo killed the hostage.

Legislation to achieve pay equality, stop sexual harassment, strengthen human trafficking laws, stop pregnancy discrimination, and increase protection for victims of domestic violence is being shut down (barring a last minute reversal) because Cuomo and his allies were denied the opportunity to expand abortion in a state that has the highest abortion rate in the country.

Clark urged “pro-life feminists, Pro-life Democrats, and Catholic Democrats” to fight back against making abortion expansion the linchpin of efforts to promote women’s equality.  That is precisely what happened, and they were joined by the Bishops.  These groups fought abortion expansion, while also supporting the other nine provisions, those that would bring tangible benefits to women and align with a “common good feminist” agenda.

After the Senate refused to pass the abortion expansion and proposed to move ahead with the other nine proposals to expand women’s rights and equality, Cuomo and his allies decided to abandon all efforts to expand women’s equality.  NARAL and other pro-abortion rights groups applauded Cuomo’s devotion to their cause.

If this is part of Cuomo’s 2016 presidential campaign, it is almost certainly a mistake.  Though pro-abortion rights organizations are a key special interest group that can provide tremendous financial assistance to candidates, candidates that alienate tens of millions of voters through extremism are likely to regret going to absurd lengths to please such groups.

Nearly a third of the Democratic party is pro-life.  Even more support a variety of restrictions on abortion.  Cuomo’s preference for expanding abortion over protecting the vulnerable might help him with certain elites on the left, but many Democratic primary voters will likely turn against him, voting for anyone but Cuomo.  And given his pathetic betrayal of working-class and exploited women, who could blame them?