“It’s not a question of me being okay,” Bernie Sanders stated simply when asked on Fox News if there were any circumstance in which he would be okay with abortion being illegal. While this is the answer Sanders gave at Fox’s Democratic “Town Hall” on March 7, 2016, that the government should have no involvement has long been the politician’s stance on the topic of women’s health. Later in the same debate Sanders says, “I happen to believe that it is wrong for the government to be telling a woman what to be doing with her own body.”

This has been Bernie Sander’s media strategy for some time – to answer questions on the topic of abortion quickly, firmly, and without question of morality. He keeps himself entirely out of the equation, insisting that the decision to have an abortion is between the individual and their doctor, just as any other medical procedure or treatment would be.

Largely, Sanders only speaks to the issue of abortion only when asked, answering Rachel Maddow’s inquiry on the topic that “I will do everybody that I can to allow women to make that choice and have access to clinics all over this country.” Unsurprising, considering the many occasions that he has proclaimed himself to be “strongly pro-choice.”

Pro-choice is not a distinct political stance on abortion – the Democratic Party is famously pro-choice. What makes Bernie Sander’s strategy of answering questions on such a delicate subject in such a blunt and factual manner unique is that it contrasts not only with opinions from opposing parties, but with statements made by his competition for the democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton.

Clinton says that she has been on record supporting a ban on abortions after 20 weeks with exceptions for the life and health of the mother. Regardless of anyone’s stance on the issue, this is clearly a more curated response than Sanders’.

That is not to say that Bernie Sanders will not go on the offensive to protect abortion rights if necessary. When Donald Trump made a statement that women who seek abortions should be punished, Bernie responded on Twitter that Trump’s stance is “shameful.”

“The really interesting thing about Bernie Sanders’ stance on abortion is that it’s not his personal view so much as an ideal,” says Rachel Ferrante, a sophomore at Rutgers University. “Bernie knows that it doesn’t matter what his own feelings are, and he stands for deregulation of abortion because he knows it is not the government’s place – or anyone’s place – to police women’s bodies. He wants to make that very clear, and it has been.”

Another college age young woman, Anna O’Keefe, a sophomore at Hamilton College weighs in, saying, “Hillary is being perfectly reasonable medically, and I don’t actually agree with abortion in most cases. But Bernie knows it’s not his choice, or mine, or anybody’s, really.” O’Keefe goes on to express that Clinton is noticeably trying to be reasonable and empathetic in her stance. Sanders’ media strategy regarding abortion is unique in its staunch simplicity.