October 26, 2007
Not The Values Voters' Year: Part II
The Family Research Council's Washington Briefing last weekend only reinforced the impression that religious conservatives are in for a frustrating election cycle. As the GOP front-runners continue to beat each other up over who wants abortion outlawed the most, and a new FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll [PDF] indicates the eventual nominee might have to clam up on the issue when he enters the general.
The survey of 900 registered voters indicates a majority of Americans believe women should be given the option of terminating pregnancy in nearly all cases. Seventy-three percent said abortion should remain legal for those whose lives were endangered by their pregnancy; 70 percent said victims of rape or incest should also have access to the procedure. The majority thins for the greyer areas of the mother's mental health and if the fetus has a fatal birth defect. Fewer than 40 percent said an unwanted pregnancy justified abortion.
It's not as though abortion won't be a campaign issue next year; with two probable vacancies on the Supreme Court looming for the next president, it undoubtedly will. The Democratic Party has learned to ditch the talking points of pro-choice activists and moderate its language on abortion. So, in a departure from previous cycles, the ground conditions and these numbers indicate the abortion issue works more favorably for the Democratic candidate in '08.
Posted at 2:09 PM
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Abortion, Campaigns, Democrats, Republicans, WH 2008
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