The new Beliefnet survey offers some fascinating insight into how voters are looking at abortion.
In the Beliefnet survey, about 20% of overall Obama voters and 35% of the most religious Obama voters (those who attend church weekly or more) were pro-life. If national results track Beliefnet users -- we'll have to wait for some more national surveys to be sure -- then that would mean pro-lifers made up a bigger portion of the Obama vote than African Americans and Latino's combined.
So what do they believe? They are fundamentally different from McCain Pro Lifers because they simply don't believe that criminalizing abortion is the most effective means of reducing the numbers. Here's the key:
11% believe the best way to reduce the number of abortions is through legal restrictions
87% believe the best way is "by preventing unintended pregnancies (through education and birth control) or providing financial assistance to pregnant mothers."
Just as surprising, is that a third of McCain pro-lifers, and 42% of McCain voters, agreed that the second approach was more effective.
This is striking. For years, the abortion debate has revolved around Roe v. Wade and legal restrictions, yet the majority of Obama pro-lifers and a sizable minority of McCain voters say that another approach would be more effective at reducing the number of abortions.
The good news for Obama is that his argument during the fall campaign -- that we should seek common ground ways of reducing abortion -- tapped into a real public desire. The bad news is that he now has to deliver on that promise, or risk alienating millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him.
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NightLad is right. Reagan did the same fool the voters. Reagan and Bush were pro-choice when governors.
With over 60 percent of voters not wanting to make abortion illegal, Republicans know to double talk the issue just like McCain did.
Obama and most Democrats stance on issues are much more in line with the Bible. They try to protect the average citizen, while Republicans protect the wealthy
Bush did influence Roe V Wade's future...by his appointments to the U. S. Supreme Court. Fortunately it hasn't been tested again there. Choice needs to remain legal.
"The good news for Obama is that his argument during the fall campaign -- that we should seek common ground ways of reducing abortion -- tapped into a real public desire. The bad news is that he now has to deliver on that promise, or risk alienating millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him."
Not necessarily. The real question is whether their vote had anything to do with abortion. There are people who consider themselves pro-life who are not single issue voters. For them, the pro-life issue was not the linchpin of their vote.
I am a Catholic Obama supporter who wants some scriptural based arguments to convince my one issue friends and relatives that there is more to Pro-Life than just the abortion issue. I need to approach them respectfully, intelligently, and spiritually. I understand the emotions involved but there has to be a way that we can agree to disagree without one side feeling that they know exactly what God wants or another side feeling damned by those who hold that position.
I'm pro-life and I voted for Obama. I favor legal restrictions on abortion, essentially what was voted down in South Dakota: making it legal only in cases where the life or health of the mother would be endangered or in cases of rape or incest. If it was illegal, I think there'd almost have to be a criminal penalty of some sort for violating the law, but I doubt it would be classed as a felony.
I also agree that it makes sense to provide better sex education for kids, to make birth control more affordable and accessible, and to broaden the social welfare safety net so more parents can take care of their unplanned for children.
I voted for Obama not because I don't want abortion to be illegal but because I weighed that belief against my belief in the other things he promised to do such as reforming the health care system and resolving the war in Iraq and determined that he would be more likely to end suffering and help people than McCain would. I don't vote for a candidate based only on my position on abortion.
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