Is the Pro-Life movement dead?

[MobBoss]

Maybe not.

In fact, it may be growing.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/15/poll-americans-pro-life-pro-choice-time/

Poll: Majority of Americans Are Pro-Life for the First Time
Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life" and just 42 percent say they are "pro-choice," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago.

FOXNews.com

Friday, May 15, 2009

Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago.

The numbers correspond with FOX News polls this month showing 49 percent of Americans as pro-life and 43 percent as pro-choice on abortion. Last year the numbers were essentially the reverse of the current findings: 41 percent were pro-life and 49 percent were pro-choice in September 2008.

The Gallup poll released Friday also marks a massive shift from one year ago, when 50 percent of Americans called themselves pro-choice, and just 44 percent said they were pro-life. Today 42 percent say they are pro-choice, by far the lowest level of support for abortion ever measured by the Gallup poll.

Despite that change in opinion, most Americans still believe that abortion should remain legal. Yet Gallup reports that the new numbers come in stark contrast with the last four years, when polls found a strong tilt of public opinion in favor of unrestricted abortions, which is now declining.

Fifty-three percent say abortions should remain legal under certain circumstances, and nearly equal numbers take hard-line views -- 23 percent say it should be illegal in all circumstances, and 22 percent say it should be legal no matter what.

The sample study of 1,015 adults was conducted from May 7-10 and has a margin of error of 3 points. Though the changes were notable for a single-year period, they were not an anomaly -- Gallup conducted two more polls on the issue and came out with nearly identical results.

The big jump came mostly from moderates and conservatives, whose personal opposition to abortion jumped 7 and 5 points respectively. Liberal support for abortion also increased this year.

Support for abortions has wavered among men and women in recent years, but Gallup noted that for the first time in nearly a decade significantly more men and women are pro-life than pro-choice.

Interesting tidbit in this season of the democrat. Why is support for abortion falling? Will it ever be actually outlawed? I dont think so personally, but I think it could be outlawed after a certain period when having a surviving baby becomes viable...and that seems to get sooner and sooner every year due to advancements in medicine.

Comments?

 

[Nylan]

Hasn't it been close since...forever? 51% is hardly revolutionary. There hasn't been enough time to conclude that the movement is growing with any significance. Ask again in a year.

 

[Death_Machine]

First of all, how dare you cite a biased source like Fox News?

Secondly, if conservatism is dead (like so many wish it were) how is this change happening on one of the wedge issues between liberals & conservatives?

I'm not surprised to see more men becoming Pro Life. As a man you have no say in if the woman carries the kid to term or not. A particularly selfish woman might seek an abortion even if the man is willing to raise the kid by himself, so maybe men see it as achieving some kind of equality with women on the issue............

Anyhow, I thought I'd post a link to the Regressive Party who's stance on abortion will not be found elsewhere: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=regressive

 

[Cutlass]

Years of marginalizing the movement can make a lot of the ambivalent people lean away from something. On the other hand, that's a Fox "report"

"Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?"

http://www.pollingreport.com/abortion.htm

 

[emzie]

Self described pro-life does not mean anti-abortion. The numbers in gallups poll still show 75% of Americans are for abortion in some circumstances. And I'd really like to see this result reproduced in other polls. The change was huge for such a short time scale.

Either way, Supreme Court's tilt ain't changing towards the pro-life movement anytime in the next 4 years.

 

[Trajan12]

Last two posters pretty much beat me to the point.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/05/are_americans_galluping_toward_the_pro-life_label.php

 

[Theige]

The jump in the numbers seems a little odd; definitely need to verify these results with another poll before declaring a trend.

Either way, Supreme Court's tilt ain't changing towards the pro-life movement anytime in the next 8 years.

Fixed that for you

 

[JollyRoger]

I'm pro life and pro choice.

 

[GenMarshall]

Pro life does not equate to a total ban on abortions. There are branches within the pro life movement which say that abortions for risk of mother's life, incest, and rape are permissable and don't wish to see abortions as a form of birth control.

 

[warpus]

I am pro-life, but anti-fetus.

 

[El_Machinae]

What I hope is that our society becomes more nuanced in this discussion, where a simple "pro-life" or "pro-choice" label will not properly describe the majority of people. I think we're greatly there, because we see that 75% of people think abortion should be legal in some circumstances. Now, that 75% of people will contain the edges of both the pro-life and pro-choice movements, but at least the debate is not overly simplified.

 

[Catharsis]

The pro-life movement was never dead. It was alive since the moment of its conception.

 

[emzie]

The pro-life movement was never dead. It was alive since the moment of its conception.

I laughed

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Maybe not.

In fact, it may be growing.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/15/poll-americans-pro-life-pro-choice-time/



Interesting tidbit in this season of the democrat. Why is support for abortion falling? Will it ever be actually outlawed? I dont think so personally, but I think it could be outlawed after a certain period when having a surviving baby becomes viable...and that seems to get sooner and sooner every year due to advancements in medicine.

Comments?

First of all, no one supports abortions. We just support the woman's right to choose to have one if she needs or wants to. I'm actually against abortion and think the mother should always have the child, and have to live up to her responsibility. But I think its her choice to do that or not.

 

[JollyRoger]

Maybe with Obama in charge now, more people are comfortable with the government making the choice for them.

 

[LightSpectra]

First of all, no one supports abortions.

Obama does. He voted against a bill that would count babies who survive abortions as human beings; meaning he is literally in favor of infanticide, not just allowing a woman to control her body.

 

[Cutlass]

Obama does. He voted against a bill that would count babies who survive abortions as human beings; meaning he is literally in favor of infanticide, not just allowing a woman to control her body.

Well isn't that an bit of bias

 

[LightSpectra]

Well isn't that an bit of bias

Word it any way you like. The statement, "nobody is pro-abortion since nobody wants babies/fetii/people to be aborted" is false.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

I am Pro-Choice to an extent. Abortion is fine by me (though it repulses me) until the fetus can feel pain. The second that it can feel pain of any kind, it is unequivocally wrong.

There are of course exceptions to the rule, but i'm sure you know them already.

 

[MjM]

Of course a poll by fox news will bring up a majority (1% majority) pro-lifers.

I don't think it's a valid representation of America's opinion as a whole.