US abortion views shift, majority are 'pro-life': poll
May 15, 2009US opinion on abortion has shifted with, for the first time in nearly 15 years, a narrow 51-percent majority identifying themselves as "pro-life," according to a new Gallup poll published Friday.
The "pro-life," anti-abortion opinion has risen from 44 percent a year ago, while the number of Americans who described themselves as "pro-choice" fell from 50 percent a year ago to 42 percent now.
The results "represent a significant shift," said Gallup, which interviewed 1,015 adults from May 7-10.
For the middle ground poll, Gallup said 53 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal under certain circumstances, about even from a year ago.
This opinion's high point came under Democrat president Bill Clinton in 1997 when 67 percent said abortion should be legal under certain circumstances.
By comparison, the extreme views on remain polarized, with 23 percent saying abortion should be barred under any circumstances -- up from 17 percent a year ago -- and 22 percent maintaining the action should be allowed in "most circumstances," down from 28 percent last year.
The change in opinion has come due to a distinct tightening of ranks among Republicans on the ethical, and bio-ethical, issues.
The percentage of Republicans calling themselves "pro-life" jumped 10 percent in the last year from 60 to 70 percent, as little change was registered among Democrats and those who lean Democratic.
The opinion shift has coincided with the positions taken by the administration of President Barack Obama, which opened the funding gates to organizations that sponser abortion and revived stem cell research.
Marking the controversy has been the vocal protests to Obama's visit to the major Catholic university Notre Dame at the weekend.
The "pro-life" position among Catholics has risen seven points in the last year -- to 52 percent -- as Protestants have registered an eight point increase to 59 percent, Gallup found.
For the first time in a decade, more men are against abortion (54 percent) than women (49 percent).
Gallup said their maximum sampling error was plus or minus three percent.
(c) 2009 AFP
Sep 07, 2009
So yes. The poll was flawed, whatever the outcome.
Therefor either the poll is flawed in some way or the article is badly written. The usual way for a poll to be flawed is the specifics of the questions asked and I note that they don't give the specifics. This is not just something I see happening at Physorg a site that often has badly written articles. It seems endemic to most articles covering polls.
Without the details any poll is worthless. Often even with the details once you see the actual questions.
Ethelred
Now getting pro abortionists to tell the truth is about as hard as getting a democratic leader to tell the truth,
What a delightful strawman.
Skin cells on my ass are fully alive and you can remove some and keep them alive. They are clearly human cells. Yet nobody accuses me of murder when I scratch my ass; why is that?
Polls are easy to fix to produce the desired results. All you have to do is alter the wording of the questions and/or answer choices. Ask anyone in advertising or psychological warfare.
Only misguided religious people think Human Life is independent of brains. Specifically the cerebral cortex. While I can see a person deciding your way for yourself I don't think its your business to make that decision for others.
In Japan babies aren't official till they are a month old. That's after birth not conception. A hole nation is crazy according to you.
When a person thinks everyone else is crazy they need to take a closer look at themselves.
Ethelred
Any group differentiated by avoiding birth control and/or abortion may produce more children, and pass along similar values to their larger families.
Natural selection favors the reproductive winners, even when they disagree with Darwin. Theology tries to control paternity, often removes the goalie during intercourse, and frequently refuses to call the results unplanned or a mistake.
In my humble opinion, Religious-Fundamental governments rise as more affluent perspectives die out with less reproductive influence, or with relatively less control of reproductive paternity.