Poll: 62% of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong

Washington Examiner ^ | January 22, 2014 | CHARLIE SPIERING

[neverdem]

A new Knights of Columbus/Marist poll released Wednesday shows that more than six in 10 Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong.

Sixty-two percent of those polled believed that abortion is morally wrong, and only 36 percent found it morally acceptable. Two percent of Americans indicated that it was not a moral issue.

Fifty-three percent of respondents said they believe life begins at conception.

The poll shows that most Americans choose a more moderate position on abortion, but believe it should be restricted.

Support for restrictions on abortion includes 79 percent supporting a 24-hour waiting period, 58 percent supporting a woman receiving an ultrasound before her abortion and 80 percent supporting parental notification for underage patients.

Even respondents who identify themselves as strongly pro-choice indicated that they do not believe in unrestricted access to abortions.

Sixty-four percent of strongly pro-choice Americans agreed that a patient should wait 24 hours before an abortion and consult with professionals, 62 percent support parental notification and 68 percent believe doctors who perform abortions should be required to have hospital admitting privileges.

The release of the poll coincides with the National March for Life in Washington.

[freedom462]

It would be nice if they could show results that say what percentage of Americans believe all abortions should be outlawed and abortion clinics should all be permanently shut down. Unfortunately, the sad truth is I suspect that only a small minority would answer yes on that.

[Viennacon]

“Fifty-three percent of respondents said they believe life begins at conception.”

It is disgusting our candidate run from this issue. DO NOT RUN, the people will stand with us.

[madprof98]

Public opinion on this issue does not matter. Not one bit. Abortion - with its new partner, gay marriage - is now the bedrock principle of the American political order. If some people don’t like it, they can move.

[Tzimisce]

And yet abortion is everywhere paid for by the taxpayers.

Isn’t Obamaland great? :D

[DooDahhhh]

No

[CowboyJay]

"It would be nice if they could show results that say what percentage of Americans believe all abortions should be outlawed and abortion clinics should all be permanently shut down. Unfortunately, the sad truth is I suspect that only a small minority would answer yes on that."

We tried a ballot initiative in Colorado, because opinion had swung to about 69% pro-life. In the end, it only got about 25% from voters. And in retrospect, the initiative probably damaged pro-life candidates that were on the ballot that year. While most people think it's wrong, very few feel comfortable making that call for someone else.

[FlingWingFlyer]

62 percent? That’s the same number of Americans who believe that murder is morally wrong. What a coincidence.

[exDemMom]

We tried a ballot initiative in Colorado, because opinion had swung to about 69% pro-life. In the end, it only got about 25% from voters. And in retrospect, the initiative probably damaged pro-life candidates that were on the ballot that year. While most people think it's wrong, very few feel comfortable making that call for someone else.

Unfortunately, whenever a pro-life issue comes up, the pro-aborts jump in, making wildly emotional claims that the initiative is about making birth control illegal and taking rights away from women.

Unfortunately, even people who are pro-life will vote pro-abortion if they believe that the pro-life vote will result in birth control being made illegal and rights stripped from women.

We need to hit them back with just as much emotionalism. I'm thinking, just start hysterically claiming that pro-aborts think the only purpose of women is to be cash cows for abortionists, they think women are stupid, they want all women to be murderers, etc. Emotionalism (not reason) gets through to low-information voters.

The main thing is to not let the pro-aborts get away with the wild claims that making abortion illegal also makes birth control illegal. The two issues are not related.

[DoughtyOne]

And yet our leaders can’t parley 62% to 38, into anything of value. Just damn...

[jwalsh07]

What is morally wrong about ripping an unborn baby apart limb from limb and chucking them in the trash can?

[zeestephen]

Elections are more informative than polls.

Two months ago, residents in Albuquerque, New Mexico were asked to outlaw third term abortions.

Hispanics outnumber whites in Albuquerque.

These would be the same Hispanics who are overwhelmingly Catholic, and, according to the Wall Street Journal and Karl Rove, they are “Natural Conservatives.”

The election results?

The Initiative to outlaw third term abortions lost.

55%-45%.

There was no exit polling, but before you blame white hippies.....

2012 Election, New Mexico White Voters:
Romney - 56%
Obama - 41%

[Regulator]

Here, let me fix it:

"What is morally wrong about ripping an unborn baby apart limb from limb with a vacuum cleaner and chucking them in the trash can?"

Imagine if we proposed doing that to Abortion Barbie on TV for all to watch.

Other then the 2% sick trash contingent, I think we'd have 98% agreement at the end of the "show".

It's a barbaric joke to call this a "right".

[zeestephen]

RE: “DO NOT RUN, the people will stand with us.”

I disagree.

Please see my Comment #12.

[Sacajaweau]

why it is not 100%, I’ll never understand.

[editor-surveyor]

“White Hippies” are not Mormons, by and large.

[LibsRJerks]

Our society is really so far gone from any semblance of decency and kindness — we may never outlaw abortion again.

The fact is ...people do not want to be inconvenienced with a child, or more than one or two children, at any young age. A pregnancy causes women to lose their figures and get stretch marks. In this insanely image driven society, that’s just not acceptable. Having a child also causes one to grow up fast. Most 20 and even 30 something will admit they just aren’t “grown up” yet themselves to have a child and actually take care of it. They are too busy a. partying. b. careering. c. dating d. traveling. e. drifting f. all of the above.

Babies and family life just isn’t cool these days. Not until you’re on the brink of being old and in danger of never having had a family ...and then there’s this gigantic scramble, fertility panic, etc.

We’re a selfish lot. Blood runs in our streets. Our society suffers more and more and I wonder if it isn’t due to those we have and continue to eliminate, every single day.

We will pay the price one day ...if not soon. Demographics is destiny. We are already seeing it. We claim to be a strong and powerful nation, but we’re truly not. We’re actually very weak, very cowardly as a people, as long as we allow this.

[Theodore R.]

In the “New Math”, the 36 percent sets policy for the 62 percent. But the 62 percent lacks the commitment of the 36 percent.

[CowboyJay]

"We need to hit them back with just as much emotionalism."

I agree, we need to do a way better job getting the message out and framing the argument. My main point is that this is still a long way from being a winning issue politically, and we need to be careful about requiring candidates to publicly take jingoist stances on it to get through the primaries. I really didn't realize how far away we still are until our ballot initiative lost 3 to 1. Personally, I think the baby boomers will need to age out of the voting booth before anything substantial gets done.

The old feminazis will eventually die off. And alot of them didn't reproduce (for obvious reasons), or their kids/grandkids figured out they're insane. We're winning the war with the younger generations, and we'll eventually get real right to life legislation. But it probably won't happen anytime in the next couple election cycles.

[zeestephen]

Not sure I understand your comment.

I don’t know the religious demographics of New Mexico.

Do they have a lot of Mormons?

In the past, people have disputed my analysis of the Albuquerque election by claiming that the white electorate is made up of retired hippies and California transplants.

So, I throw the Romney-Obama exit poll back at them.