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CBS News Poll: 54 Percent of Americans Take Pro-Life Position on Abortion
Life News ^ | 10/19/07 | Steve Ertelt

Posted on 10/19/2007 12:55:21 PM PDT by wagglebee

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll conducted by CBS News makes it clear that a majority of Americans are pro-life when it comes to the issue of abortion. The October survey finds 54 percent of Americans take one of three pro-life positions opposing all or almost all abortions and another 16 percent want more restrictions on it.

The October 12-16 poll asked Americans to tell CBS News their "personal feelings" on abortion.

The survey found that 16 percent of the public only favors allowing abortions "only to save woman's life" and another 34 percent think abortions should only be allowed in the very rare cases of rape, incest or to save the mother's life.

Another four percent of Americans want all abortions to be made illegal.

With the Planned Parenthood-affiliated Alan Guttmacher Institute showing that less than two percent of all abortions are done in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother's life, the CBS News poll shows 54 percent of Americans oppose 98 percent of all abortions.

According to the survey, just 26 percent of the public wants abortions permitted in all cases.

Another 16 percent want abortions to remain legal but to be subject to greater restrictions than they currently face.

In total, 70 percent of those polled want abortions illegal in most or all cases or subject to greater restrictions.

The numbers have increased since CBS News conducted a similar poll in January.

That survey found 47 percent of Americans take one of the three pro-life positions and 47 percent too one of the two pro-abortion positions. Another six percent were unsure of where they stood on abortion.

The new October poll also surveyed evangelical voters and found 79 percent take one of the three pro-life stances with 35 percent taking the life of the mother position and the same percentage taking the rape, incest and life of the mother position. Nine percent opposed all abortions.

Among self-described evangelical voters, just 17 percent supported abortion.

This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,282 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone October 12-16, 2007. It has a three percentage point margin of error.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; moralabsolutes; prolife
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With the Planned Parenthood-affiliated Alan Guttmacher Institute showing that less than two percent of all abortions are done in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother's life, the CBS News poll shows 54 percent of Americans oppose 98 percent of all abortions.

And this means that the majority of Americans are opposed to nearly 1.3 MILLION abortions a year.

1 posted on 10/19/2007 12:55:23 PM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 10/19/2007 12:55:49 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 230FMJ; 49th; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; ..
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee or little jeremiah to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]


3 posted on 10/19/2007 12:56:16 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

Holy crap, how did this poll get out of the MSM coffers?

The number is probably higher than that due to how they worded the question.


4 posted on 10/19/2007 12:57:08 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: wagglebee
The October survey finds 54 percent of Americans take one of three pro-life positions opposing all or almost all abortions ...

Only 54%?

5 posted on 10/19/2007 12:58:18 PM PDT by Ken522
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To: wagglebee

The problem I see is this:

Abortion is not a constitutional issue. It is a state issue. If 54% do not like it and we enact federal law of some sorts then what happens when 51% - 54% of Americans don’t care about the 2nd amendment and they vote in laws restricting or worse repealing it. Apples to oranges but I have concerns.

BTW, I am pro-life.


6 posted on 10/19/2007 12:59:09 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: wagglebee
Among self-described evangelical voters, just 17 percent supported abortion.

Sounds like some seriously conflicted people.

7 posted on 10/19/2007 12:59:28 PM PDT by Mygirlsmom (One has to wonder how a guy like Harry Reid has gotten this far and still has his original teeth....)
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To: Ken522

“The October survey finds 54 percent of Americans take one of three pro-life positions opposing all or almost all abortions ...

Only 54%?”

They probably asked the question in such a way that it garnered a lower %.


8 posted on 10/19/2007 1:00:57 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: wagglebee

In most cases, an “abortion” that is genuinely “to save the life of the mother” is not an abortion at all, but the unintended consequence of a legitimate health procedure.

Thus, with a tubal pregnancy, to take one instance, there is no chance that the child would survive in any case, and the operation is intended to save the mother’s life.

To take another instance, an abortion caused by chemotherapy to save the mother from breast cancer, this is also an unintended side effect. Several heroic mothers have died so their babies could be born, but no one could legitimately require it of them. This was their own heroic decision, freely taken.

And keep in mind that these poll numbers are taken in a world where maybe 95% of the media and entertainment industry and academia propagandize in favor of abortion, and where the mainline churches and even some priests say it is OK. In a normal world, far fewer would favor it.

I really wish that the Republican Party pros understood this. President Bush seems to, but many of his closest advisers and colleagues do not, and he has sometimes permitted them to run political campaigns on that basis. They have not succeeded in swaying him personally, but he has allowed them to spend RNC money and to campaign for RINOs and pro-aborts, even though it has damaged the party as well as violated his beliefs.

It was one reason for the poor results in the 2006 elections.


9 posted on 10/19/2007 1:07:01 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Ken522
The October survey finds 54 percent of Americans take one of three pro-life positions opposing all or almost all abortions ...

Only 54%?

======

That's the best CBS could do to slant the real results.

10 posted on 10/19/2007 1:10:15 PM PDT by RJL
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To: RJL

The FIRST question was probably, “do you watch CBS News on a regular basis?” and they skewed the results that way.


11 posted on 10/19/2007 1:13:38 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: Slapshot68

Ask the question “Should women have the right to end an unwanted pregnancy?” and poll support for abortion would likely be overwhelming.

I think the key thing to keep in mind is the great majority of people basically ignore the issue and sort of wish it would go away.

Remember, FR isn’t representative of the country.


12 posted on 10/19/2007 1:13:52 PM PDT by Strategerist
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To: Strategerist

“Remember, FR isn’t representative of the country.”

True...and I’m beginning to think neither are these surveys that get paraded out every other day.


13 posted on 10/19/2007 1:15:47 PM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: wagglebee

There is a LOT of polling evidence that the majority of Americans want abortion to be Mostly Illegal But Not Completely Illegal.

A bill that forbids an interruption of the pregnancy after 12 weeks except to save the life of the mother, and even then requires the doctor to try to save the baby’s life if this is possible, could pass. (This is essentially the law in Germany.)

I also think this could pass muster with the Supreme Court.

BUT I do not think the a bill that attempts to protect life from conception could pass. (Nor do I think it would be held constitutional.)

We can do this. Even, I think, Rudy would agree to it. He has come part of the way, on partial birth abortion and other regulatory matters. As have many others.

BTW McCain was awesome at the FRC convention.


14 posted on 10/19/2007 2:13:58 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: Resolute Conservative
Abortion is not a constitutional issue. It is a state issue.

Yes and no, abortion is not a Federal/constitutional issue. But neither is it a State issue. It is a medical issue to be resolved between doctor and patient and like all medical issues, the patient should pay for the service provided directly or through insurance. It is not birth control and should never be funded as such by ANY government agency. Nor should it be allowed to become the sole practice of a medical facility. State boards of medical ethics should adopt rules preventing "abortion mills".

I expect to get flamed, but that's the way I feel about it. Medical decisions are between you and your doctor and the government should butt out.

Regards,
GtG

PS My GP volunteers one day a week at a "free clinic" she started and has dragooned enough help to keep it open seven day a week. This is not all that unusual as nearly every mid to large sized city has these facilities for the truly needy.

15 posted on 10/19/2007 2:16:11 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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To: Cicero

Thank you for saying an “abortion” for the purpose of saving the life of the mother isn’t really an abortion. It’s an interruption of the preganancy. Even we we have to intervene, we can, in many cases, save the baby too.


16 posted on 10/19/2007 2:18:14 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: Gandalf_The_Gray

and what happens when doctor won;t do the procedure and insurance won’t pay?

Then it will fall back to the gubment when some turd sues.


17 posted on 10/19/2007 2:20:57 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: Gandalf_The_Gray

Abortion is a constitutional issue in the following sense:

The U.S. Constitution recognizes the rights of persons, and doesn’t recognize the personhood of the unborn.

Judges, then, in abortion cases, are weighing the Liberty of a person merely against the state’s interest in regulating medical procedures.

What we really need is a ruling, building on Webster, that the state can recognize a form of personhood of the unborn baby, and therefore justify a more pro-Life balancing of the rights of the party’s involved in abortion.

I think this isn’t so very wierd of a position. Minor children are viewed as persons and yet can’t sign contracts, nor consent to sexual relations, etc., etc. We can apply such a common sense concept of personhood to the pre-born.

St. Ambrose put it this way: That which has the potential to be human should be treated as human. We have Biblical certainty that sometime while in the womb God infuses the stuff of us with an immortal soul. This soul has existed from the beginning of time, with God, and will continue to exist forever. When does God infuse this soul into our physical stuff, by tradition, we say at quickening, but we cannot be certain of this.

As citizens in a secular society, informed by our faith we are certain that human life begins in the womb. Therefore, we should protect life at some point within the womb. This is a moral imperative. At what point we do this, reflects our concerns both for Liberty as well as Life.

Constitutionally, abortion has to be more than a weighing of the Liberty of one person versus the state’s interest in regualting medical procedures. It has to be a Life versus Liberty thing.


18 posted on 10/19/2007 2:39:08 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: Strategerist
Ask the question “Should women have the right to end an unwanted pregnancy?” and poll support for abortion would likely be overwhelming.

I agree. It would probably be a clear majority. At least two thirds. For cryin' out loud, the Republicans are practically ready to nominate a pro-choice candidate to run for office. This is a pretty clear sign that legal abortion maintains a great deal of support.

Remember, FR isn’t representative of the country.

Yes, a lot of people here really need to step away from their keyboards once in a while.

19 posted on 10/19/2007 2:39:57 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: wagglebee

Yes, but what percentage of those who oppose abortion are single issue voter?


20 posted on 10/19/2007 2:43:09 PM PDT by monocle
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