[Mojave]

However, Murdock's implicit effort to credit Giuliani with the declining number of abortions during his tenure as mayor goes too far. As Murdock acknowledges, the number of abortions was declining nationwide during this period -- obviously for demographic reasons -- and New York City merely reflected that trend. Here's the rub, though. Unless Murdock can show that there was something special about Giuliani's public policies that reduced the number of abortions in New York City, which I doubt, I THINK he has over-reached in his efforts to prop up Giuliani's "social conservative" credentials.

And?

You have not begun to show that anything in Rudy pro-abortion policies reduced abortion and you have not shown that abortion rates in New York differed from the national trends. You're no closer to evidence for your original sourceless claims than you were before.

Predictably.

[Spyder]

The problem is we're both arguing theories, and I'm willing to concede that but perhaps you aren't.

We have a single fact - abortions in NYC decreased by a more significant percentage than nationally during Rudy Giuliani's term as mayor.

The theories are did Rudy do anything that contributed to that or did it somehow miraculously happen without him doing anything.

Considering the large drop in crime and general "cleaning up" of the city, I'd say his policies played a fairly good-sized role. Perhaps they didn't directly refer to abortion, but an improvement in vice crime, druggies, etc., etc., will most likely also lead to decreased abortion.

Whatever - the FACT is that abortions decreased more under Rudy than elsewhere.

Now it's your turn to provide a source that PROVES beyond a reasonable doubt that it would have happened even if Dinkins were still mayor.