Posted on 10/08/2024 8:08:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
We regularly hear that on issue rankings, abortion is the most important issue for only 4% to 5% of the country. But that is not asking the right question.
A deep dive on abortion, combining both extensive qualitative and quantitative research, asked two additional questions.
First, when also asked if they agreed that “there are more important issues than abortion that a politician must address,” nationally 23% disagreed with the statement, including 26% of women and 28% of self-described pro-choice voters.
Even more importantly, 48% of likely voters agreed with the statement “I could never vote for an elected official whose beliefs on abortion are different from mine.” From focus groups, we learned that the agreement doesn’t need to be exact, but it should be in the ballpark and certainly can’t be the opposite.
We think the way to explain the discrepancy is that for some, abortion is less of a policy issue and more a gateway requirement for even considering a candidate. It is similar to asking someone what is most important to them in the person they are looking to date. They give you a list, but when you look at their behavior, all the dates are in the same age range and level of education. Those were not listed as “most important characteristics” because they are such givens that the person didn’t think to state them, but that is the subgroup to which all other important characteristics then apply. Same for many voters – with an acceptable abortion position defining the subgroup of candidates to whom issues then apply.
Our research showed that “pro-choice” means everything and anything short of an outright ban, including to many even a legal-only-to-12-weeks or even 6-weeks position. In contrast, “pro-life” has been successfully branded by the left as its most extreme incarnation — no abortions, possibly not even to save the life of the mother.
Indeed, many women believe that some states have this absolutist position as their law. In fact, abortion is legal in every state, at least to save the life of the mother, with most states having additional exceptions and time periods during which abortions are legal. You can see the details on this interactive map at FactsAboutAbortionNow.com.
Perhaps one of the most important findings is the need to provide more care and support for women who find themselves facing this difficult decision. In fact almost all voters care equally or more about the mother than they do about the baby.
Republicans — regardless of their position on abortion — have the opportunity to make their position less polarizing, as Sen. J.D. Vance did in the debate, by using stories and language that shows the common ground and shared empathy that they have with voters, including the vast majority of those who identify as pro-choice.
First, when facing a question about abortion, candidates should not duck or pivot to something else. Pivoting is viewed as “hiding something” and many are “looking for” candidates to do this.
Voters want to know when abortion would be legal, including exceptions past any specific time limit. GOP candidates should use the words “legal,” not just “accessible” or “available,” which to some seem to be weasel words. They should talk about the specific circumstances under which they believe abortion should be legal and then at what point a healthy baby is too developed for abortion to be appropriate except under extraordinary circumstances. Saying “abortion should be legal before a certain point, with exceptions after that” beats “abortion should be illegal with exceptions after a certain point” (56% to 32%), with 79% approval among those who want abortion legal to a “certain point.”
When discussing limits, always specify the list of exceptions that apply after the period when abortion is legal. Eighty-three percent nationally — a number which is roughly consistent across all demographics — want candidates to be upfront and explicit about the exceptions they support. Be aware that 90% of the country wants exceptions beyond rape, incest and life of the mother, particularly the ability of the baby to survive, the health of the mother and serious genetic defects.
There are other cautions: first, if a self-identified pro-life politician says “anyway there aren’t the votes” — what is heard is that if there were, that that politician would override a popular abortion law with the most restrictive one they can get away with, with a goal of an outright ban.
That too is why “leave it to the states” is too often heard as “yeah, you want to turn my state into Oklahoma.” Instead, much as Vance did say that it is being left to the people of the states to decide, their decisions should be respected, and that what’s right for Oklahoma isn’t right for Pennsylvania.
Be aware, too, that people do not believe there are late-term elective abortions of healthy babies in any significant numbers that are not medically necessary: If they hear someone say “late-term abortions” or say “Democrats want abortion,” they think that is hyperbole and politicizing the issue. Better phrasing would be “at any time for any reason.”
Millions of voters — in particular women — would be very open, even more likely to support Republicans, and prioritize issues like the economy, immigration and security. But that happens only after they are comfortable that a candidate is not out of line with their preferences on abortion.
Talk? We hear enough of that. The Grand Ole Planned Parenthood Party has decided they will sacrifice the most innocent for a few votes, for power and big pharma cash. I cannot supported Godless Grand Ole Planned Parenthood Party nationally.
Does the country that is the number one importer of trafficked children really need to be supported.
I do not answer to the power movers. I answer to Christ alone. You can attack my principles, but I didn’t kneel for the vax, the lockdowns and I disagree with the bumpstock bans.
Maybe it’s time to open our eyes to where this country is… and let it go. It sure doesn’t care about it’s citizens.
Pro-abortionists are pro-murderers and pro-crimes-against-humanity.
Abortion only protects men that rape and abuse women. It is post condom care.
Republicans should agree with the pro-abortion crowd and say they will be judged by god. That takes abortion off the table and now the Democrats will have to openly disparage god. And because of separation between religion and the state, the government needs to defund planned parenthood immediately.
I think you touched on something that always seems to be missing in the abortion discussion: morality. I could make the biblical case for a God who believe in individual free choice, but that doesn’t mean all choices are equal. I could better support a woman’s right to choose, for example, if people generally said abortion is a bad choice that should only be done in the most extreme situations, certainly not as birth control.
All they need to do is show a video of an actual abortion. Talking isn’t working.
“It doesn’t matter what MY position or beliefs on abortion are. I am a Representative of the voters in the district.”
Bears repeating. That was the whole point of returning the issue to the states. Let the voters decide. Of course this goes against Democrat thought, i.e. “I only follow the law and support democracy when it does what I want!”
How myopic. It's a gateway requirement for way deeper things than "a candidate". Friendship and mating come to mind. Who wants to date a serial killer?
Defund all abortions and make PP a legitimate women’s health clinic for heart disease, UTIs and birth control pills.
That includes agreeing to confiscate all guns in your district?
So what if voters decide that anyone over the age of 80, for instance, is a financial burden on society and that don’t want to devote their bodies, in part, to supporting that person?
The whole my body my choice is a fake argument because there is another body involved - that other body is the whole problem for them. They figure this is an inconvenience even though they knew the new person could be the result of their actions.
Far as I’m concerned they can do what they want to their OWN body..they are the only one who will face the consequences of that.
So they want to know we are only ok with killing some
Children. Not all of them. Lovely.
Any other murder off the table? School shooters just being judged by God? Husband poisoners? Bombers? Armed robbers?
I guess we aren’t going to “judge” them either.
Oh no. Only the killers if the most innocent and most helpless among us escape our criminal laws. We are going to shrug our shoulders on that alone.
You are changing your story, we pass laws all the time regarding guns, including confiscation in California for a particular model, the Supreme Court constantly has to rule on laws after they pass.
I don’t really care what a real woman does as part of her reproductive rights. I don’t share your religious beliefs. She will die one day and answer to her god. I look at it as being morally wrong.
That passive refusal to help doesn’t consider the baby, who is the one being killed.
“That passive refusal to help doesn’t consider the baby, who is the one being killed.”
I’m not denying that. I understand the ramifications. Fact is, abortion isn’t going away anytime soon and will never be made illegal. It is a political third rail issue and I was presenting the argument that if you politically take abortion off the table and acknowledge your public support while maintaining your personal beliefs, the Democrats will never win another election.
Rahm Emmanuel said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” I believe that came from Alinsky’s, Rules for Radicals. Politically, we need to use the rats playbook against them.
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