New poll--8% more self-identify as "pro-choice" than last year.

[bunkerbuster1]

http://pollingreport.com/abortion.htm

"With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?"

8/29-31/08 53% pro-choice, 44% pro-life
5/4-6/07 45% pro-choice, 50% pro-life

I realize it's all about terminology, rather than policy, in a question like this. But it's still encouraging for our side, which is explicitly pro-choice and running ads about it.

[...of J.Temperance]

1. Which is why I can't see much

Support going to Sarah Palin, considering she wants to ban ALL abortion even in the cases of rape and incest, and also she's anti-Contraception.

If 8% more people say they're pro-Choice....and as a total it's 53%, they're not going to support the Palin nutter.

Interesting that the pro-Life crowd are at 44% in that poll, and I've been noticing that McCain/Palin's high-water mark seems to be 43%-44% in the tracking polls.

[ps1074]

2. Did they poll men too?

Because I think they should poll women only.

[bunkerbuster1]

3. Alas, men get to vote as well.

I'm not being entirely sarcastic, actually.

[greenvpi]

4. Those people are weak and wishy-washy.

They don't really count for anything. They're not going to be the people on the streets fighting for freedom. They're the uneducated, ignorant people that sit on their couches and watch TV. Of course, we still appreciate their votes.

[K8-EEE]

5. We need to really ask: Do you want to criminaliza all abortion in the US?

I really think the numbers would go against that.

If you look throughout the world, the stricter the abortion laws, the less free the society. They want Afghanistan's laws here. Seriously.

[nichomachus]

6. This is a nation that floats on a sea of cognitive dissonance

People don't know what they want. They think in slogans and soundbites -- which suits the corporatists just fine.

[depakid]

10. Some states WILL criminalize abortion

just as they'll restrict birth control choices.

[K8-EEE]

11. Fundie Pharmacists already doing "Birth Control Pills Are Abortion"

stuff....

[depakid]

12. Yep- and Bush is pushing more of it

Mark my words, when Griswold is overruled, some southern and midwestern states will restrict various birth control methods- or perhaps make them avilable only to married couples.

[central scrutinizer]

7. Maybe, but will they vote?

That is the problem - when voter turnout is around 50%, you only need 25% to win and if your base is more committed than the other side and produces a better turnout, you win.

[bunkerbuster1]

8. Sheesh, tough crowd here.

I think a poll that shows "pro-choice" as distinctly more acceptable as a self-identifier than it was a year ago is a good thing.

Obviously, we still gotta do the canvassing and such. I think Obama's as well positioned to GOTV as any national candidate I've seen in my lifetime.

[chicagoexpat]

9. caveat, it's always been accepted wisdom that abortion issue hurts liberals

The hard core people who are anti-choice will base their vote only on that one issue

This group is larger than the core pro-choice group who will vote according to that one issue