A new poll shows that after New York jubilantly approved legislation to expand abortion and Virginia abortion supporters pushed bills to allow abortion up to the moment of birth, the American people have responded by opposing abortion in surprising numbers.
The Marist poll found that equal numbers of Americans — 47 percent — said that they are pro-life or pro-abortion. That is the first time since 2009 the two sides of the abortion debate have been even in the public mind.
However, as noted by Axios, the totals are not all that’s important. They also represent a massive sea change in opinions in a very short time.
A similar poll last month showed only 38 percent of respondents calling themselves pro-life, while 55 percent voiced their support for abortion.
“Current proposals that promote late-term abortion have reset the landscape and language on abortion in a pronounced — and very measurable — way,” said Barbara Carvalho, director of The Marist Poll, in a comment included on the Knights of Columbus webpage. The Catholic organization sponsored the poll.
The poll also recorded a major change among Democrats. Last month, 20 percent of Democrats said they were pro-life. That shot up to 34 percent in the current poll.
The share of Democrats supporting abortion dropped from 75 percent to 61 percent.
“This has been a measure that has been so stable over time. To see that kind of change was surprising,” Carvalho said. “And the increased discussion in the public forum in the past month appears to have made the biggest difference in how people identify on the issue.”
Younger respondents showed a massive change. Last month, only 28 percent said they were pro-life, a number that skyrocketed to 47 percent this month. Support for abortion among young respondents tumbled from 65 percent to 48 percent.
“The recent legal changes to late-term abortion and the debate which followed have not gone unnoticed by the general public,” she said. “In just one month, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of Americans who see themselves as pro-life and an equally notable decline in those who describe themselves as pro-choice.”
The poll showed widespread condemnation for late-term abortions. Seventy-one percent of respondents said abortion should be banned after a mother’s pregnancy reaches the 20th week.
Poll: Pro-Life Movement On The Rise After Horrific Abortion Efforts in New York And Virginia https://t.co/EHiOYixrPQ
— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) February 25, 2019
Eighty percent of those responding said abortion should never happen after the first three months of pregnancy.
Today every Senator will have to vote on a straightforward question:
If a botched abortion results in a live birth,should doctors be required to use the same degree of skill & care to protect the newborn as they would offer any other child born alive at same gestational age? https://t.co/WJBAfu2xl9
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 25, 2019
“Arguments in favor of late-term abortion are simply not convincing the American people,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus. “If anything, since these proposals have been unveiled, people are moving noticeably in the pro-life direction.
“It is now clear that these radical policies are being pursued despite the opposition of the majority of Americans of both parties.”
Via WesternJournal
