51% of Americans now say they are pro-life, compared to 42% pro-choice -- essentially a full-shift reversal from just three years ago.
-- From "Most Americans 'pro-life'" by Foon Rhee, Boston Globe Deputy National Political Editor 5/15/09
While the poll itself didn't ask about the impact of Obama, anti-abortion groups jumped on the results, pointing out that pollsters said, "It is possible that, through his abortion policies, Obama has pushed the public's understanding of what it means to be "pro-choice" slightly to the left, politically. While Democrats may support that, as they generally support everything Obama is doing as president, it may be driving others in the opposite direction."
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement: "These polling results confirm a long trend: Americans are increasingly identifying with the position of protecting human life. It’s not shocking that we’re seeing stronger pro-life opinions. This trend has been steady since the early ‘90s. What is interesting is American’s shift in self-labeling to a majority ‘pro-life’ identification. Americans are now seeing through the PR-generated label, ‘pro-choice.’ Sonograms and real-life experience have deemed this label hollow. President Obama and the pro-abortion majority in Congress are in a collision course with public opinion on abortion policy. What we’re debating right now – taxpayer funding for abortion – dramatically outstrips public opinion.”
The Gallup survey gave respondents three options for the extent to which abortion should be legal and found that about as many Americans now say the procedure should be illegal in all circumstances (23 percent) as say it should be legal under any circumstances (22 percent). This contrasts with the last four years, when Gallup found a strong tilt of public attitudes in favor of unrestricted abortion.
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
Also, read the poll and analysis by Gallup.
