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Democrats lose with their abortion position Date published: 6/26/2007
NUMEROUS POLLS show that the abortion issue favors gen- erally pro-life Republicans over generally pro-choice Democrats on Election Day, with the latter losing more votes over its position. For those who enjoy a little curry with their data, there's Melinda Henneberger writing in The New York Times.
In an op-ed titled "Why Pro-Choice is a Bad Choice for Democrats," Ms. Henneberger, a former Times reporter who spent 18 months interviewing women in 20 states writes that most women--especially most Catholic women--who voted for Al Gore in 2000 but against John Kerry in 2004 did so because of President Bush's strong pro-life convictions, manifested in his promise (kept) to appoint "strict constructionist" judges to the Supreme Court. She points out, also, that in a recent New York Times/CBS poll, 64 percent of respondents favored more curbs on abortion. Yet to hear insular Democratic Party leaders tell it, to oppose any restrictions on abortion rights is the mark of an "extremist." Don't count Republicans out in 2008, Ms. Henneberger warns, as long as Democrats keep handing them the abortion issue--and a passel of votes.
an extremist position on abortion could lose support since according to polls, only 22% of the population supports a total ban. A total ban in SD went down in flames and the right to lifers could not save Sen Allen's seat. It's hard to base anything on Ms. Henneberger's interviews; she could have selected these women to interview because they agreed with her own opinions. More so than in 2000 and 2004, Iraq and foreign policy, and not abortion, will be the issue driving the candidates
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