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Poll: Americans Don’t Want Pro-Abortion Justices
Nominees Would Face Opposition
By ANDREW OVERTON, The Bulletin
As speculation builds around President Barack Obama’s nomination to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a new survey revealed Thursday a majority of Americans would oppose nominees who hold staunch pro-abortion viewpoints, including support for partial-birth abortions and taxpayer-funded abortions.
The poll, paid for by Americans United for Life (AUL) a nonprofit pro-life policy organization, showed 82 percent of respondents said they would oppose nominees who support partial-birth abortions in the seventh, eighth or ninth months of pregnancy. Seventy-one percent would oppose nominees that favor using tax dollars for abortions here in the United States.
months of pregnancy. Seventy-one percent would oppose nominees that favor using tax dollars for abortions here in the United States.
As the nation anticipates the president’s nomination, pro-abortion sentiments seem to be waning. Last week, a Gallup Poll found that for the first time a majority, 51 percent, of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking the question in 1995. The Gallup Poll also showed that adults were more receptive to restrictions on abortion.
The AUL survey of 800 adults nationwide confirmed this pattern. According to the poll, the majority of Americans of on both ends of the political spectrum were resistant to a federal law, like the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), that would abolish restrictions on abortions. During his campaign, Mr. Obama promised to pass FOCA. Eighty-eight percent of self-identified conservatives, 77 percent of moderates and 62 percent of liberals would oppose such a law.
Judie Brown, president of American Life League, said politicians would find these results problematic because the funding source of the poll is a pro-life organization.
“I am not suggesting that this is the case at all but we know how most media and elected officials view pro-life perspectives and thus such people could simply dismiss these results due to their personal bias against acknowledging the need for a well balanced, politically neutral nominee for the Supreme Court,” Ms. Brown said. “Supporting the human rights of those who are not yet born is not a favorite conviction among those people who should really be paying attention to this poll.”
Beyond the abortion issues, the AUL survey also addressed the legal mindset of a potential Supreme Court Judge.
Republicans, Independents and Democrats agreed — 92, 86 and 84 percent respectively — that their Senators should look for a man or woman who would interpret the law as it is written and not take into account his or her personal viewpoints and experiences.
“The most important message to take away is that this nomination should be about principle over politics,” said AUL President Charmaine Yoest.
According to Ms. Yoest, the U.S. is standing at a “crossroads” for understanding the role of Supreme Court judges.
“Will they stick to interpreting the Constitution as it’s written?” she said.
Many experts are expecting Mr. Obama to nominate a woman to the U.S.’s highest court, but yesterday’s poll showed that Americans have no clear preference regarding the sex of Mr. Obama’s nominee. Twenty-one percent wanted a female nominee and over 70 percent said the nominee’s sex did not matter.
The random telephone survey was conducted by the Polling Company from May 17 and 18. It has a 3.5 percent margin of error.
Andrew Overton can be reached at aoverton@thebulletin.us
The poll, paid for by Americans United for Life (AUL) a nonprofit pro-life policy organization, showed 82 percent of respondents said they would oppose nominees who support partial-birth abortions in the seventh, eighth or ninth months of pregnancy. Seventy-one percent would oppose nominees that favor using tax dollars for abortions here in the United States.
months of pregnancy. Seventy-one percent would oppose nominees that favor using tax dollars for abortions here in the United States.
As the nation anticipates the president’s nomination, pro-abortion sentiments seem to be waning. Last week, a Gallup Poll found that for the first time a majority, 51 percent, of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking the question in 1995. The Gallup Poll also showed that adults were more receptive to restrictions on abortion.
The AUL survey of 800 adults nationwide confirmed this pattern. According to the poll, the majority of Americans of on both ends of the political spectrum were resistant to a federal law, like the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), that would abolish restrictions on abortions. During his campaign, Mr. Obama promised to pass FOCA. Eighty-eight percent of self-identified conservatives, 77 percent of moderates and 62 percent of liberals would oppose such a law.
Judie Brown, president of American Life League, said politicians would find these results problematic because the funding source of the poll is a pro-life organization.
“I am not suggesting that this is the case at all but we know how most media and elected officials view pro-life perspectives and thus such people could simply dismiss these results due to their personal bias against acknowledging the need for a well balanced, politically neutral nominee for the Supreme Court,” Ms. Brown said. “Supporting the human rights of those who are not yet born is not a favorite conviction among those people who should really be paying attention to this poll.”
Beyond the abortion issues, the AUL survey also addressed the legal mindset of a potential Supreme Court Judge.
Republicans, Independents and Democrats agreed — 92, 86 and 84 percent respectively — that their Senators should look for a man or woman who would interpret the law as it is written and not take into account his or her personal viewpoints and experiences.
“The most important message to take away is that this nomination should be about principle over politics,” said AUL President Charmaine Yoest.
According to Ms. Yoest, the U.S. is standing at a “crossroads” for understanding the role of Supreme Court judges.
“Will they stick to interpreting the Constitution as it’s written?” she said.
Many experts are expecting Mr. Obama to nominate a woman to the U.S.’s highest court, but yesterday’s poll showed that Americans have no clear preference regarding the sex of Mr. Obama’s nominee. Twenty-one percent wanted a female nominee and over 70 percent said the nominee’s sex did not matter.
The random telephone survey was conducted by the Polling Company from May 17 and 18. It has a 3.5 percent margin of error.
Andrew Overton can be reached at aoverton@thebulletin.us
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