Gallup Poll: Obama Collides with Public Opinion on Abortion
05/15/09
Conservatives are buzzing about the new latest Gallup poll being reported on Drudge today. It offers a fresh angle on the Obama/Notre Dame controversy, and it may turn out to be a watershed moment for the pro-life movement. For the first time since 1995, a majority of Americans are pro-life. Gallup Poll 51% pro-life to 42% pro-choice, even better than the Fox News Poll of of 49% pro-life to 43% pro-choice.
And not only is this the first time that pro-life beats out pro-choice but also that the pro-life are the highest ever for young people, a huge shift. Young women are becoming over-whelming anti-abortion.
Of special interest to me is that Gallup attributes it to the President's overreach on abortion policy.
Conservatives are seizing on this as proof that it would be not just wrong, but also imprudent, for the GOP to abandon its conservative message:With the first pro-choice president in eight years already making changes to the nation's policies on funding abortion overseas, expressing his support for the Freedom of Choice Act, and moving toward rescinding federal job protections for medical workers who refuse to participate in abortion procedures, Americans -- and, in particular, Republicans -- seem to be taking a step back from the pro-choice position. However, the retreat is evident among political moderates as well as conservatives.
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.
GOP leaders across the nation should take note of both this week's poll and last week's Pew research that show the pro-life position is strengthening the Republican Party," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. "It's time to abandon the 'blame pro-lifers first' approach when the GOP loses. If Republicans want to improve their electoral performance, standing on the side of Life is one of the best decisions they can make."
The Gallup poll confirms another national survey by the Pew Research Center, which found that overall support for abortion is down and that the largest numbers of converts to the pro-life cause have been self-identified independents and liberal-to-moderate Republicans.
These poll results come at the same time that there is controversy over President Obama speaking at Notre Dame and receiving an honorary degree. Obama is arguably the most liberal pro-choice president the United States has ever had. He believes and has voted in favor of late term abortions; even procedures apposed to by most pro-life proponents.
Official Stop Obama at Notre Dame Site
Keyes, priest arrested at Notre Dame protest
Protesters Arrested at Notre Dame
Protesters opposed to President Obama's address to the graduating class of Notre Dame were arrested Friday after they disobeyed rules about staging their demonstration and walked onto the university campus.
Protesters opposed to President Obama's address to the graduating class of Notre Dame were arrested Friday after they disobeyed rules about staging their demonstration and walked onto the university campus.
Obama is also receiving an honorary law degree on Sunday, a decision that has upset abortion opponents who say the Catholic university is violating its own beliefs by honoring the president.
Protesters were told they could protest all they want in the town of South Bend, Ind., but once they stepped onto Notre Dame property, they would be arrested.
Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes, and a Roman Catholic priest were among the 21 arrested.
"Notre Dame is arresting a priest," the Rev. Norman Weslin, founder of the Lambs of Christ abortion protest group, said as Notre Dame security personnel put plastic restraints on his wrists. "Why are you arresting a priest for trying to stop the killing of a baby? You've got it all backward."
Weslin, 78, who has been arrested dozens of times at abortion clinic blockades, was carried off on a stretcher. He and two others were charged with resisting law enforcement.
All 21 arrested were charged with trespassing. Keyes and five others were ordered held in the St. Joseph County Jail until Monday because it was their second time being arrested on a charge of trespassing at Notre Dame, said Sgt. Bill Redman, St. Joseph County Police Department spokesman. Bond was set at $250 for the others.
None of those arrested were students.
The arrests marked the third straight Friday people were arrested as they protested the school's decision to give Obama, who supports abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research, an honorary degree and have him speak at commencement.
On May 1, anti-abortion activist Randall Terry and another man were arrested on campus while pushing strollers containing dolls covered in fake blood. On May 8, Keyes and 21 others, many of them pushing strollers containing dolls covered in fake blood, were arrested.
On Friday, there were no strollers or bloody dolls, but some of the protesters carried signs that read: "Defend her honor, rise and strike for the unborn."
About 35 people, many of them carrying anti-abortion signs, were standing on the four corners outside the school's front gate shortly before noon when a group of about 40 people led by Keyes and Terry marched up. They stopped briefly to say some prayers and to listen to Keyes, who lost to Obama in the Illinois Senate election in 2004.
"It is not consistent with God's love to honor those who have rejected that great gift of love in principle," Keyes said.
After speaking, Keyes then led a smaller group onto campus. They made it about 100 yards on campus before they were stopped by campus security. Keyes was taken into custody immediately, and the others were told to leave or they would be arrested.
Terry did not go onto campus, saying did not want to get arrested because he needs to remain free to lead more protests Saturday and Sunday.
"The reality is that if I get hung up in jail, I'm the only guy on the outside who knows how to keep this thing moving. It's strictly a leadership issue," he said.
St. Joseph Superior Court Judge Michael Scopelitis issued an order Thursday changing how bond is set for a person charged with a crime while already out on bond on a pending charge. Previously, such a person could have been released under a presumptive bond schedule. Now they must await a probable cause hearing, Scopelitis said.
The judge said county judges already were considering the change 
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Many Catholics are hoping that Obama may still change his mind about accepting an honorary degree from Notre Dame.
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