Abortion Poll Results Continue to be Encouraging.

After more than 32 years of debating Roe v. Wade (and its companion case Doe v. Bolton), you might think by now that the public would understand the 1973 decisions and (if you believe the media) support their radical holdings. In fact, neither is true, as illustrated by a breakdown of polling data provided by NRL Executive Director David N. O'Steen, Ph.D. at a NRLC 2005 workshop.

After more than three decades of pretending otherwise, some in the media are "beginning to recognize that there is no majority for Roe's holdings," he said. In truth, there has never been majority support, a conclusion demonstrated by a series of polls O'Steen showed that went back a number of years.

To take a recent snapshot, O'Steen offered the results of an April 2005 poll conducted by The Polling Company. "Which of the following statements most closely describes your own position on the issue of abortion?" 1,000 respondents were asked.

A total of 62% would eliminate almost all abortions: 17% said abortion should never be legal; another 14% said legal only for life of mother; and 31% said legal only for life of mother, rape, and incest.

By contrast, a total of 35% responded in a pro-abortion manner: 21% said abortion should be legal for any reason in the first three months; another 4% legal for any reason during the first six months; but only 10% said abortion "should be legal for any reason at any time during a woman's pregnancy." The latter is what Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton collective gave us in 1973 and is the position of Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and most leading Democratic Party officials and candidates.

"What that means is our core support is more than three times what theirs is," O'Steen said. "No ...