Abortion support, relevance dips in poll

The number of Americans who support abortion, as well as the number who see it as a major issue, dropped in a recent poll by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion and Public Life. A poll done in August showed a marked increase in the number of Americans opposed to abortion, now drawing rough a 50-50 split. The importance of abortion as a social issue, however, has dropped overall. Included in the survey is evidence that most people’s opinions are fairly entrenched on the subject, with only one-fourth saying they question their opinions of abortion. Also a clear majority on both sides say the other side’s viewpoint is invalid. President Barack Obama’s pro-choice stance has led to the entrenchment of beliefs, the survey concludes, with about 30 percent saying he will handle abortion-related issue well, 20 percent who say he won’t handle it well and 40 percent unsure about his opinions. For a complete summary, see: http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=441