New Poll Results: Most Believe Abortion Makes Women’s Lives Worse
New Poll Results: Most Believe Abortion Makes Women’s Lives Worse
As the 2004 election year heats up, candidates must once again grapple with the divisive issue of abortion. All the same old arguments will be heard, of course. But this year may also witness a major shift in goals, rhetoric, and voting patterns — if pro-life politicians who are concerned about the rights of women make this concern clear.
A new national poll indicates that the majority of Americans believe abortion makes women’s lives worse. According to the poll, only 16 percent believe abortion generally makes women’s lives better. Even among those who describe themselves as “pro-choice,” fewer than 30 percent believe abortion generally improves women’s lives. In addition, 67 percent of pro-choice women stated they would be “more likely to vote for a candidate who calls for government support for grief counseling programs to assist women who experience emotional problems after an abortion.”
Elliot Institute director David Reardon believes the poll results reflect a reality that has long been misunderstood by politicians on both sides of the abortion debate.
“At least one of every four women voters has had an abortion, and most of these women consider it to be an ugly, painful memory,” he said. “Most have many regrets about their abortions, even if they believe it to have been their ‘only choice.’ This is why they don’t support the radical agenda of pro-abortion special interest groups. They’ve been there, done that, and hated it.”
Based on his studies of post-abortive women and the national polling data, Reardon believes that most post-abortive women would be glad to see abortion go away — but only if it can be done in a way that helps women.
“Post-abortive women are deeply concerned about, and protective of, other women who face the same problems and pressures,” Reardon said. “They’re also turned off by people who don’t understand the pressures women face.”
Reardon says post-abortive women do not generally support easier access to abortion, federal funding for abortion, or the nomination of federal judges who will strike down abortion regulations. Instead, they want political leaders who address the concerns and realities that women face.
He believes pro-life politicians need to move beyond explaining why they are against abortion to a platform that emphasizes proposals for helping women both to avoid abortions and to recover from past abortions.
“This message will not only neutralize the gender gap, it will reverse it,” he said. “Post-abortive women are yearning to have their pain, loss, and regrets understood and respected. While they recoil from judgment, they are attracted to authentic concern and compassion.”
Polling data also suggests that pro-life efforts to address the problem of coerced abortions will produce significant political gains for pro-life candidates.
“Between 30 and 60 percent of women who’ve had abortions felt pressured to do so by others,” Reardon said. “Candidates need to boldly and consistently articulate their desire to ‘prevent unwanted, unnecessary, and unsafe abortions’ and to ‘promote healing for those who already suffer from past abortions.’ These two themes will strongly resonate with the real needs and concerns of post-abortive women.”
Reardon calls this alternative to the traditional pro-life message a “pro-woman/pro-life” approach. He believes this message will also help pro-life politicians to break down the stereotype that pro-lifers are judgmental and condemning. And he says this should help them build bridges to other constituents as well, including the families and friends of post-abortive women.
Reardon believes that the combination of facts, strategy tips, and sound bites included in the booklet will empower candidates to “boldly, confidently, and compassionately” address the real concerns of post-abortive women. Moreover, he says, the new polling data in the booklet suggests that the time is ripe for aligning public opinion behind a pro-woman/pro-life message.
If this pro-woman message becomes a centerpiece of campaigns, Reardon believes, pro-life politicians will be able to shift the voting patterns of 30 million post-abortive women, and their sympathizers, to their favor by several percentage points. This advantage can grow even stronger if pro-life candidates incessantly challenge their opponents to state whether or not they will support post-abortion counseling programs and legislation that would help hold abortionists more properly liable for abortion-related injuries.
Originally published in The Post-Abortion Review 12(1) Jan-March 2004. Copyright 2004 Elliot Institute.
