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STATEMENT BY
DAVID N. O'STEEN,
PH.D.
NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
November 3, 2010
Post-election polling has
shown that pro-life issues played a major role in what happened
at the polls yesterday and provided a margin sufficient to
guarantee victory in many close races.
According to a national
post-election poll conducted by the Polling Company, 22% said
abortion affected their vote and that they voted for candidates
that opposed abortion as opposed to only 8% who said that
abortion affected their vote and that they voted for candidates
who favored abortion.
The abortion issue was
prevalent in the debate over the Obama Health Care Law and
National Right to Life sought, but ultimately failed, to obtain
language in the law to prevent abortion subsidies in all parts
of the law. Numerous Democrats who voted for the law, including
many who had previously voted pro-life, were defeated last
night. Polling shows that the abortion component of the health
care law played a major role in those defeats.
Twenty-seven percent of
voters said abortion funding in the health care law affected
their vote and they voted for candidates who opposed the health
care law as opposed to only 4% who said abortion funding in the
health care law affected their vote and they voted for
candidates who favored the law.
National Right to Life has
also repeatedly pointed out that the Obama Health Care Law, if
allowed to go into effect, will mean massive rationing of health
care including the rationing of life saving treatment.
The public agrees and
clearly showed last night that they oppose rationing.
Forty-four percent of
voters said rationing in the health care law affected their vote
and they voted for candidates who opposed the health care law
while only 10% said rationing in the health care bill affected
their vote and they voted for candidates who favored the Obama
Health Care Law.
Overall 54% said they
oppose the health care law (44% strongly) while only 39% favor
it (26% strongly).
The poll also revealed
that a majority continues to favor allowing abortion only in
very rare circumstances. Fifty-three percent would allow
abortion at most in cases to save the life of the mother or in
cases of rape or incest as opposed to 41% who would allow
abortion regardless of the reason. However, 25% of those who
gave a pro-abortion response would allow abortion only in the
first three months while the current policy under Roe vs. Wade
allows abortion essentially throughout pregnancy for any reason.
National Right to Life's
political action committee was extensively involved in 122
federal races nationwide winning 84 (74%) of them. Our
involvement and national reach was reflected in poll which found
that 24% of voters recalled hearing or seeing advertising from,
or receiving information from National Right to Life. |