|
|
|
|
Opposition to Abortion, Rationing a
Major Factor in Election: NRL PAC Plays Key Role
Part Two of Two By David N. O'Steen, Ph.D., Post-election polling has shown that the National Right to Life Political Action Committee and pro-life issues played a major role in what happened at the polls this year and once again provided a margin sufficient to guarantee victory for pro-life candidates in many close races.
The National Right to Life PAC was extensively involved in 122 federal races nationwide, winning 84 of them with 9 still undecided as of the day following the election. Just how important that involvement was could be seen today when pro-abortion Democrat Rep. Bobby Etheridge conceded to NRL PAC supported pro-life Renee Ellmers in North Carolina's Second Congressional District. Etheridge had demanded a recount because the margin Ellmers won by was less than 1%. After the recount Ellmers prevailed by 1,489 votes! Our involvement and national reach was reflected in the post-election poll conducted by The Polling Company which found that 24% of voters recalled hearing or seeing advertising from, or receiving information from, National Right to Life. The poll found that 22% said abortion affected their vote and that they voted for candidates who opposed abortion as opposed to only 8% who said abortion affected their vote and that they voted for candidates who favored abortion. This yields a 14% advantage for pro-life candidates over pro-abortion candidates. This advantage was especially helpful to Republicans since every closely contested congressional race between a pro-life candidate and a pro-abortion candidate involved a pro-life Republican who faced a pro-abortion Democrat. A full 84% of those who said abortion affected their vote and voted pro-life said they voted for a Republican for U.S. House. The abortion issue was prevalent in the debate over the Obama Health Care Law. National Right to Life had sought to obtain language in the law to prevent abortion subsidies in all parts of the law but such language was not included in the bill that was ultimately passed. Numerous Democrats who voted for the law, including many who had previously voted pro-life, were defeated. Polling showed 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 that they voted for candidates who opposed the health care law. Eighty-eight percent of these voters voted for a Republican for U.S. House. Only 4% said abortion funding in the health care law affected their vote and they voted for candidates who favored the law. Clearly pro-life voters opposed to the pro-abortion Obama Health Care Law understood that it was a Democratic measure and Democrats paid a heavy price for that at the polls. National Right to Life has also repeatedly pointed out that the Obama Health Care Law, if allowed to go fully into effect, will mean massive rationing of health care including the rationing of lifesaving treatment. The public agrees and clearly showed that they oppose rationing. Forty-four percent of voters said rationing in the health care law affected their vote and that they voted for candidates who opposed the health care law. Eighty-six percent of these voters voted for a Republican for U.S. House. Only 10% said rationing in the health care bill affected their vote and that 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). Seventy-five percent of those opposing the health care law voted for a Republican for the U.S. House. The poll indicated that pro-lifers have been hearing and heeding National Right to Life's informational campaign about the Obama Health Care Law. Seventy-two percent of those who self-identified as pro-life in the poll said that they opposed the law. Continuing the trend of recent years more people self-identified as pro-life (48%) than "pro-choice" (45%). 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 elective abortion only in the first three months of pregnancy. |
