Most Americans Say Roe v. Wade Should Stand

[struggle4progress]

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Polling Data

In 1973 the Roe versus Wade decision established a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, at least in the first three months of pregnancy. Would you like to see the Supreme Court overturn its Roe versus Wade decision, or not?

Yes, overturn Roe versus Wade 32%
No, not overturn Roe versus Wade 57%
Don’t know / Refused 9%

In 1973, the Roe versus Wade decision established a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, at least in the first three months of pregnancy. Would you like to see the Supreme Court completely overturn its Roe versus Wade decision, or not?

Yes, overturn Roe versus Wade 26%
No, not overturn Roe versus Wade 65%
Don’t know / Refused 9%

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates / Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 612 American adults (First Question) and 589 American adults (Second Question), conducted from Nov. 3 to Nov. 6, 2005. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
Most Americans Say Roe v. Wade Should Stand

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[brainshrub]

1. A womans control of her body is not up for popular vote.

It's a human right.

IMHO, it's dangerous to say that Roe v Wade should be preserved b/c it's popular. Human rights sometimes become unpopular among the population, and if constitutional protection were up for votes, Jim Crow would probably still be with us.

It's safer to make the argument that a womans control of her body is inherent, such as free speech.

[struggle4progress]

2. Careful attention to current politics is a way to defend rights.

The poll seems interesting to me for several reasons.

First, there's still majority support for Roe.

Second, while there is some public ambivalence about Roe, the effectively ambivalent fraction of the public is small, and majority support for Roe exists even after the ambivalent fraction is counted against Roe: if the ambivalent fraction is counted partly supporting Roe, about two-thirds of the public supports or partly supports Roe.

So the natural question is, I think, what is swaying that ambivalent fraction ...

[Leeny]

3. 1.15 million marched

for women's reproductive rights. April 25, 2004, Washington D.C. I was there. It was incredible. Of course it didn't get big headlines. Woohoo! It was the biggest march/protest/turnout on the mall in our country's history and it barely got a mention.