Post by xana on Apr 19, 2004 16:30:14 GMT -5
Why are so many pro-lifers one issue voters? I.E. why do so many pro-lifers tend to vote politically on a candidate's abortion platform without regard for other issues?
[Pro-lifers are more likely to prioritize abortion than supporters of abortion rights•More than 4 in 10 extremely pro-life Americans (41%) say they would only vote for a candidate who shares their views, compared to 23% of extremely pro-choice Americans. Conversely, close to a third of extremely pro-choice Americans (30%) say abortion is not a major issue to them, compared to just 10% of extremely pro-life Americans (Gallup, 2002)--]
Regardless of your position on abortion, do you think that abortion is a presidential issue? Why? (I don't want to generalize, if you vote solely on the abortion platform you know who you are, if you don't then I'm not saying you do)
I know that it is clearly logical that pro-choicers make it less of an issue because in supporting choice they can support a candidate who is pro-life as long as this pro-life view isn't imposed upon the nation. Whereas pro-lifers have an agenda to acheive national illegality.
But I still ask, is this a presidential issue? If it is a matter of getting legislation passed to illegalize or keep abortion legal, why is this a presidential issue?
Isn't it a bad thing that voters are so dichotomized on this issue? And if it doesn't seem that a resolution on abortion is in sight then isn't it wise to consider all the other significant platforms of a presidential candidate?
Finally, doesn't the abortion issue dichotomize our society and promote hatred between conservatives and liberals? I for one know that the stereotypes of liberals as murderers and conservatives as religious fanatics creates an unrealistic gap between people who might otherwise find they have certain political views in common. I also think that the abortion issue is used by candidates so clearly as a piece of propaganda to snag huge pools of voters, and that it would promote freer thinking if we could desensationalize this issue.
Thoughts?
[Pro-lifers are more likely to prioritize abortion than supporters of abortion rights•More than 4 in 10 extremely pro-life Americans (41%) say they would only vote for a candidate who shares their views, compared to 23% of extremely pro-choice Americans. Conversely, close to a third of extremely pro-choice Americans (30%) say abortion is not a major issue to them, compared to just 10% of extremely pro-life Americans (Gallup, 2002)--]
Regardless of your position on abortion, do you think that abortion is a presidential issue? Why? (I don't want to generalize, if you vote solely on the abortion platform you know who you are, if you don't then I'm not saying you do)
I know that it is clearly logical that pro-choicers make it less of an issue because in supporting choice they can support a candidate who is pro-life as long as this pro-life view isn't imposed upon the nation. Whereas pro-lifers have an agenda to acheive national illegality.
But I still ask, is this a presidential issue? If it is a matter of getting legislation passed to illegalize or keep abortion legal, why is this a presidential issue?
Isn't it a bad thing that voters are so dichotomized on this issue? And if it doesn't seem that a resolution on abortion is in sight then isn't it wise to consider all the other significant platforms of a presidential candidate?
Finally, doesn't the abortion issue dichotomize our society and promote hatred between conservatives and liberals? I for one know that the stereotypes of liberals as murderers and conservatives as religious fanatics creates an unrealistic gap between people who might otherwise find they have certain political views in common. I also think that the abortion issue is used by candidates so clearly as a piece of propaganda to snag huge pools of voters, and that it would promote freer thinking if we could desensationalize this issue.
Thoughts?
