http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705304463/Poll-Mo
Gallup poll: Most Americans describe themselves as 'pro-life'
By Jonathan D. Salant
Bloomberg News
Published: Friday, May 15, 2009 2:09 p.m. MDT st-Americans-pro-life.html
Most Americans for the first time say they consider themselves "pro-life" on abortion rather than "pro-choice," though most believe abortion should be legal in some cases, a new Gallup poll finds.
The poll, conducted May 7-10, showed 51 percent of Americans said they are pro-life, a position often associated with opposing abortion in all circumstances. That is the first time a majority responded that way, Gallup said, since the polling organization first asked the question in 1995.
A year ago, 44 percent told Gallup they are pro-life. Forty-two percent said they are pro-choice in the new poll, down from 50 percent in 2008. Seven percent said they are unsure or had no answer in both polls.
Fifty-three percent said abortion should be legal under certain circumstances, a figure that hasn't changed much over more than a decade, Gallup said.
Democrat Barack Obama supported abortion rights in last year's presidential campaign. Republican nominee John McCain ran on a party platform calling for abortion to be outlawed.
Obama's invitation to deliver the commencement address in two days at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and receive an honorary degree has drawn criticism from some Catholic bishops and opponents of abortion rights.
In the Gallup poll, 23 percent of respondents said abortion should be illegal in all cases, compared with 22 percent who favored abortion on demand. A year ago, 28 percent favored no restrictions on abortion and 17 percent favored a complete ban.
The survey of 1,015 adults had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
