April 04, 2008
McCain's Abortion Position Hazy For Women, Survey Says
In a news day dominated by reports of 80K jobs lost in March and the Clintons' tax returns, a fascinating survey released by Planned Parenthood got lost in the shuffle.
The poll, conducted between Feb. 12 and Feb. 18 of voters in 16 battleground states, shows that female voters have a relatively hazy view of John McCain's pro-life position.
-- Almost half of women backing McCain, 49%, said they are pro-choice. And 46% of those who would support McCain over Barack Obama in a general election said they want to see the Roe decision upheld, while 47% of those backing McCain over Hillary Clinton said the same.
-- Meanwhile, 51% of women polled said they don't know enough about McCain's views on abortion to determine if he shares their position on choice.
-- When pro-choice McCain voters are informed of his votes in favor of abstinence-only programs and against requirements that health care plans to cover birth control, four of 10 pro-choice McCain voters said they were less likely to vote for him.
PP folks said they view the findings as encouraging, arguing that with the proper voter eduction, some pro-choice women could be swayed against the GOP nom-to-be. But the numbers also indicate that some women are making voting decisions without comprehensive information about the candidates' positions on abortion rights and repro health issues. One could surmise then that that shows there are likely other matters -- perhaps the economy or Iraq and national security -- taking precedence for women this cycle.
The survey was conducted by Peter Hart Research Associates and polled women in NH, PA, VA, FL, OH, MI, WI, MN, IA, MO, CO, NM, AZ, NV, OR, WA. It has a margin or error of 2.8 percentage points.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted at 06:17 PM
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