Why is there such a difference in the durability of two foundational issues of American conservatism: gay marriage and abortion? Same-sex marriage burst onto the political scene in the early 1990s, lasted through the mid-2000s, and is now quietly fading. Abortion, as a political call to arms, has been around […] Read more »
Pope Francis faces church divided over doctrine, global poll of Catholics finds
Most Catholics worldwide disagree with church teachings on divorce, abortion and contraception and are split on whether women and married men should become priests, according to a large new poll released Sunday and commissioned by the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision. On the topic of gay marriage, two-thirds of Catholics polled […] Read more »
Americans may be divided on abortion, but it won’t matter for the midterms
… A large majority of Americans now hold opinions on abortion that are consistent with the position of their party. Moreover, roughly equal proportions of Democrats and Republicans hold opinions on abortion that conflict with the position of their party and these voters still cast their ballots overwhelmingly for their […] Read more »
Fox News Poll: As Obama starts sixth year, 74 percent say US still in recession
As President Obama starts his sixth year in office, his job ratings remain near record lows and more voters think his policies have hurt rather than helped the economy. And even as voters continue to hold mostly negative views on the economy and the direction of the country, a new […] Read more »
Abortion attitudes are a chameleon, and Republicans are trying to adapt
… Coinciding with Wednesday’s March for Life, the Republican National Committee, meeting today in Washington, is considering a new resolution that calls for candidates to speak up about their antiabortion views and defend their support for restricting abortion in a variety of situations. … Significantly, the Republican resolution argues that […] Read more »
Parties Seize on Abortion Issues in Midterm Race
… Abortion is becoming an unexpectedly animating issue in the 2014 midterm elections. Republicans, through state ballot initiatives and legislation in Congress, are using it to stoke enthusiasm among core supporters. Democrats, mindful of how potent the subject has been in recent campaigns like last year’s governor’s race in Virginia, […] Read more »