We may see a shift in the US political landscape.

[kandrathe]

On the other hand it doesnt make me more or les wrong on the actual issue.

Personally I took affront at being accused of making generalisations, when I didnt.

I dont really mind if he pouts and quits posting. I find little value in someones opinion who uses "hunches' rather than attempting objective analysis when the objust is appearent in its entirety.
[right][snapback]91134[/snapback][/right]

::: Hands Ghostiger 5 cents ::: Buy a clue! You can back peddle and argue the sematics of what you meant by "Key" if you like. 1% is not key, and 5% is not key. 40% would be key, but then again all you have offered is your analysis of ... What was it? Your opinion?

<=== HEAVY SARCASM INTENDED ===>

No, I think my hunch that you were over-generalizing may be accurate.

<=== HEAVY SARCASM INTENDED ===>

BY ALL MEANS, LET ME ADD SOME VALUE TO YOUR THREAD!

Zogby International poll of 2002-NOV:

Zogby International conducted the poll of 1,009 American adults from 2002-NOV-12 to 14. The poll's margin of error is about 3.2 percentage points. Unfortunately, media reporting of the poll results is difficult to interpret because reports do not differentiate between the subjects' personal decision whether to have an abortion, or their belief whether other women should be allowed access to abortion.

Some data is helpful:

• <>
  
• 22% of American adults are less in favor of abortion access than they were a decade ago; about 11% are more in favor of abortion access. The former shift may have been influenced by a number of factors:
  <>
  
• Extensive discussion in recent years of "partial birth abortions." A sizeable percentage of American adults oppose PBAs.
  <>
  
• Most people are probably now aware of sonograms, and thus are more likely to look upon the developing fetus as a human person.
  <>
  
• Two out of three American adults say that their views on abortion have not changed over the past decade.
  <>
  
• About 4% of American voters always vote for pro-choice candidates.
  <>
  
• About 13% of voters always vote for pro-life candidates.
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• One-third of persons aged 18 to 29 say that abortion should never be legal -- apparently even to save the life of the woman. This support drops to 23% for those aged 30 to 64, and 20% for those over age 65.
  <>
  [st]

So rather than research your own opinion you have forced me to go figure out whether the premise you made has any merit, and from this somewhat dated Zogby poll that the number which you think is KEY is about 13% rabid pro-lifers. How many of these pro-lifers would favor democratic candidates if not myopically focused on this single issue? The funny thing is that this is the easiest constituency to win for a pro-life candidate. It's either the under-informed, "vote my gut/pocketbook", or well informed moderate multi-issue individuals that are hard to sway one way or another.

What does have validity in my mind has been the responses such as from Doc,

The abortion issue is a decoy. A "lookie here boy!" tactic. While the public and the media are busy paying attention to the ultimate distraction, other forces will be at work in future quaqmires like Iran or maybe Korea II.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!

Since, that 13% can be easily had with some careful tap-dancing a candidate, such as Bush, need not begin that actual civil war once elected. Now the candidate is free to focus on the remaining 87% of voters issues, many of whom are concerned about things like the economy, gas prices, terrorism or Iraq. Just as in the last two elections, the next one will focus on Education, Economy, Social Security, Health Care, and Homeland Security as well as the single issue constituencies of both camps. But I think Doc is right in a way, it seems that both sides have learned to use the Media feeding frenzy du jour to divert attention from other issues that they do not want scrutinized.

I have very little hope that you will discuss this in a civil manner, so insult away.