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In 1973, the United States Supreme Court radically changed the legal landscape of abortion law when ruling to legalize abortion in Roe v. ... The 2000 presidential election offered a stark choice: Governor Bush opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to save a woman’s life, while Vice President Gore supports abortion rights. The two presidential candidates also offer strikingly different views concerning the implementation of a Constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion, parental consent and notification, Medicare funded abortions, late-term abortions, the abortion pill (RU-486), and Supreme Court nominees. Thus, due to the drastic differences of opinions held by each candidate, abortion was a focal point of debate throughout the campaign. Prior to the election I hypothesized that most American voters would consider the abortion issue and the stances taken by each candidate when going to the polls, but I did not believe the abortion issue would be the deciding factor when marking their ballots. Rather, I hypothesized voters would consider abortion to be one of many important issues which they must deliberate when in the voting booth.
When looking at the abortion issue, the public seems to see conflicts and conditions supporting a woman’s right to an abortion if her reasons are sound and if it’s not too late in the pregnancy. Surveys show a solid majority of Americans still support the right to an abortion in some form, but the number of those who would impose conditions on that right is growing (www. ...
On the issue of abortion, the two most important factors considered by the public are time and circumstance. During the first trimester, polls show two-thirds of the public believes abortion should be legal, but when asked if abortion should be legal in the third trimester, polling figures drop to thirteen percent. When a woman’s health is endangered or when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest, over three-fourths of Americans favor abortion as an option. However, when asked whether they support abortion for economic reason, for example: if a family cannot afford more children, abortion backing falls to below fifty percent. ... ” abortion received the highest percentage of votes (www. ... This is no surprise, as each candidate is a lightning rod to the other side when examining their stances on abortion. Gore has reevaluated his position and has become an unwavering supporter of abortion rights. As a Congressman from the conservative state of Tennessee, Gore cast more votes against, rather than in favor of, abortion. ... Al Gore has stated that although he personally opposes abortion, he will always defend a woman’s right to choose. ... ” Throughout the election polls showed women were more favorable towards the Gore campaign. Also, when asked, “How important will the abortion issue be to you in deciding how to vote in the 2000 presidential election in November? ...
When asked in the October 3rd presidential debate: “What is your attitude towards abortion?
Approximate Word count = 2395
Approximate Pages = 9.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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