Friday, September 29, 2000
Abortion survey respondents favor Bush
Online results reflect intensity of divisions
By Kristina Goetz
The Cincinnati Enquirer
More than half of the Enquirer readers who responded to an online survey about abortion categorized the issue as very important and identified George W. Bush as their presidential candidate.
The Enquirer received 559 e-mail responses after a story Monday on how Tristate voters weigh abortion in the presidential election.
It was the second in a series of articles focusing on campaign issues.
Responses came from as far as Tarpon Springs, Fla., and Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the unscientific survey, more than 85 percent ranked abortion as either very important or important in choosing a presidential candidate.
About 15 percent said the abortion issue was very important and chose Mr. Gore. Only 5 percent said abortion was not an issue.
The Cincinnati area is the birthplace of the Right to Life movement, and home to a clinic run by Dr. Martin Haskell, one of the nation's best-known abortion doctors and advocates.
The Food and Drug Administra tion's approval this week of RU-486, the abortion pill, will likely intensify the abortion issue as a topic of discussion as election day draws closer.
Mr. Gore has said there is no challenge more fundamental than protecting women's reproductive rights.
Mr. Bush opposes abortion except in certain circumstances and has said he would ban a late-term procedure often called “partial birth” abortion.
Kenneth Mack, 38, of West Chester, who responded to the Enquirer's survey, said a candidate's view on abortion is the most important issue.
Mr. Mack said he prefers Mr. Bush's candidacy, although he finds the Texas governor's exceptions for rape and incest unacceptable.
“A baby is a baby regardless of how it's conceived,” Mr. Mack said.
Pam Smith, 42, of Batavia listed abortion as an important issue on the survey, although she's voting for Mr. Gore. She said the country suffered under Republican leadership and thrived under Mr. Clinton. She said Mr. Gore would help maintain the country's prosperity and lead the way in protecting access to abortion.
“It's an important issue and women should have the right,” she said.
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