It’s a difficult time to be a social conservative. Gay marriage may be on the verge of becoming a reality from Maine to Maui. A large Gallup poll last week found that on a host of moral issues — from out-of-wedlock-birth and assisted suicide to cloning and gambling — Americans are moving leftward.
A Pew poll last month documented the rise of the religious “nones” and the decline of Americans who identify as Christians. And perhaps most befuddling to religious conservatives, when Bruce Jenner became Caitlyn Jenner and the new face of the transgender movement, he did so as a proud conservative and Christian.
But there is one issue that’s a curious exception to the country’s shift to the Left on social and cultural issues: abortion. Perceptions of the moral acceptability of abortion have inched upwards over the last 14 years, from 42 percent to 45 percent in the Gallup poll. But it’s still a minority position.
More revealing, according to a recent Gallup poll 23 percent of Americans say they will vote only for candidates who are pro-life, compared to 19 percent of Americans who will vote only for candidates who support abortion rights.
What’s more, the percentage of Americans who see abortion as a litmus test is at an all-time high. Twenty-one percent of Americans say they will vote only for candidates for major office who share their views on abortion — the highest share to say so in the 19 years Gallup has polled the question.
Meanwhile, the share of Americans who say abortion is not an important factor in their vote has declined to 27 percent this year. These patterns hold true for Americans generally and registered voters specifically.
At a time when many Republican candidates are trying to avoid talking about social and moral issues, abortion appears to be one that could work to their advantage.
Daniel Allott is the Washington Examiner’s Deputy Commentary Editor
