Key Data: The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute finds that 83 percent of the Hispanics surveyed oppose abortion and even among liberals, 60 percent oppose abortion.
Iman, supermodel extraordinaire and wife of David Bowie, waxed lyrically when discussing her children in a recent Parade Magazinearticle saying that birth isn’t the miracle, “Conception is the miracle.”
A comment like this coming from the pop culture world would have seemed like an anachronism just a year ago when, according to Gallup, 50 percent of respondents to a Values and Beliefs poll were “pro-choice” and 44 percent were “pro-life.”
But today more people now say they are “pro-life” than “pro-choice,” according to a poll released on May 15, 2009. The poll found that 51 percent of respondents consider themselves pro-life, while 42 percent consider themselves pro-choice.
Why is this shift significant? Because this recent swing towards a culture of life and how President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayer views abortion could greatly unite or divide our nation.
And while some may dismiss this poll, there’s another dimension of the prolife movement that President Obama should not overlook. There’s a battle looming between Republicans and Democrats to win over the Hispanic vote, and this Supreme Court nominee could either be the political play Republicans need to get back in the game or the touchdown Democrats need to garner further support from Hispanics in future elections.
Simply choosing a Hispanic for the Supreme Court opening is not enough either. In fact, a September 2007 Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) poll found that Hispanics don’t have attachments to the Democratic Party and are pro-life on abortion.
CHLI further stated that, “In total, 83 percent of the Hispanics in the survey oppose abortion and even among liberals, 60 percent oppose abortion.”
To wit, during Obama’s commencement address to Notre Dame, he asked that when the debate of abortion is placed in the public square that we might all have: “Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.”
If Supreme Court nominee Sotomayer proves to lean towards the right and pro-life credentials are uncovered during the confirmation process, this could go a long way for Obama and the Democratic Party. It would not only expand their party’s tent and mend a political fence, but would indeed represent what the majority of Americans want.
As the public learns more about Sotomayer and her 17-year record on the bench and how it might impact the future of the landmark Roe V. Wade abortion decision, let us all pray that Obama has chosen a nominee who agrees with his philosophy: Open heart. Open mind. Fair-minded words.
Karen Hart worked for President Ronald Reagan during his post-White House years. She is a freelance speechwriter in D.C.
