Demonstrators take part in the annual National Women’s March in New York on Jan. 22, 2023, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision. (Andrea Renault / AFP via Getty Images)
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By Jodi Enda | Abortion rights were guaranteed by the Supreme Court in 1973 and that was that. At least that’s what supporters thought for nearly five decades. And so, when they went to the polls, they based their votes for presidents, Congress members and other elected officials on issues they considered to be more pressing.
But after the Supreme Court’s unprecedented 2022 decision to revoke a constitutional right, abortion changed the course of elections for two years running. As the nation approaches the first presidential election of the post-Roe era, Democrats—who are fielding a woman presidential candidate who champions abortion rights—are banking on the issue to bolster them again.
Many public polls predict it won’t.
While the vast majority of Americans favor abortion rights, numerous public opinion polls conducted for media organizations suggest the topic has lost its potency, even among women. If any one thing will sway them, these polls say, it is the economy (and, more specifically, inflation).
That would be bad news for Democrats and their new standard bearer, Vice President Kamala Harris. Women are the backbone of the party. Without their strong support, many Democratic candidates for office—from Harris on down—surely will lose.
But are these polls right?
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