Poll: Americans want abortion restrictions, but not as far as red states are going
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
What do Americans really think about abortion rights? When the Supreme Court nullified the constitutional right to abortion, it cleared the way for a state-by-state fight. Some Republican-led states have passed multiple abortion restrictions. But voters, even in some conservative states, have rejected such moves. And Democrats insist they are defending the majority view. NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro has been studying an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll and finds a lot of nuances and complexities in the way Americans think.
Domenico, good morning.
DOMENICO MONTANARO, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: What are you finding?
MONTANARO: Well, the poll found that most people say they generally see themselves as supporting abortion rights, 61% said so. That's at or near an all-time high not just for the Marist polls but a long list of surveys I've looked at over the last 20 years. About the same number disagree with the Dobbs decision overturning the landmark Roe decision that made abortion legal. And 61% also said that they either see themselves or someone that they - that either they themselves or someone they know has had an abortion.
INSKEEP: Wow.
MONTANARO: So this is very personal for most people. And when we peel back the onion, we find that there's broad support for at least some restrictions, but not as far as many Republicans and red states are going.
INSKEEP: Oh, OK. So this is where the battle is, how restricted should abortion be? What kinds of restrictions are we talking about here?
MONTANARO: Yeah, there's a lot of gray area here, you know? Only 1 in 5 think abortion should be legal in all circumstances. But only 9% think it should never be legal. So almost everyone is somewhere - almost everyone else is somewhere in the middle, depending on whether we're talking about exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother, or at what stage in the pregnancy. And that makes it tough for some politicians, especially in this post-Roe world, to figure out a firm position. You know, take Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor running for president. She gave a speech yesterday on abortion before a group largely opposed to abortion rights. Here she is taking aim at the media for asking politicians about where they stand on specifics on abortion rights.
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NIKKI HALEY: They've turned a sensitive issue that has long divided people into a kind of gotcha bidding war. How many weeks are you for? How many exceptions are you for? And the list goes on.
MONTANARO: I mean, really, that's a punt. I mean, it's a non-position, you know? We ask these questions of politicians because they want people's votes. And we think that they should tell people exactly what they stand for, especially on an issue where there is so much gray. We ask this in our surveys to find out what people think. You know, politicians don't always want to be that forthcoming because, as Haley said, she wants to find, quote, "consensus." But it's not easy to find on this issue. And if your finger is in the wind, you're going to get blown over. It really takes leadership, and we haven't seen it.
INSKEEP: What are people saying about some of the restrictions that are passing or being proposed in different states?
MONTANARO: Well, a majority said that they are against six-week bans and banning access to medication abortions with a prescription drug like mifepristone, and that includes a majority of Republicans. You know, majorities also say they support allowing abortion at any time if the life of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape or incest. That includes a majority of Republicans, too. You know, respondents also want states where abortion is legal to be safe havens for those who are seeking abortions coming from other states. But on this, a majority of Republicans are not in favor of that. That really puts Republican presidential candidates in the potentially difficult position of opposing safe havens to appeal to the GOP base, but risking turning off persuadable voters in a general election, like lots of other things we've seen.
INSKEEP: Domenico, that's really clear. Thanks so much.
MONTANARO: You're welcome.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
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