During the health-care summit earlier this year, Vice President Joe Biden was roundly mocked for saying, “I don’t know what the American people think.” He was, however, showing a refreshing modesty. Especially when compared with those who believe the American people don’t know what they think””or cannot possibly mean what they say when they tell us what they do think.
Gallup provoked some of this reaction when it released new data early last month on American attitudes toward abortion. Asked to rate various behaviors and social policies (e.g., embryonic stem-cell research, adultery, the death penalty) as either “morally wrong” or “morally acceptable,” 50% called abortion wrong, as against only 38% who said it was acceptable. Even more contentious was the finding, for the second year in a row, that slightly more Americans consider themselves “pro-life” than “pro-choice” (47% to 45%).
The response to this data has been illuminating. Some blame the shift toward pro-life self-identification on abstinence-only education. Others imply that Americans really can’t mean what they say, pointing to other data showing majorities in favor of keeping abortion legal.
Perhaps the most original explanation appeared in Slate. There a writer opined that because President Obama has “softened” the Democratic language on abortion, more Americans now feel free to call themselves pro-life. Yes, let the word go forward: Some Democrats feel that the same Barack Obama who opposed an Illinois state ban on partial-birth abortion and later declared the issue above his pay grade has apparently given them permission to call themselves pro-life.
when will the media reflect America on: Capitalism, taxes, limited Constitutional government, honesty in Congress, religion, business, gun rights, ‘gay rights’, vetting candidates fully, treating TEA Partiers fairly, etc. etc. etc. The Media has not reflected MY views for decades now, and it is getting worse!
Jim Elliott
Without wishing to argue either side here, I think having Democrats in office may have changed some people’s willingness to state moderately pro-life opinions. Not because Obama has “softened” anything, though. My own observation has been that, when the people in power are on record wanting to overturn Roe v. Wade, people who are ambivalent about abortion (but basically think it should remain legal in at least some cases) feel the need to “hold the line” and support a right to abortion. Now that the people in power are themselves in favor of keeping abortion legal, these ambivalent people feel more freedom to voice their ambivalence. My sense is this would be a good time for pro-life people to make contact with these “independent voters” and demonstrate to them that they have common interests, even if they don’t agree on every detail. Harder to do than to say!
the problem as i see it is that those who describe themselves as pro life tend to oppose it under any circumstances and work toward that goal; the plain fact is that the majority of americans want it legal for those circumstances. to me the description of pro life as the opposite of pro choice is a misnomer anyway-if a woman gives birth she has still made a choice, regardless of whether she believes she does not have a choice.
I think the media is already reflecting this reality. The media, like the US as a whole, is deeply divided on this issue (and the whole cultural divide). Those favoring abortion rights will feel right at home on PBS and MSNBC. Those who support the right to life and other conservative causes will find their views favorably represented at FOX News and on the overwhelming majority of talk radio programming. FOX has by far the highest ratings of any of the various news channels and programs, a further reflection of America’s rightward shift in politics and culture.
I am not sure what the problem is. From my view the media pretty much reflects the social and political attitudes in the United States right now.
I suspect that the media will finally reflect the views of the majority of Americans when the New York Times finally goes out of publication, ABC, CBS, and NBC news divisions go bankrupt for lack of advertisers and miniscule ratings, and when Time, Newsweek, and US News & World Report all go out of print. These propaganda outlets stopped being sources of real “news” back before I was a teenager. The big difference is that now there is talk radio and the Internet to get real news out that isn’t filtered through the radical Leftists in control of the MSM. That is why they are fighting tooth and claw to silence talk radio and the Internet through “fairness” doctrine and government coercion – to try to silence the Right.
I think it is just a matter of time, though, before the MSM is bankrupt. The circulation of the printed media and the ratings of the broadcast media are all in decline. Even the artificially propped up “Air America” went under. People just don’t want to buy the rancid propaganda that the Left is selling.
remember the old ‘lib’ trick in tec……words can be redefined – so that they lose all meaning…..
“Moderately pro-life opinions”
Interesting concept. Pairs well with the concept of “just a little bit pregnant.”
5, and if NPR would just follow them out the door.
#8,
That would be nice, but they do not rely on ratings or advertisers. They get our tax dollars (and donations) to broadcast the Leftist world view and filter the news into Leftist propaganda. Sigh…