New poll links abortion to business as top midterm topic

Abortion is now statistically linked to the economy as the top issue in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a new poll by Monmouth University.

The poll found that 26 percent of respondents think the economy would be the most important issue for them this fall, while 25 percent said abortion — a 16 percentage point increase from 2018. Health care and immigration were the next two top issues voters.

Abortion is more important to women than men in congressional voting, with 43 percent of women citing the issue as extremely important compared to just 27 percent of men.

The heavy emphasis on abortion rights comes just a week and a half after a draft opinion drafted by Judge Samuel Alito was overturned Deer vs Wade and the end of federal abortion rights was leaked Politically.

Four conservative judges are reportedly set to agree with Mr Alito, while the court’s three liberals will disagree. Chief Justice John Roberts’ position is unknown at this time.

The final report is expected in June. If largely unchanged from the draft opinion that was leaked last week, it would reshape the abortion care landscape in the United States.

Abortion would be banned in almost all cases in numerous states, leaving millions of Americans hundreds of miles from their nearest point of access for abortion care.

On Wednesday, a Democrat attempt to pass legislation enshrining a national right to abortion was flatly defeated in the Senate by a vote of 49 to 51. All Republican members of the chamber voted against the measure, which required 60 votes to pass, as did West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin.

Voters’ increasing emphasis on abortion didn’t change the top-line result significantly in this particular poll: Voters prefer Republicans over Democrats, who control Congress, by 36 to 34 percent and by 48 to 44 percent if voters are accounted for , who turn to one party or another Miscellaneous.

Given the structural advantages favoring Republicans, a four-point Republican victory in the November popular vote would likely mean the end of Democratic control of one or both houses of Congress.

Voters are much more uniform in their views on how Congress is doing its job: Just 15 percent of voters approve of the work Congress is currently doing, while a whopping 77 percent oppose it.

President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are similarly dismal: only 38 percent of voters approve of his performance, while 57 percent disapprove. This split is the worst of Mr. Biden’s presidency.

Democrats are hoping the abortion issue could help narrow the enthusiasm gap the president’s party often faces in midterm elections, and polling data shows Democrats and independents give the issue more importance now than they did in 2018 — while Republicans less put emphasis on it.

What is not known, however, is whether some voters will penalize Democrats for their inability to codify Roe into law, or whether their party leaders will stop embracing anti-abortionists like Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, who is running a runoff against the pro-choice Challenger Jessica Cisneros is to be penalized later this month.