Political Perceptions: Abortion Finally Arrives as an Issue

It took long while, but abortion finally has arrived as an issue in the presidential campaign. It got there, notes William Saletan of Slate, not because either John McCain or Barack Obama brought it up, but because moderator Bob Schieffer did, at this week’s debate. Why has this most hot-button of issues been left on the sidelines? “Because when life really sucks—when your 401(k) is in the toilet, your health-insurance premiums are doubling, and your country is bleeding billions of dollars it doesn’t have in places you never heard of—social issues are a luxury you can’t afford. If you’re a hard-core pro-lifer, abortion will always be your issue. But if you just don’t like abortion, or you don’t like politicians meddling in it, you probably have some other issue in this election that’s bothering you more.” Once it came up, Saletan noted, each candidate tried to “turn it into his kind of issue.” McCain, who is trying to make the election “a referendum on character,” turned the discussion to a ... (link)