Marist surveyed over 1200 people in late September in a poll conducted with NPR and PBS. The poll asked respondents, "Do you support or oppose a law that allows abortions, but only up to the time cardiac activity is detected about 6 to 8 weeks into pregnancy?"
Pro-life Catholic Professor Michael New explained the problem on Twitter earlier this month. He wrote,
"A significant number of pro-lifers said that they would oppose a (hypothetical) law that would explicitly allow abortions up to 6-8 weeks gestation.This is because they want legal protection for *all* unborn children.That likely explains why the results are skewed."
The poll initially surprised many, because the results suggested Republicans were only three percent more likely than Democrats to support legislation that limited abortion to the first six months of pregnancy. However, the results could realistically come from pro-life respondents who believe life should be protected from the moment of conception. A law that "allows abortions, but only up to the time cardiac activity is detected" specifically excludes unborn children from any right to life before they reach a certain gestational age.
