After a USA Today/Gallup poll [1] showed women in swing states thought abortion the top election issue, CNN hyped the news and cast a wary eye [2] toward "controversial" Republican positions as the possible catalysts. Five days later, however, Gallup reported [3] that, nationally, abortion is near the bottom of importance among voters.
CNN hosts Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper led their October 18 shows
with the swing state poll, and anchor Carol Costello touted it the next
morning. Costello wondered if "controversial" statements by certain
Republicans were to blame for women suddenly treating abortion with
utmost importance.
"And
that has more than a few women asking, abortion? Why now? Maybe it's
because there's been so much controversial language surrounding the
issue lately, like Congressman Todd Akin's legitimate rape comments,"
Costello played into the Democratic talking points.
Burnett and Cooper used the swing state poll as an occasion to
fact-check Mitt Romney's past record on abortion, labeling it
contradictory and "a little confusing." Cooper did nail President Obama
for misrepresenting Romney's abortion record, but he focused more time
on Romney's contradictory positions.
On October 22, Gallup reported, "Abortion was the top issue named by
women voters in 12 key swing states as 'the most important issue for
women in this election,' according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. By
contrast, 1% of women and less than 1% of men, nationally, consider it
the most important problem facing the nation."
Gallup acknowledged that both candidates have spent time on
"women-centric issues such as abortion, birth control, and, more
recently, gender equity in the workplace." However, they added that
"women and men put nearly identical emphasis on the economy and
unemployment as the nation's most important problems, suggesting that
these are the issues they will consider most when voting."