What Issues Most Influence Voters Who Believe Moral Values Are Very important?
As part of this poll those surveyed were asked which of a list of 12 issues are most important to them in deciding how to vote. Overall, among all adults, the two so-called “moral values” issues in the list, abortion and gay rights are by far the least important. Health care, Social Security, economic issues, taxes, the war in Iraq, the war on terror, immigration, education and the environment are all important to many more voters. That is not a surprise. What is surprising is that the replies given to this question are broadly similar for those who think moral values are very important and those who do not think this way. Among those who believe moral values are very important only 13 percent mention abortion and 6 percent mention gay rights far behind almost all the other issues. So What? These findings show that pollsters, journalists and commentators must be very careful not to assume that voters who feel strongly about “moral values” are primarily concerned with issues such as abo
