GOP Delegates Still Split On Abortion Plank

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 29) -- A narrow plurality of delegates to next month's Republican convention favors keeping the GOP's staunch anti-abortion platform plank, a new survey shows.

An Associated Press survey showed 41 percent of the delegates want to keep the platform language calling for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, while 34 percent want changes. The remaining 25 percent were undecided or declined to respond.

The survey also showed support for the plank divided along regional lines. Backing for the anti-abortion language was strongest in the South and Midwest, where likely GOP nominee Robert Dole fares best against President Bill Clinton in the polls. Thirty-one of South Carolina's 37 delegates endorsed the plank.

But support for the plank trailed off in the North and West, where Dole is trying to close the double-digit lead Clinton enjoys in several state polls.

In all, 23 state delegations strongly support the plank, 16 delegations oppose it, and another 16 -- including the District of Columbia and several territories -- are divided.

The survey was based on responses from 1,891 of the convention's 1,990 delegates.

Gary Bauer, president of the pro-life Family Research Council, said the plank will probably stay but delegates will still wrangle over Dole's tolerance language.

"Things are stretched real tight right now," Bauer told AP. "I don't think the Dole forces realize how tense this party is right now."

GOP Delegates Still Split On Abortion Plank

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