Washington, D.C. (WordNews.org) Aug. 1, 2012— A new poll finds nearly 9-in-10 registered blacks would vote for President Barack Obama if Election Day were today.
Meanwhile, 58 percent of registered Hispanic voters said they too would vote for Obama. Just 3 percent of blacks surveyed said they’d vote for the presumptive GOP nominee, Mitt Romney. However, 32 percent of Hispanic voters said they would back Romney.
The results were part of the African American & Hispanic Reproductive Issues Survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute.
Other findings included:
* 52 percent of black Americans say abortion is morally wrong but believe it should be legal in most cases;
* 25 percent of Hispanic Americans believe abortion is morally wrong but should be legal in most cases.
“Like most Americans, black Americans and Hispanic Americans bring a complex set of identities to the issue of abortion,” said Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. “For example, majorities of both black Americans and Hispanic Americans simultaneously identify as both ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life.’”
According to the survey, a variety of factors shape black and Hispanic attitudes toward abortion. In particular, having a close friend or family member who has had an abortion is linked to the belief that abortion clinics are safe, which is in turn linked to support for the legality of abortion.
“Among black Americans and Hispanic Americans, religion plays an important role in shaping attitudes on abortion,” said Daniel Cox, PRRI Research Director. “However, the messages that both groups receive from clergy are less consequential than other religious factors, like identifying as an evangelical Christian.”
The survey also finds regardless of personal views on abortion, strong majorities of black (78 percent) and Hispanic (60 percent) Americans believe that it is possible to disagree with their religion’s teachings on abortion and still be considered a person of good standing in their faith.