[sturm und drang]

I agree with you that abortion-- with all its different medical defintions and legal shadings-- is probably the most difficult issue to ascertain true opinion. There are just too many shades of gray.

Anecdotally, 100% of my female friends-- I am not exaggerating, strange as it would seem-- are pro-choice. Then again, I went to college in New England and tend to surround myself with rather liberal people. I don't think Texas is a good indication of the way the rest of the nation feels about abortion, as you mentioned... and I do think a slight majority of women, as Sweets said, support a woman's right to make a choice. Now as to when she makes that choice and the options that are available to her... whole 'nother issue entirely.

I read "How To Lie with Statistics" a few years back, and it was indeed eye-opening. I will never again look at polls and surveys so naively and trustingly. It's amazing the sleight of hand that can be attained with clever and or nebulous phrasing, demographic selections, etc.