Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 5 • Tuesday, April 27, 2004
'Roe, Roe, Roe your vote'
r igh number of college-age women at abortion-rights rally could have political implications
)f a
ase itn
By Steven Thomma
KRT CAMPUS
WASHINGTON — Though the pictures of
Sunday’s abortion-rights march in Washington
reused on the size of the crowd, the truer story of
s political impact could be measured by the age
f the demonstrators.
More college-age women showed up than usu-
^ly attend abortion-rights rallies, which tend to
dominated by older women. If that translates
to increased voting in November by young
women — a group that usually doesn’t vote in
ligh numbers — it could help Democrats in a
({lose election.
I If not, the march probably had no lasting polit
ical significance, for it reflected a longstanding
■artisan divide over issues related to abortion
lights and is unlikely to change the political equa-
fon or affect the outcome of the election.
The march attracted hundreds of thousands of
/omen to the National Mall in downtown
ashington, where they rallied for abortion
ghts and protested against President Bush. A
ley complaint was Bush’s signature on two new
pws: the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which
rants a fetus legal rights, and the Partial-Birth
bortion Ban Act, which criminalizes a medical
procedure sometimes used to terminate late-term
|regnancies.
In the short term, the march could serve as a
[aution to Congress, said one senior Republican
nator, who spoke on condition that he not be
entified lest he draw criticism from his peers:
ltl ^That was a very impressive showing by any fair
pndard. I think it will discourage any more votes
is year on abortion.”
But Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who attend-
jd the event, said the march’s impact on voter
mout was what mattered: “I don’t know if the
arch changes anything (in Washington). It was
ally aimed at the whole country and what they
|o at the ballot box.”
The key question is whether the large turnout
ttgnals a more widely held passion for abortion
ights that will change U.S. politics and have an
impact on the election. Aides to Democratic pres
idential candidate John Kerry distributed voter-
registration forms at the march, and tables were
set up along the Mall for people to sign up.
“I can vote now,” an excited Anne Vetter, 20, of
Charlottesville, Va., said after she registered.
“Roe, Roe, Roe your vote,” said Lindsay
Morris, 22, a college student from Haddonfield,
N.J., in a reference to the 1973 Roe v. Wade
decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that legal
ized abortion.
Vetter and Morris could signal a boost for the
Democrats if they represent a larger trend of vot
ers who otherwise would avoid the polls. That
would be a shift on an issue that never has been
pivotal in presidential politics, and would herald a
deeper level of involvement by an age group that
traditionally tunes out politics.
Despite media hype about marches in
Washington both for and against abortion rights,
the issue consistently ranks low on the list of pri
orities cited by most voters. In a February Gallup
poll, for example, abortion ranked 13th, below
such issues as education, the economy, the war in
Iraq, health care and immigration.
“The public is no more concerned today about
the abortion issue than it was in the last two pres
idential elections,” Gallup analyst Lydia Saad con
cluded in an article written last week.
Moreover, a slight majority of those who’ve
been motivated to vote on the single issue of abor
tion in the past opposed it; single-issue abortion
voters favored Bush by a small margin over
Democrat A1 Gore in 2000.
The most intriguing aspect of Sunday’s march
that could signal a noteworthy change was the
turnout of women in their late teens and 20s.
Americans aged 18 to 29 vote less than any other
age group, according to polling-place exit surveys.
But young women favor abortion rights by 54 to
39 percent, according to Gallup — the biggest
margin of any age group — and they could vote
Democratic if persuaded to vote at all.
“There were a ton of young women,” said
Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster. “It speaks to
the ability to mobilize young people. That could
NEW SHIPMENT OF
LOOSE DIAMONDS!
ROUND DIAMONDS
PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS
osem
in go. I
tee lie 1
I conflict 11
oplert
irunken®
ights;#*
sslateifl*
das*
ir
OOfl'^
ioM^
1&
vas
eas^ 11
classic
idelid' 111
3iit)nie f ;
i #
enf 1
LaP 1 ;
jo#
ns, c
K
D
G
F
M
H
J
H
I
G
H
I
WS 2
S'I
51 2
51 3
ws 2
vs 2
VS 2
S'I
VS,
SI 2
vs,
si 2
3 95 Ooo
7250 00 EGL Cert.
4900 00 EGL Cert.
2900 00 EGL Cert.
2475°° EGL Cert.
4575 00
2900 00 EGL Cert.
43 50°° EGL Cert.
3450 00 EGL Cert.
4327°° IDEAL CUT EGL Cert.
3875 00 EGL Cert.
2500°° EGL Cert.
2.23
1.56
1.00
.91
.90
.90
.87
.82
.73
.71
.70
.66
H
I
G
E
G
I
F
F
E
H
H
E
vs,
vs,
vs,
SI 2
vs 2
SI 2
SI,
vs 2
vs 2
vs 2
vs 2
SI
I4500 00 EGL Cert.
6900 00
5460°° EGL Cert.
3400 00
3450 00 EGL Cert.
2500°° EGL Cert.
3 I 00 00 EGL Cert.
3075 00
2920 00 EGL Cert.
2270 00 EGL Cert.
2 I 00 00 EGL Cert.
I 625°° EGL Cert.
.B8
.86
.83
.80
G
1
H
F
si t
SI,
Sl 3
S, J
vs 2
2700°° EGL Cert.
2250 00 EGL Cert.
1 BOO 00 EGL Cert
2700 00 EGL Cert
.60
.591
.56
H
G
E
1
VS,
VS,
vvs.
1 400 00 EGL Cert.
1 500 00 EGL Cert.
1 600°° GIA Cert
.73
F
2450 00 PCS Cert
.54
D
s> 2
1 250°° EGL Cert.
.73
H
SI,
2 1 50°° EGL Cert.
.51
D
vs 2
,3 50 00 GIA Cert.
.70
H
si]
VS 2
1785°° PCS Cert
.51
D
SI,
I275 00 EGL Cert.
.62
H
1 350°° EGL Cert.
.50
E
ws 2
1 500 00 GIA Cert.
.60
K
SI,
775 00 EGL Cert
.57
G
vs 2
1455°° EGL Cert.
PEAR CUT
.55
E
SI,
1 525°° EGL Cert
.54
D
Sl|
1 575 00 EGL Cert
.92
H
Sl|
294500
.5!
F
vs 2
168S M
.64
1
SI,
I250 00 EGL Cert.
.45
1
vs,
560 00
ASHER DIAMONDS
OLD EUROPEAN CUT
(SQUARE EMERALD CUT)
1.18
H
SI3
3300 00
1.07
H
VS 2
4I00 00 GIACert.
1.03
1
SI3
24 00 00
I.OI
F
vs 2
4930 00 GIA Cert.
.91
1
1,
I850 00
.60
I
vs.
1 I 70 00 EGL Cert
ANTIQUE
CUT DIAMONDS
.46
H
SI,
675 00
1.98
1
SI,
7500 00 Cushion Cut
OVAL DIAMONDS
1.88
J
Sl 2
4950 00
1.72
1
•l
3 9 50 00
.84
E
VS 2
3 I 50 00 EGL Cert.
1.71
J
SI 3
4500 00 Cushion Cut
.83
D
vs.
3375 00 EGL Cert
I.I2
1
SI,
26 00 00
.81
E
vs 2
3040 00 EGL Cert.
1.03
1
Sl 2
2950 00 Cushion Cut
.72
1
S>2
I595 00 EGL Cert.
.74
J
SI 2
950 00
.54
H
S\ 7
950°o
.32
H
SI,
550 00
RADIANT CUT
MARQUISE
DIAMONDS
1.06
D
SI,
4600 00 gia
.5!
E
VS 1
1 525 00 EGL Cert.
6.76
G
1,
27 5 00 00
1.37
l
SI3
31 SO 00
EMERALD CUT DIAMONDS
1.21
K
Sl 3
3450°°
1.14
1
vs 2
3675 00 EGL Cert.
1.52
l
vvs
, 6490 00 EGL Cert.
.89
D
vs 2
3470°°
I.I2
E
Sl 3
29500°
.48
H
SI,
875 00
.58
1
Sl|
1150 00
.31
K
vs,
395 00
John D. Huntley, Inc.
Class of '79 ^
"Very Personal Investments"
Rare Coins, Loose Diamonds, Precious Metal, Fine Jewelry, Watches, Tennis Bracelets,
Cocktail Rings & Colored Gemstones
313B South College Ave. (Next to Harry's) • 846-8916
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Tina Welke, 28, of Minneapolis, Minn., joins thousands of fellow protesters as they parade down Pennsylvania
Avenue, in Washington, D.C., Sunday, April 25, during the "March for Women's Lives," a pro-choice rally.
change the margin in battleground states,” where
the presidential race is expected to be close.
Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for Kerry,
said abortion rights was a winning issue for Kerry
in such swing states as Arizona, Colorado, Florida
and Nevada, as well as in California and New
York, where the Massachusetts senator is airing
ads appealing for contributions on the basis of his
stance supporting abortion rights.
Republicans refuse to concede women’s votes
to Democrats, however, saying many women sup
port the president’s opposition to abortion and that
more women will vote for him for reasons that
have nothing to do with abortion.
“The record on banning partial-birth abortion
and (protecting) unborn victims is going to be
popular and resonate with people,” said Terry
Holt, a spokesman for Bush’s campaign, who said
the president’s stance reflected mainstream views.
A majority of Americans support at least
some restrictions on abortion. A Gallup poll last
October showed that 17 percent thought abor
tion should be illegal in all circumstances, and
40 percent thought it should be legal in only a
few circumstances.
Moreover, Holt said, Bush hopes that women
will endorse his record on the economy, educa
tion, health care and national security, as well as
for appointing women such as National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice to his senior staff.
r
f\t \
t \
i ■" w ',
r-'
4
I OI IPflT’Q
BOOKSTORES
AN AGGIE TRADITION OF FRIENDLY SERVICE SINCE 1932
Need a Bide?
SELL YOUR TEXTBOOKS
TO LOU POT’S BOOKSTORES
& ENTER TO WIN A 2004
APRILIA MOJITO-50 SCOOTER
WINNER AT ALL 3 STORES !
NORTHGATE
335 University Dr.
979.846.6312
979.846.0748 fax
WOLF PEN PLAZA
1907 Texas Ave. S.
979.693.0838
979.764.7355 fax
SOUTHGATE
308 George Bush Dr.
979.693.2278
979.764.7273 fax
RESERVE YOUR SUMMER AND FALL BOOKS ONLINE NOW!
www.loupots.com
TEST DRIVE ONE TODAY!
M & M POWER SPORTS
730 E. Villa Maria Bryan, TX 77802
979.775.8688 (ALT. #) 979.412.4156