More Americans are "Pro-life" than "Pro-Choice"

According to a Gallup poll released today, 51% of Americans self-identify as "pro-life" while 42% self-identify as "pro-choice." This is the highest percentage of Americans identifying themselves as "pro-life" in the Gallup poll and is a rather huge swing from last year when 44% viewed themselves as "pro-life" while 50% viewed themselves as "pro-choice."

There has also been an uptick with the percentage of Americans who think abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. The percentage of Americans who believe abortion should be "illegal in all circumstances" or "legal only in a few circumstances" is now 60%.

The move in attitude change is explained thusly:

The source of the shift in abortion views is clear in the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey. The percentage of Republicans (including independents who lean Republican) calling themselves "pro-life" rose by 10 points over the past year, from 60% to 70%, while there has been essentially no change in the views of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

I wonder if this is kind of a Sarah Palin effect?

Gallup guesses that it could be because of Obama.

With the first pro-choice president in eight years already making changes to the nation's policies on funding abortion overseas, expressing his support for the Freedom of Choice Act, and moving toward rescinding federal job protections for medical workers who refuse to participate in abortion procedures, Americans -- and, in particular, Republicans -- seem to be taking a step back from the pro-choice position. However, the retreat is evident among political moderates as well as conservatives.