Trying to navigate abortion politics

Obama, on the other hand, faced no backlash last week when he reached out to voters who might be put off by his support for abortion rights. The Illinois senator's party put out a revamped platform with explicit language intended to appeal to those voters. It pledged support not just for abortion rights but also for "a woman's decision to have a child."

The language, up for approval next week at the Democratic National Convention, comes as Obama is trying to erode the Republican advantage among white evangelical voters.

"It's a step in the right direction," said the Rev. Joel C. Hunter, a Republican pastor of a central Florida mega-church. Hunter was one of several evangelical leaders who offered advice to Democrats drafting the platform, which abortion rights groups also applauded.

At the Saddleback forum, Obama took credit for pushing the platform change, saying the nation's goal should be to reduce the number of abortions. While sidestepping the question of when a baby should get human rights, saying it was "above my pay grade," Obama reminded the audience that he supported some limits on late-term abortion.

"One of the things that I've always said is that on this particular issue, if you believe that life begins at conception, then -- and you are consistent in that belief -- then I can't argue with you on that because that is a core issue of faith for you," he said. "What I can do is say: Are there ways that we can work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies?"

In another nod to antiabortion voters, Obama has given a prime-time speaking slot at the convention to Sen. Bob Casey Jr., a Pennsylvania Democrat known for his opposition to abortion. For a party trying to widen its base, the move's symbolism was clear. In 1992, the Democrats denied a speaking role at their convention to the senator's father, the late Gov. Robert Casey, who was also an outspoken abortion opponent.

So far -- with the exception of their back-to-back appearances at Saddleback Church -- McCain and Obama have largely played down abortion, opting to engage more forcefully on matters that voters rank as more important, such as the economy and Iraq.

"The luxury of worrying about social issues disappears when you've got a war on or you've got an economy in the tank," said political scientist Gary Jacobson of UC San Diego.