Will the Death Penalty become a major issue in 2008 ?

[Tender Branson]

Inspired by the article about the UN General Assembley, which will hold a vote on a global moratorium regarding the Death Penalty in November 2007 and the US Supreme Court decision to halt executions until a Kentucky case is reviewed until June 2008, I´m wondering if this issue will evolve into something serious again next year ...

I´m aware that every leading candidate for President in both parties (Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, McCain, Huckabee, Clinton, Obama, Edwards) favor the death penalty, but what if the Supreme Court, unlikely as it is, decides in lets say May 2008, that Lethal Injection as a Method for Execution is unconstitutional ?

http://pewforum.org/religion08/compare.php?Issue=Death_Penalty

[gorkay]

I don't see it becoming an issue, because admitting that you're against it is considered a political kiss of death. Any attempt at an intelligent discussion of the issue in a political venue is inevitably cut off by the right-wing claim that anyone who isn't 100% for the death penalty is "soft on crime."

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I don't see it becoming an issue, because admitting that you're against it is considered a political kiss of death. Any attempt at an intelligent discussion of the issue in a political venue is inevitably cut off by the right-wing claim that anyone who isn't 100% for the death penalty is "soft on crime."

I wouldn't go that far, considering that quite a few politicians say they oppose it, but I still don't think it'll be an issue.

[Silent Hunter]

I wondered about this. I haven't heard it mentioned.

What's the level of support for the death penalty in the US?

If the USSC rules lethal injection unconstitutional, I suspect other methods are going to be found.

[Tender Branson]

I wondered about this. I haven't heard it mentioned.

What's the level of support for the death penalty in the US?

If the USSC rules lethal injection unconstitutional, I suspect other methods are going to be found.

I have long not followed this case. I don´t even know when the Supreme Court will rule on it. If Clinton and Obama are still engaged in battle, I don´t think they will really deal with the matter. Probably they´ll just issue a brief statement and that´s it. Both won´t voice their opposition to the death penalty, because for McCain it would be welcome ammuntion. Sadly as it is.

BTW: The support is about 50/50 when the option of life imprisonment is given as well. Recently, life imprisonment is becoming more popular with the American public.

[Person Man]

It was actually in the low 70s for some time but now has dipped and level off around 57 or 58.