Ok, so John McCain didn't actually say that. Still, under a McCain/Palin administration, you can pretty much count on Roe v. Wade's pro-choice ruling getting reversed. Why? To the Flip! (If you have the stomach for it.)
As you already probably know, Roe v. Wade is the 1973 landmark ruling that extended the constitutional right to privacy under the 14th Amendment's due process clause to include the right to choose. (More specifically, it overturned state and federal law that outlawed abortion as violating the 14th Amendment.) It upheld that
abortions are permissible for any reason a woman chooses, up until the "point at which the fetus becomes ‘viable,’ that is, potentially able to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid. Viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks."
The right to choose has been under attack for the past 35 years, but there is reason to be especially concerned under a McCain/Palin administration. Let's take a look at the current members of the Supreme Court, who would ultimately rule on a challenge to Roe v. Wade, and their ages and (admittedly oversimplified) political leanings:
John Roberts, conservative, age 53
Antonin Scalia, conservative, age 72
Clarence Thomas, conservative, age 60
Samuel Fredo Alito, conservative, age 58
Stephen Breyer, liberal, age 70
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, liberal, age 75
John Paul Stevens, liberal, age 88
David Souter, liberal, age 68
Anthony Kennedy, conservative/swing, age 72
The oldest Supreme Court judge in history was Oliver Wendell Holmes, who left the court at the age of 90; Stevens would be 92 during the 2012 presidential race. After Stevens, there are four more justices in their 70s, only one of whom (Scalia) falls in the conservative wing. (One of the most frustrating angles of Bush's Alito and Roberts selections is their youth; it wouldn't be surprising to see them remaining in the court for another 20-30 years.) Over the summer, the USA Today referred to rumors of two retirements, Stevens and Ginsburg:
The oldest two justices — half the court's liberal wing — top the list of those considered likely to retire during the next presidential administration. Despite Stevens' and Ginsburg's apparent vigor, change on the Supreme Court is more likely than not over the next four years.
There are plenty of reasons why this country is in desperate need for an Obama presidency. A key one not discussed enough, though, is the threat of overturning Roe v. Wade.