<$BlogRSDUrl$>

My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2005-04-04

More On The Polls

Earlier today I linked to and briefly commented on the Zogby Poll which showed that Americans overwhelmingly thought that pulling the plug on Terri Schiavo was wrong. One wit suggested that the reason for this result, which is so contrary to other polls, is who commissioned the poll. I have a different take. But, just to recap, here are a few of the other polls on the subject:

FOXNews: Mercy 54%, Murder 29%
Time: (on removing tube) Agree 59%, Disagree 35%
CBS: do not re-insert 66%, re-insert 27%
CNN/USAT/Gallup: remove 56%, do not 31%

All of these seemed to me to be strange, if not just for their results, at least for the wide spread. So, how would one explain the Zogby Poll? Which, just to review, shows that 79% do not think a disable person should have food and water removed, against just 9% who do.

So, how to explain? Try this: look at the questions.

CBS's question on the issue:

Terri Schiavo has been in a persistent vegetative state since 1990. Terri's husbandsays his wife would not want to be kept alive under these circumstances and he wants her feeding tube removed. Terri's parents believe her condition could improve and they want the feeding tube to remain. . . Should the feeding tube be re-inserted, or not?

Without informing the poll-ees of any of the controversy regarding the PVS diagnosis or considering Michael's compromised motives, CBS asks its question and gets its result. How about somebody else--say, Time:

Q5. TERRI SCHIAVO HAS BEEN IN WHAT DOCTORS CALL A "PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE" OR COMA-LIKE STATE FOR 15 YEARS, WITH NO HIGHER BRAIN ACTIVITY. HER HUSBAND SAYS THAT TERRI WOULD NOT WANT TO BE KEPT ALIVE ARTIFICIALLY IN THIS STATE. HE HAS ASKED THAT THE FEEDING TUBE THAT KEEPS HER ALIVE BE REMOVED. HER PARENTS DISAGREE, SAYING THAT TERRI WOULD NOT WANT TO DIE THIS WAY AND CONTEND THAT HER CONDITION COULD BE IMPROVED. A FLORIDA JUDGE UPHELD HER HUSBAND'S REQUEST TO REMOVE THE FEEDING TUBE.
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE DECISION TO REMOVE HER FEEDING TUBE?

Again, asserting as fact the PVS diagnosis. So how to explain Zogby:

If a disabled person is not terminally ill, not in a coma, and not being kept alive on life support, and they have no written directive, should or should they not be denied food and water,"

Not such a direct question, but deals directly with THE FACTS OF THE CASE. And, this is one that got the result that I would have expected.

Is it possible that the Zogby poll should be classified as a "push poll"? You betcha--just look at the question. My point is, SO SHOULD THE OTHER POLLS! It just goes to show "Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics." Hire the right pollster, and you can get whatever result you want.

I guess one of the bigger questions then is this: why did so many NEED to have these polls to back up their position? If it was right, it was right--conscience doesn't operate by public opinion.
Posted by: Michael / 4/04/2005 11:15:00 PM

Weblog Commenting by HaloScan.com

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?