FRAMING THE QUESTION: ABC AND THEIR MISLEADING POLL

Are you as troubled as I am about the ABC poll that purports to show that
the American people overwhelmingly support denying Terri Schiavo food and
water? Well, poll results often hinge on the context in which the question
is posed.

Here is the statement that interviewers for ABC used in the poll: “Schiavo
suffered brain damage and has been on life-support for 15 years. Doctors
say she has no consciousness and her condition is irreversible.” ABC
guarantees the answer they want with such a biased lead-in.

For example, life support is popularly understood to be a reference to a
respirator, but Terri Schivo is not on a respirator and her heart beats on
its own. Whether she is conscious or not is one of the main points of
controversy, with doctors taking both sides, contrary to what the poll
suggests. ABC has done a fine job of tilting the poll so that it is
meaningless.

- From Gary Bauer's Campaign for Working Families