Thursday, January 8, 2009

The push polls keep coming

I thought with the election over that I would no longer be subject to push polls.

Last night proved me wrong. I was push polled by none other than Mike Huckabee, who introduced himself on the phone as the former Governor of Arkansas rather than a talk show host (current job) or recent GOP candidate for President.

The topic: potential federal regulation and possible funding of family planning agencies--or at least, that's how the poll began. The introduction included a claim that President-elect Obama has promised to provide certain sorts of federal funding to various agencies, among them Planned Parenthood. I have no idea if this claim is in any way true.

However, it didn't take more than a couple of questions for the real issue to become clear: abortion. I was asked whether I agreed with statues that would require those under 18 to obtain parental consent before obtaining an abortion. I was asked whether I agree with statutes that would prohibit what the anti-abortion movement has erroneously labeled partial-birth abortions. In all, I was asked about 20 questions on various aspects of the issue--each questioned framed as a "yes" or "no" response and many including erroneous or unsubstantiated assertions.

What's wrong here. There are at least a couple of things. First, Huckabee doesn't really want my opinion. In fact, he was a recording. I have no idea what was "done" with my opinion, because I was never told. This is deceptive. As a citizen, I should know why I'm being polled. Second, the questions should at least adhere to the facts. In the best of all possible worlds, they should include context. And, they certainly should provide me with more options than "yes" or "no". For example, I should be able to tell my supposed questioner that young women who are the victims on incest--and I wrote those stories as a police reporter--should not have to obtain permission from their molester to obtain an abortion. But, there was no place for that sort of thinking, logic or dialog in this supposed search for my opinion.

But, as a journalist, this poll gives me another sort of clue. There's a story here. What group in Missouri is planning what sort of political initiative? How are those who answer in a way the "pollster" deems appropriate being placed on mailing lists, fund raising lists, and in other sorts of political support groups? Who paid for this "poll"?

As much attention as we give to the internet, we also need to remember that the telephone--after the front porch and the back fence--remains an important social networking tool. I also think it remains just as newsworthy.

1 comment:

MoJoe said...

While agreeing that “push polls” are terribly misleading, the problem is true for both sides of the isle.

However, your comments seem misleading themselves:

“THE INTRODUCTION INCLUDED A CLAIM THAT PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA HAS PROMISED TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SORTS OF FEDERAL FUNDING TO VARIOUS AGENCIES, AMONG THEM PLANNED PARENTHOOD. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS CLAIM IS IN ANY WAY TRUE.”

It’s easy to check this. Planned Parenthood specifically lists as one of the reasons for their endorsement of Obama is his support of the Freedom of Choice Act - a bill that would erase virtually every abortion law across the country, and make abortion for “mental distress” legal in all 50 states. Obama promised in a speech to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund last year,

“The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.”

“There will always be people, many of good will, who do not share my view on the issue of choice. On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Planned Parenthood will not yield.”

Planned Parenthood also says that Obama intends to repeal rules that bar any U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to organizations that perform or promote abortions.

“I WAS ASKED WHETHER I AGREE WITH STATUTES THAT WOULD PROHIBIT WHAT THE ANTI-ABORTION MOVEMENT HAS ERRONEOUSLY LABELED PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS.”

While this procedure has more “sanitized” names, the term partial birth is completely descriptive of the procedure. The entire infant is delivered except the head (partially born). A scissors is jammed into the base of the skull. A tube is inserted into the skull, and the brain is sucked out. The now-dead infant is pulled out.

“... THE QUESTIONS SHOULD AT LEAST ADHERE TO THE FACTS. IN THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS, THEY SHOULD INCLUDE CONTEXT.”

Let’s add some context.

Dr. Pamela Smith, Director of Medical Education, Dept. of Ob-Gyn at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, has stated: "There are absolutely no obstetrical situations encountered in this country which would require partial- birth abortion to preserve the life or health of the mother." And she adds two more risks: cervical incompetence in subsequent pregnancies caused by three days of forceful dilation of the cervix, and uterine rupture caused by rotating the fetus in the womb. Joseph DeCook, Fellow, Am. Col., Ob/Gyn, founder of PHACT (Physicians Ad Hoc Coalition for Truth), stated: "There is no literature that testifies to the safety of partial birth abortions. It’s a maverick procedure devised by maverick doctors who wish to deliver a dead fetus. Such abortions could lead to infection causing sterility." Also, "Drawing out the baby in breech position is a very dangerous procedure and could tear the uterus. Such a ruptured uterus could cause the mother to bleed to death in ten minutes.".."The puncturing of the child’s skull produces bone shards that could puncture the uterus." (Congressman Charles Canady (R-FL), 7/23).

But why kill the infant? Obviously the mother wants to get “unpregnant”. Even if this is accepted, we must still ask, why kill? Most of these babies are viable. They are only 3 or 4 inches (10 cm) from delivery. One gentle pull and the head will come out. Then the cord could be cut, and the infant given to the nurse to take to the intensive care nursery.

Why are "pro-choice" (no there's an erroneous label) so fanatical that so many refuse ANY limits on abortion, even for infanticide?