CBS News today published a story on a gay marriage and civil unions poll they conducted which you can ignore. The poll was conducted by contacting a mere 615 people. I don’t trust any poll that doesn’t canvass at least 1000 respondents. Also, I don’t trust any poll that doesn’t release the raw data, especially the questions asked and the demographic breakdown. Finally, the poll is a follow-up to a poll they conducted a month prior, which means there’s been a relationship established, another fatal flaw in my opinion.
UPDATE — Add this piece to the reasons why the CBS poll is questionable:
Gallup: ‘Acceptance of Gay/Lesbian Relations Is The New Normal’
The CBS poll, if you’re curious, claims:
38 percent of those who responded to the survey said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, just like any other couple. Another 24 percent said civil unions should be used to grant same-sex couples legal rights similar to male-female partnerships. Combined, that means 62 percent – close to two thirds – of Americans believe that same-sex unions should be recognized by law.
Of all those who participated, 33 percent said there should be no legal recognition for same-sex couples.
So, CBS finds 38% of Americans favor same-sex marriage, days after the President came out in support of it, while we have two years of polling — many different polls now from different national pollsters — that finds a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage? I’m not buying it.
The one caveat I’ll give CBS is the poll offers same-sex marriage and civil unions, whereas most don’t include civil unions.
But I still don’t buy the poll.
If you want to see what a professional, respected, independent pollster finds on same-sex marriage, try Nate Silver at The New York Times, who writes, “an average of 50 percent of American adults support same-sex marriage rights while 45 percent oppose it, based on an average of nine surveys conducted in the past year.”
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Related:Â Leaked: Top Republican Pollster Tells GOP To Support Gay Marriage Or Else
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