04-02-2018, 01:57 PM
(04-02-2018, 01:51 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Is it? What you're seeing is a false dichotomy being presented. What I mean is that the question asked was about the repeal of the second, but that doesn't mean everyone who says yes to that wants no guns or confiscation. Were there follow-up questions regarding a more narrowly defined amendment? Did the pollster ask anything other that that dichotomy? If not, then they themselves skewed these results. What would it have looked like with multiple options?
In looking at the poll (here, if you're interested: https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/h8n9gvrqyj/econTabReport.pdf), I can definitely say that the way the question is presented skews the answer. Were you to present those people with choices, those choices being repeal, replace, modify, or do nothing, most of the people who would go for the middle two options. In addition, this survey being conducted during this timeframe is also going to increase the positive responses to appeal.
To sum up, both the question construction and timing allow for an inflated affirmative response to the question of repealing the 2nd Amendment. It was bad polling, it was bad journalism for outlets to really put as much stock in it as they did, and it has been used to stoke fears in the minds of those that put much more stock into this issue than others.
When asked if they support a ban on all guns only about 10% support something that extreme.
