In its unscientific poll, Fox News asked website visitors whether Prop 8 did indeed violate the Constitution. Unless 4chan got a hold of this thing, we’re looking at the largest swath of right-wing, Bill O’Reilly-worshiping folks falling into line with common sense.
Sheldon
LOL.
This was a Facebook effort to fuck with Fox news.
And it apparently worked.
Rick H
Been spreading like wildfire on FB… Woohoo!!!
reason
When I was on CNN earlier I thought there was something amiss with their poll stating that 70+ people thought it was unconstitutional. When I saw this, I was think no way and sure enough. Though we will reach that time some day.
Sean
Even though it’s a very inaccurate depiction of how Americans are split on the issue, seeing a poll at 70% does change people’s minds. It’s called the….something effect. I don’t remember from my poli sci scopes and methods class.
MacBean
Yeah, the percentage of people who thought it was unconstitutional was only in the 20s before it started spreading around on Facebook and Tumblr and people were encouraged to screw with their results.
Mathew
I voted in that poll, and I never watch Fox News. That poll is biased. đ
Mathew
I mean, the results are biased.
adam
lol, 4chan probably wouldn’t vote for a poll about this, unless it was somehow extremely offensive. Not really controversial enough for them.
judex
Just a side note: O’Reilly himself has come out for gay marriage (see Leno show) although his reasoning is a bit tortured. Perhaps that too nudged the yeas up a bit.
Rob
PZ Myers, a science blogger famous for inviting his readers to crash polls, posting this one to his page last night.
Tom B
I love the comments about how this was fair poll until it circulated on facebook. Frankly, I posted the link onto every gay site I am associated with. Apparantly Fox News followers only feel that a poll is accurate if it only reaches one side of the population.
Phil
This isn’t a valid poll at all, and not for the fact that Facebook screwed with the results. What kind of poll answer is “No — Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I don’t care what the judge thinks about the constitution”?
What the fuck! That answer seems to flippantly disregard the constitution and is going to warp the answers, which are probably already messed up because some people STILL don’t understand what a yes or no vote on Prop 8 did. Gosh, even a high-schooler knows what a weighted question (and answer) is.
So yea, horrible poll.
Ryanthehulk
I created a facebook event to fuck with the poll.
Update: The poll is now at 66%
edgyguy1426
I think it was O’Reilly that came out against DADT not gay marriage unless he’s been back recently. Can you let me know about this?
Joe Walcott III
Now that the issue of gay marriage has been pretty much decided, what about some of those other less popular expressions of love and intimacy?
For a long time incest and pedophilia have been stigmatized as physically and morally reprehensible acts. In fact, studies have shown that the same love and intimacy found in typical gay relationships can be found in incestuous and man-boy relationships as well. Isn’t it long past time to address these facts with the same open-minded compassion that permitted sodomy in all its diverse expressions to be embraced as yet another value preference of the individual and his partner to yet other partners, other consenting individuals not so readily recognized for who they really are, yet who remain deeply committed to love? Remember when people would say, well, what is it you do in the bedroom, and gays were immediately thrown on the defensive, vainly struggling to find loving expressions for that most basic act of physical love? Not any more. Well, neither should other lovers whose sexual preferences might be different than yours and mine.
When the 7-year-old boy says “yes” to his adult lover, is that not the same as saying “yes” in any consenting relationship? And when prior to insertion the child has been lathered properly with the finest lubricant is it not the caring expression of the lover who has bestowed on his beloved his greatest affection? You must agree, if you at all value your triumph at defeating Prop. 8, that love and intimacy can’t be restricted to the victorious many, but must include all lovers, all consenting persons capable of intimacy and willing to express it.
Gary B.
Not only is this unscientific, it’s very biased, and not in the ways you think.
Very shortly after the ruling, I went to the CNN website and to the Fox News website and they each had polls.
For CNN, the poll initially showed overwhelming support for this decision in the high 80’s or low 90’s. I watched as that number kept dropping over the next several hours into the mid 70’s.
For Fox News, the poll initially showed overwhelming support against this decision in the low to mid 70’s. As the hours passed, that number quickly moved towards the middle, and then in favor of the decision.
So what gives?
Then I went to a facebook page I belong to in favor of gay marriage with over 2 million members. To my non-surprise, people there were encouraging people to go to the Fox News poll, with a link, to vote in favor of the decision. I can only imagine that in other groups where people were against gay marriage, they were encouraging people to go to CNN and vote not in favor of it. I myself, even before I was prompted, went to Fox News to vote in favor of it, and I hate Fox News.
Sorry, but this is about as scientific as American Idol where people can vote 400 times for the same person and effect the results. In the end I’m happy that the Fox poll showed this result, however, as maybe it will make conservatives think about things a bit more, even if the poll was manipulated. Gotta love the internet! đ