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Poll: No Role for Government in Schiavo Case
ABC News ^ | March 21, 2005 | GARY LANGER

Posted on 03/21/2005 7:30:53 AM PST by Dog Gone

Federal Intervention in Schiavo Case Prompts Broad Public Disapproval

Analysis by GARY LANGER

Mar. 21, 2005 - Americans broadly and strongly disapprove of federal intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, with sizable majorities saying Congress is overstepping its bounds for political gain.

The public, by 63 percent-28 percent, supports the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, and by a 25-point margin opposes a law mandating federal review of her case. Congress passed such legislation and President Bush signed it early today.

That legislative action is distinctly unpopular: Not only do 60 percent oppose it, more -- 70 percent -- call it inappropriate for Congress to get involved in this way. And by a lopsided 67 percent-19 percent, most think the elected officials trying to keep Schiavo alive are doing so more for political advantage than out of concern for her or for the principles involved.

This ABC News poll also finds that the Schiavo case has prompted an enormous level of personal discussion: Half of Americans say that as a direct result of hearing about this case, they've spoken with friends or family members about what they'd want done if they were in a similar condition. Nearly eight in 10 would not want to be kept alive.

Intensity

In addition to the majority, the intensity of public sentiment is also on the side of Schiavo's husband, who has fought successfully in the Florida courts to remove her feeding tube. And intensity runs especially strongly against congressional involvement.

Included among the 63 percent who support removing the feeding tube are 42 percent who "strongly" support it -- twice as many as strongly oppose it. And among the 70 percent who call congressional intervention inappropriate are 58 percent who hold that view strongly -- an especially high level of strong opinion.

GOP Groups

Views on this issue are informed more by ideological and religious views than by political partisanship. Republicans overall look much like Democrats and independents in their opinions.

But two core Republican groups -- conservatives and evangelical Protestants -- are more divided: Fifty-four percent of conservatives support removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, compared with seven in 10 moderates and liberals. And evangelical Protestants divide about evenly -- 46 percent are in favor of removing the tube, 44 percent opposed. Among non-evangelical Protestants, 77 percent are in favor -- a huge division between evangelical and mainline Protestants.

Conservatives and evangelicals also are more likely to support federal intervention in the case, although it doesn't reach a majority in either group. Indeed, conservative Republicans oppose involving the federal courts, by 57 percent-41 percent.

Conservatives and evangelicals hold these views even though most people in both groups -- 73 percent and 68 percent, respectively -- say that if they personally were in this condition, they would not want to be kept alive.


Should Feeding Tube Be Removed?
Support Oppose
Non-evangelical 77% 18
Evangelical 46 44
Catholics 63 26
Liberals 68 24
Moderates 69 22
Conservatives 54 40
Democrats 65 25
Independents 63 28
Republicans 61 34
Conservative Reps. 55 40

Regardless of their preference on the Schiavo case, about two-thirds of conservatives and evangelicals alike call congressional intervention inappropriate. And majorities in both groups, as in others, are skeptical of the motivations of the political leaders seeking to extend Schiavo's life.


Should Federal Government Intervene?
Support Oppose
Non-evangelical 26% 71
Evangelical 44 50
Catholics 38 56
Liberals 34 62
Moderates 29 67
Conservatives 48 49
Democrats 34 63
Independents 31 61
Republicans 39 58
Conservative Reps. 41 57

Preference and Experience

Public views on this issue are informed in part by Americans' preferences for their own care if they were in a similar situation: Sixteen percent would want life support; as noted, 78 percent would not. While still a very large majority, that's down from 87 percent in an ABC News/Washington Poll last week.

Among people who favor removing Schiavo's life support, 94 percent say that's also what they would want for themselves. By contrast, people who oppose removing the feeding tube in Schiavo's case divide about evenly on what they'd want for themselves: Forty-five percent would want life support, 41 percent would not.

Some speak from experience: A third of Americans say they've had friends or family members who passed away in a hospital or other care facility after life support was removed; nearly two in 10 say they were personally involved in that decision. People who've been personally involved in such a decision are more apt than others to support removing Schiavo's feeding tube and to say they personally would not want life support.

Age and Attention

There are differences among age groups. Senior citizens are more apt than others to strongly support removing Schiavo's feeding tube, and also more apt to oppose federal intervention. And young adults are less likely to say that, as a result of the Schiavo case, they've discussed their own wishes with family or friends.

Just under six in 10 Americans are closely following the Schiavo case, including 16 percent who've been following it very closely -- a respectable albeit not overwhelming level of public attention. Young adults, age 18 to 29, are less than half as likely as their elders to be following the case closely -- just 27 percent are doing so. There's an irony in that result: Schiavo herself was stricken at age 26.

Methodology

This ABC News poll was conducted by telephone March 20, 2005, among a random national sample of 501 adults. The results have a 4.5-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abc; civilrights; cultureofdeath; deathcultpoll; elitistpoll; eugenics; euthanasia; hadicaped; justiceforterri; lifelibertyhappiness; mediabias; msm; msmbias; notfairnotbalanced; parentsrights; propaganda; schiavo; terri; terrischiavo; terrisfight; terrisfightorg
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To: zook
You do realize that it was the judge that ordered the feeding tube removed after hearing testimony? This was not Michaels decision. He brought it to the judge to decide.

So, your scenario about the parents choosing to withhold food is wrong and is also inflammatory to the discussion.

141 posted on 03/21/2005 9:33:10 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: mlc9852

Right! This is not an ordinary cut and dried case. There are circumstances that the general public doesn't have a clue about unless they inform themselves and I think this poll just might have run across these particular people.


142 posted on 03/21/2005 9:33:58 AM PST by Dawgreg (Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.)
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To: Tribune7

My Democrat coworker, who BTW is Muslim, from Egypt, and agrees with EVERYTHING the Democrats say usually, is totally appalled that this woman is being starved when her family wants to take care of her.

It's as simple as that.

I really don't think this is a very complicated moral dilemma.


143 posted on 03/21/2005 9:36:45 AM PST by olivia3boys
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To: robertpaulsen
Its not a lame argument. We have only her husband's word for it and he doesn't exactly strike me as the suffering martyr type. I'm hard pressed to think of a spouse that wanted a loved one dead. That's why people think he's nuts. Of course we can't know what Terri said. She never told her husband or her family. But that's understandable. At 26, you think you'll live forever. Its a tragedy what's happened to this woman. All the same, its not a justification to take her life.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
144 posted on 03/21/2005 9:37:49 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Long Cut
I expect the Democrats to be poll-driven. But you know what they say about popularity - its fleeting.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
145 posted on 03/21/2005 9:39:46 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop
"I expect the Democrats to be poll-driven..."

Do you doubt for a minute that the Congressional Republicans AREN'T? If so, wait a week as more polls come out and they all drop this like a red-hot rivet. Prior to now, all they had were the emails, letters, and phone calls of a small but vocal minority to go on. Now they have polling data, with more to come.

It's not gonna be pretty.

146 posted on 03/21/2005 9:44:46 AM PST by Long Cut ("Looks like meat's back on the menu, Boys!")
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To: Dog Gone
most think the elected officials trying to keep Schiavo alive are doing so more for political advantage than out of concern for her or for the principles involved.

It probably didn't help when the GOP leadership circulated a memo to congress advising them to get involved because it would be good politics and please their base.
147 posted on 03/21/2005 9:46:49 AM PST by LanaTurnerOverdrive
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To: Just mythoughts
"look out evolution time to end that government funded religion."

Since most of the same extremists supporting THAT outcome also are the ones who brought about this fiasco, don't hold your breath. Lawmakers don't listen well to fanatics, especially after polls come out.

148 posted on 03/21/2005 9:47:02 AM PST by Long Cut ("Looks like meat's back on the menu, Boys!")
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To: chimera
It's hard to imagine that even Rome amidst the worst of its bloodthirsty revelry and debauchery would have imagined killing a newborn by sucking it's brains out while in the process of delivery, or burning the skin off of unborn children with injected concentrated saline solutions. Yet it happens in this country all the time.

Well actually Roman fathers (Paterfamilias) had the power of life and death over every member of their family. If a Roman father didn't want to raise a newborn as a citizen for any reason, or for no reason at all, the baby could be abandoned, usually in the countryside to die of exposure.

Cordially,

149 posted on 03/21/2005 9:50:22 AM PST by Diamond
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To: wideawake
Most people who have even heard of Terri Schiavo in the first place assume that she is comatose and being kept alive artificially with a respirator, etc. Very few people realize that the court is ordering that a helpless woman be forcibly starved to death.

Unfortunately, there is a contingent right here on Free Republic that, though they understand the facts, still prefer her murder. Like the pro-aborts who will look you straight in the eye and say, "of course it's a baby, but it's the mother's choice".

150 posted on 03/21/2005 9:51:51 AM PST by workerbee
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To: walden

Well, why "What I would want is relevant" is because that is what the poll was asking people, I was just simply answering the question.

Yes God is in control, and yes family members do love and care for their own. However, the court gave Michael Schiavo guardianship of his wife, even though her family stated that they would care for her.

So the courts made a bad decision years ago. Micheal Schiavo obviously lied when he said he would go to nursing school and care for his wife at home. These facts should have been enough to give guardianship to the parents. But that hasn't happened. Now she has been deteriorating for 15 years. Its very sad.


151 posted on 03/21/2005 9:52:18 AM PST by senorita (A real American native)
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What gets me is that it's likely the same group that wants to artificially keep her "alive" that is tying the hands of the scientific community when it comes to genetic advances to preserve life. Am I wrong?
152 posted on 03/21/2005 9:53:07 AM PST by NY-YANK
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To: chimera
We're seeing in the Schiavo case the logical endpoint of the culture of death. Killing innocents persons has become acceptable and sanctioned by society, with certain caveats (which themselves are being eroded away). Things like the court accepting the hearsay of another individual with obvious conflicts of interest, taking polls to gauge public approval of the killing, etc., all lend an aura of acceptability. Of course, the preference is that the killing be shielded by the masquerade of "privacy", done out of sight and out of mind, hidden away somewhere in a chamber of horrors abortion mill, or a hospice room to which visitation of family and friends is denied.

***************

Well said. Very well said.

153 posted on 03/21/2005 9:57:00 AM PST by trisham (choose life!)
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To: Long Cut
"Since most of the same extremists supporting THAT outcome also are the ones who brought about this fiasco, don't hold your breath. Lawmakers don't listen well to fanatics, especially after polls come out."

Some on this forum practice the very thing they accuse others of doing. Some of us do not live our lives based upon polls. Some love to seek to incite others by slurring others into name calling, and then feign indignation when exposed.

Some think they and their precious legal system is government and are woefully ignorant about who government is by the Constitution. You just worship a different god, and your god must be taking a potty break.
154 posted on 03/21/2005 9:57:04 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: NY-YANK

I support ALL research with adult stem cells as well as with umbilical cord and placental cells. I object to the creation of life for the purpose of destroying it.

And, in this case, I object to the destruction of life for the sake of the convenience of others.

I see nothing contradictory in these positions.


155 posted on 03/21/2005 9:59:23 AM PST by walden
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To: goldstategop
"We have only her husband's word for it..."

That's not true.

We have his sworn testimony along with his brother Scott's sworn testimony along with Terri's best friend, Joan's sworn testimony.

156 posted on 03/21/2005 9:59:43 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: LanaTurnerOverdrive
It probably didn't help when the GOP leadership circulated a memo to congress advising them to get involved because it would be good politics and please their base.

I hadn't heard that before.

157 posted on 03/21/2005 10:03:47 AM PST by Dog Gone
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To: workerbee
Unfortunately, there is a contingent right here on Free Republic that, though they understand the facts, still prefer her murder.

Wheat and tares.

158 posted on 03/21/2005 10:05:53 AM PST by wideawake (God bless our brave soldiers and their Commander in Chief)
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To: Dog Gone
Since they didn't ask me, I consider their poll to be BS.


159 posted on 03/21/2005 10:07:40 AM PST by Niteranger68 ("I am not a conservative because I am successful; I am successful because I am a conservative.")
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To: Dog Gone
"It probably didn't help when the GOP leadership circulated a memo to congress advising them to get involved because it would be good politics and please their base."


"I hadn't heard that before."


Somebody spreading a RUMOR, the GOP leadership has denied they sent this anonymous piece of paper.
160 posted on 03/21/2005 10:08:56 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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