There is one thing that all politicians, parties and special interest groups share: a love for opinion polls that show that they have the majority of the public behind them. Often, these opinion polls are commissioned by whoever stands to profit from them. But in any case, whoever pays for the poll gets to phrase the question. And therein lies the problem: by phrasing the question, you predetermine the outcome. Opinion polls do not measure public opinion, they create it. To illustrate the point, I have made up a couple of questions designed to elicit mutually contradictory majority opinions from the American public. The inspiration for some of these questions comes from George W. Bush's presidential campaign.

	to show that the public supports..	to show that the public is opposed to..
public healthcare:	Do you believe that every child in America should have affordable healthcare?	Do you want big government to tell you what medical treatments you can or cannot afford? Do you want socialist medicine?
consumer protection:	Do you believe that when corporations recklessly endanger your health and safety, they should be held responsible in a court of law?	Do you support initiatives to put an end to junk lawsuits?
the death penalty:	Do you believe that society should offer the strongest possible deterrent against crime?	Do you unconditionally support every person's right to life?
a woman's right to have an abortion:	Do you believe in a woman's sovereignty over her own body?	Do you think it is alright to murder unborn children?
gay marriage:	Do you believe that gays and lesbians should be second-class citizens under the law?	Do you support traditional marriage?
gun control:	Do you think that criminals should have unfettered access to guns?	Do you think that law-abiding citizens should have unrestricted access to guns?
affirmative action:	Do you believe that minorities should have equal opportunities in society?	Do you believe in special rights for minorities?
internet censorship:	Do you believe that our children should be protected from online pornography?	Do you believe that the government should be able to tell you what you can or cannot say on the internet?
teaching creationism:	Do you believe that our children should be told both sides of the story? Or do you believe that the evidence against evolution theory should be withheld from them?	Do you believe that public schools should only teach sound science?
comprehensive sex education:	Do you believe that children should be taught how to protect themselves from HIV and STDs?	Do you believe that schools should promote premarital sex and homosexuality?
the independence of the judiciary:	Do you believe that an independent judiciary is necessary to protect your constitutional rights?	Do you believe that unelected judges should have the authority to dicated public policy and override the will of the people?
protecting the environment:	Do you support measures to ensure that your grandchildren will still have clean air and water?	Do you think the government should be able to tell how to live your life?
wellfare:	Do you believe that no American child should go hungry?	Do you think the government should reward laziness?

The lesson to be learned here is to not trust opinion polls unless you know the exact question that was asked, and to beware of self-serving polls comissioned by special interest groups.