Because of our discomfort or, in many cases, disgust, we try to legislate them out of existence. The courts, and culture at large, will not allow us to get rid of them. All we have left is an ability to relegate them to a less-than-equal status by denying them an important social right: marriage. That denial, codified in 11 states on election night, 2004, revealed a fearful desire to legislate morality and conduct according to a pre-conceived idea of what is right and wrong for everyone regardless of their religious, moral, humanistic, or sexual preferences.

The morality crusade that was Prohibition was possibly most destructive social experiment ever attempted. Not only did it fail to stop use of alcohol, but led to rise of organized crime which still holds sway some 80 years later. We can successfully legislate against behaviors that hurt society -- murder, theft, violence and other dangerous acts -- because society benefits when its members are safe and protected.

To suggest that safety of world can be threatened by two same-sex individuals reciting vows of commitment before a local official is preposterous. The will to legislate against such an act reflects only our idea to withhold, to punish, to declare before all that it is only our values which matter and that we are right, divinely right.

With new breed of online survey web sites generators such as www.SurveyGalaxy.com multiple online surveys can be created and published in minutes making it feasible to target specific groups on specific issues. There is no longer a need to devise a ‘one size fits all’ survey. Surveys that promote policies that are aimed at retired voters can be sent to retired voters, while younger people can be sent surveys that promote candidates policy on issues that are only important to them.

Using pre-campaign survey data ‘undecided voter’ can be targeted and engaged, with perhaps opposition’s policy being used to highlight benefit of voting for a candidate.

Do you support opposition’s plans that will reduce tax burden for high earners and result in middle income families paying more tax?

A well written campaign survey will promote candidate, measure opinion and monitor how effective campaign is. Online surveys allow this to be done with considerable ease, they are extremely cost effectively and allow results to be analysed on fly.

Comparison

Compare benefits of online surveys over other forms of campaigning such as door to door and telephone canvassing, leafleting, advertising and personal appearances.

If not already, Internet is fast becoming primary method of communication for both business and personal use and provides direct access to a broad cross section of any voting population.

Through use of email, websites and search engine advertising online surveys are able to target a large proportion of a population at a fraction of price compared to traditional marketing methods. With online surveys ability to provide market research, marketing and education there is no other single form of marketing that is as cost effective and versatile.

With speed of deployment being measured in hours and minutes, not weeks and day, online surveys are able to deliver a flexible and dynamic campaign message keeping pace with political mood that can change on basis of a single comment or headline.

With each survey’s demographic data a campaign is able to accurately and instantly measure scale of success in terms of number of ‘messages’ delivered, target group and, based on results, effectiveness of online survey marketing campaign.