Divine blessing on union is important to many but marriage in eyes of religion is totally separate from civil contract of marriage itself. It is civil contract which has legal standing for government programs like social security and which can be severed by courts in divorce proceedings. As a social contract between two individuals, presumption that one must be male and one must be female is irrelevant.

Marriage is certainly an emotional and legal commitment. Once two individuals make choice that they will spend rest of their lives together, society approves decision, notwithstanding fact that only half of us will be able to permanently remain in that relationship. It is approved because it is a force for stability and responsibility, both vital if a culture is to thrive.

Most married couples have children; many do not. Child rearing is therefore only one aspect of state of matrimony, not sole reason for its existence. So why outcry against same-sex marriage which brings same forces of stability and responsibility to society as do heterosexual unions?

Objective

For any survey it is important to decide from beginning what objective of survey is and when considering conducting a survey in support of a particular candidate consider if purpose of survey is to discover what ‘issues’ are; or is survey to be used to promote candidates image and policies?

In many cases objectives will be in line with different phases of an election process.

Pre-Campaign

Before campaigning begins a survey is an ideal method to canvass voters and to determine what important issues are likely to be. To gain a wider response across whole political spectrum survey will preferably be conducted through an independent channel so that people’s opinion of a particular candidate does not influence research.

For a political survey it is essential that demographics of those surveyed are established as different groups are likely to have both common and varied views. With demographic information there is an opportunity to establish what main issues are by age group, by income and by gender; do people who rent have same concerns as those that own their own homes?

A pre-campaign survey will be able to monitor mood of voters. Some may, if asked, even indicate who they are likely to vote for in a future election. By listening to electorate a campaign can be planned better and will allow printed and oral marketing to be properly targeted at issues that people want addressed.

For candidates that appear out of step with electorate surveys can provide a measure of how much effort will be required, and in what areas, so that people are convinced and change their views.

Campaign survey

During a campaign an online survey is an effective way to market a candidate’s position. Tradition methods of leafleting rely on recipient reading and taking onboard message. Leaflets are a one way marketing effort and more often than not dismissed and discarded along with other ‘junk mail’.

Consider on other hand an online survey that can phrase questions such as:-

Do you support candidate Jones’s pledge to cut budget deficit in half to $250 billion over four years; and to reintroduce budget rules capping spending?