People's Memo to Politicians: This Is Not Your Fight

Monday, Apr. 04, 2005

    • Most Americans -- even those who call themselves born-again or evangelical Christians -- support the decision to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube

    Agree 59% Agree strongly 44% Agree somewhat 15%

    Disagree 35% Disagree strongly 24% Disagree somewhat 11%

    Don't know 11%

    CHURCH ATTENDANCE

    Those who agree strongly and somewhat: Every week or more 48% Less than once a week 64% Never 73% Evangelical Christrians 53%

    Those who disagree strongly and somewhat: [Every week or more] 45% [Less than once a week] 32% [Never] 19% [Evangelical Christians] 41%

    POLITICAL AFFILIATION

    Those who agree strongly and somewhat: Republicaan 53% Democrat 65% Independent 59%

    Those who disagree strongly and somewhat: [Republican] 43% [Democrat] 29% [Independent] 33%

    Do you think Schiavo's parents should have the right to get a court to overrule the wishes of her husband? No 54% Yes 39% Don't know 7%

    If you were in Schiavo's place, would you want your guardian to remove your feeding tube? Yes 69% No 24% Don't know 7%

    The involvement of Congress and President Bush in the Schiavo case is overwhelmingly unpopular, and voters say they may punish those politicans in the next election

    Was it right for Congress to intervene in this matter?

    No 75% Yes 20% Don't know 5%

    Was it right for President Bush to intervene in this matter?

    No 70% Yes 24% Don't know 6%

    Do you think that Congress's and the President's intervention had more to do with their values and principles or more to do with politics?

    Values 25% Politics 65%

    If your member of Congress voted to move the Schiavo case to the federal courts, would this make you more likely to vote for or against him or her?

    Vote for 21% Vote against 54% Doesn't matter 18%

    This TIME poll was conducted by telephone March 22-24 among 1,010 adult Americans by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas (SRBI) Public Affairs. The margin of error for the entire sample is +/- 3 percentage points. The margin of error is higher for subgroups. "Don't know" omitted for some questions.