In weeks before Tuesday's United States Supreme Court oral arguments about same-sex marriage, you couldn't find a news outlet that didn't proclaim the percentage of Americans supporting the issue was 60 percent, if not approaching it, based on polls.
That's the problem with public-opinion polls today, most of which are commissioned -- and the sample of respondents sought and the questions asked -- in order to support a specific viewpoint.
Case in point: Results from an Associated Press-Gfk poll taken just before the oral arguments didn't approach that level of support. Indeed, it didn't even show a majority in favor of same-sex marriage but did show 50 percent -- exactly half -- supporting a Supreme Court declaration that same-sex marriage should be legal nationwide.
Another answer in the poll differed from what advocates have been saying -- that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe wedding-related businesses should be forced to provide services for same-sex weddings even if it violates their religious convictions. The AP-Gfk poll, in fact, showed that a majority (52 percent) of Americans believe wedding-related businesses should not be forced to provide such services if it is against their beliefs.
You can believe or disbelieve the latest poll, be for or against gay marriage, but it's important to note the volatility of polls and their use in advocating issues. What's declared to be the gospel truth in a poll these days isn't necessarily so.