Interesting Poll

I was wondering about the recent Washington Post - ABC News poll showing that a healthy majority of Americans are in favor of the nude body scans being conducted by the TSA.

Huh? I was more than a little surprised by that. However, Radley Balko provides a helpful link to an article examining the polls methodology:

A Washington Post-ABC News poll out today finds that most people support the body scanning machines the Transportation Security Administration is installing in airports. The new “enhanced” pat-downs don’t fare so well.

How do strip-search machines get the level of approval they do? The poll itself pushes terrorism to the forefront before inquiring about TSA security measures. The first question goes to frequency of travel. The second two are:

2. Are you personally worried about traveling by commercial airplane because of the risk of terrorism, or do you think the risk is not that great? (IF WORRIED) Would you say you are very worried or only somewhat?

3. What do you think is more important right now – (for the federal government to investigate possible terrorist threats, even if that intrudes on personal privacy); or (for the federal government not to intrude on personal privacy, even if that limits its ability to investigate possible terrorist threats)?

Before being asked about strip-search machines, poll-takers hear cognates of “terror” three times, “privacy” once.

Thinking about the taste of a dirty worm squishing around in your mouth when you bite into an apple, do you think pesticide use should be increased or decreased?

I would further note that the poll was not conducted with anyone either waiting in a security line or having finished the procedures. Additionally, there is no mention as to whether or not any of the respondents had actually undergone the procedures personally.