Wording makes a difference

One of the things we learn in political science is how the wording of polls is so important. I was thinking about this after reading the latest poll from the Marist Institute. In this poll, 55 percent of those surveyed approve of his foreign policy initiatives. Just a day ago, I was depressed by the high number of people who seemed to think that Obama's overtures in Europe were wrong-headed. But that was a different polling organization, and the questions were worded differently.