CBS News/Vanity Fair Monthly Poll, May 2010

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This poll, fielded May 6-9, 2010, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they thought the country was going in the right direction, whether they were in favor of allowing increased drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of the United States, whether they were familiar with the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and whether they thought the oil spill was an isolated incident or an indication of a broader problem. Respondents were asked how much vacation time they planned to take in the summer, whether this amount of vacation time was more than the amount taken last year, how many days they planned to spend at the beach, and which summertime activity they found most relaxing. They were also queried on whether they thought electronic reading devices would replace books, whether they used a personal computer at home, at work, or at some other location, whether a personal computer is something they could live without, whether they owned a smartphone, whether they felt anxious or out of touch when they didn't have their smartphone with them, and whether electronic devices such as personal computers, cellphones, and smartphones have made life better or worse. Many other questions were asked of the respondent concerning electronic devices, including whether electronic devices such as personal computers, cellphones, and smartphones have made it easier to work, whether they have increased or decreased the amount of stress in their life, whether these devices made it easier for the respondent to focus, whether these devices expanded the number of people they communicated with, how often someone uses a mobile device during family dinners, how often someone uses a mobile device at friend's dinners, and how often someone uses a mobile device when at a co-worker's dinner. They were also asked what advice they would give themselves if they could travel back in time, what item they thought was most overpriced currently, what fictional movie character they would choose to be for a day, and whether Native American mascots should be retired in sports. Respondent were queried whether they thought the C.I.A. is justified to resort to assassination, whether the United States should adopt Ireland's artistic tax exemption policy, and whether the United States government should legalize and regulate the sale of human organs for transplants. They were also asked whether they thought being gay or lesbian was a choice, whether same-sex relations between consenting adults is wrong, whether it is necessary to have laws to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in housing and employment, and whether they personally know someone who is gay or lesbian. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education level, household income, military service, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, number of people aged 18 to 29 living in the household, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.