MSNBC online 'poll' is a trap!

By Stu Tarlowe

I received an e-mail from a good, well-intentioned Conservative friend, urging me to participate in an online poll conducted by MSNBC. Here is my friend's message.

"O.K. Everyone!! Here is your chance to, at least silently, vent. Hope you take the opportunity.

MSNBC has been viciously critical of conservative Americans and conservative causes. They have an online poll asking if Arizona 's immigration law should be on the books. I think MSNBC will be shocked at America 's response...

If you don't do anything else today, please answer this MSNBC Poll question and forward it on to as many people as you can. The silent majority must not be silent on this one!

Answer This ONE Question! Then Pass It Along!"

Below his plea was a link to the MSNBC online poll.

Well, I went to the MSNBC site and found the following:

Do you support Arizona's tough new law on illegal immigration?

In July, Arizona will begin enforcing a new law that requires law enforcement officers to check someone's immigration status if they have reason to suspect that he or she is in the country illegally. Do you think this is a good idea?

O Yes O No

What I noticed right away is that MSNBC has deliberately misstated the Arizona law.

The law as written specifically prohibits law enforcement officers from checking someone's immigration status on the mere suspicion that the person is in the country illegally. What the law calls for is checking immigration status only after a subject has been stopped and/or detained for some other violation.

But the law's opponents want Americans to think that Arizona police will be stopping people just for "looking" illegal; it's not so.

So the MSNBC poll is based on a false premise; what a surprise!

And to participate in the poll is to validate its false premise. If the majority of respondents check "Yes, it's a good idea", MSNBC will no doubt report that a majority of respondents "favor racial profiling".

In other words, this "poll" is a trap! Let's not any of us forget that we are battling against some true masters of propaganda and manipulation!