The wording of poll questions DOES count for something, no? I found the poll question on FR so loaded that I almost went for "yes" out of annoyance, but calmed down and clicked undecided. Ya, my version is probably a bit loaded too. It just shows that I can play the game myself, no?
Of course it does. A poll is only as good as its sample population and its questions. Since I don't frequently write polls, however, all I can do is post the results and the questions as they stand. "Do you approve of a plan that makes agressive use of temporary guest workers to reduce the economic incentive for illegal immigration, while allowing some of the eight million illegal aliens in the United States to move towards legal status provided they register for temporary status, stay employed, pay social security taxes, and are eligible to apply for permanent legal status from their home countries only after a period of six years, in the same manner as other applicants?"
The main problem with your question is the use of the word "temoporary." Serial "temporary" designations prior to a permanent redesignation add up to a sum that is not temporary. In the case of the Bush plan, "temporary" means "permanence to be named later." In addition, it's hardly clear the the President would ever eventually enforce our immigration laws against his legalized-Illegals, should they fail to abide by the terms of his Amnesty-by-stages. Consider the following... There are upwards of 400,000 individuals who have received final deportation orders that are hiding in our communities. Their appeals have run out, and those orders tell them, “it’s time to go.” But, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement can’t find them! What’s worse, 80,000 of those people have criminal convictions, just like Miguel Angelo Gordoba! They were in the hands of our law enforcement. Can you imagine opening the doors of our prisons and letting 80,000 criminals run back into the streets? Well folks, that’s exactly what has happened with these 80,000 criminal aliens. What’s more, 3,800 of those people with final deportation orders are from countries with a known Al-Qaeda presence.
Statement of the Honorable Charlie Norwood
The CLEAR Act of 2003
July 9, 2003
Compare these figures to those of two years ago... The Justice Department's decision to track down and deport 6,000 Middle Eastern aliens who've been ordered to leave the country attracted howls of protest from all the usual places earlier this week. The government has a list of more than 300,000 deportable immigrants.
Deportation Disorder
National Review Online
John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru | January 10th, 2002
These deportable Illegals from two years ago, in the aftermath of September 11th, are mostly still here, including tens of thousands of hardened, violent criminals and Illegals from Al Qaeda nations. If the terror attacks were insufficient to compel President Bush to carry out even the minimum enforcement of the standing deportation orders, then he sure as heck ain't gonna deport any legalized-Illegals down the road. So, I don't think "temporary" has any place in a well-written poll question about the Bush Amnesty.
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