Fish Wrap And CBS Grit Teeth Over Their New Illegal Immigration Poll

04 May, 2010 by William Teach

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Obviously, there was serious consternation, teeth gnashing, and bad words flowing in the conference rooms over their newest poll. I doubt they received the results they were hoping for, so, bring on the spin, which CBS does the best job at

Despite their expectation that it will burden police departments and disproportionately affect certain ethnic groups, a slim majority of Americans believe the controversial illegal immigration measure recently signed into law in Arizona is “about right” in its approach, according to a newly-released CBS News/New York Times poll.

Hmm. Burden. Disproportionally affect. Slim majority. Controversial. They did work in some negative words, did they not? At least, for a change, they mentioned that the law was about illegal immigrants, not just immigrants, which is the norm.

Fifty-one percent of those surveyed say the law, which critics say essentially mandates racial profiling, takes the right approach, and nine percent say it should go even further.

Thirty-six percent say the law goes too far.

Mandates. Let me check something……no, the article isn’t on the editorial page. Strange.

Sixty-five percent of Americans say illegal immigration is a “very serious problem,” up five points from two years ago. Just one in ten says it is not a problem.

In addition, more than three in four (78 percent) say the United States should be doing more to stop illegal immigration. A mere 17 percent say the country is doing all it can.

Anyone think that Los Federales will do something that makes sense in a nation created to be a Nation of Law? Me neither. The word “amnesty” comes to mind, with “pathway to citizenship,” something that might as well be amnesty lite, a close second.

As far as the NY Times goes, they sound downright depressed

The overwhelming majority of Americans think the country’s immigration policies need to be seriously overhauled. And despite protests against Arizona’s stringent new immigration enforcement law, a majority of Americans support it, even though they say it may lead to racial profiling.

With the signing of the Arizona law on April 23 and reports of renewed efforts in Washington to rethink immigration, there has been an uptick in the number of Americans who describe illegal immigration as a serious problem.

But the poll – conducted April 28 through May 2 with 1,079 adults, and with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points – suggests that Americans remain deeply divided about what to do.

All the folks sitting around in the New York Times building should relocated to the Arizona-Mexico border for a month, and see how they feel about it. After a few have been mugged, a few kidnapped, a few assaulted, or worse, they might understand.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach