Olbermann awarded Dobbs "Worst Person" "silver" for overstating illegal immigration as priority for voters

On the March 13 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann awarded CNN host Lou Dobbs the "silver" in his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for misrepresenting polling by asserting on the March 10 broadcast of his radio show that "illegal immigration," which he grouped together with "border security" and "port security," is "one of the top three issues for American voters in both political parties." As Media Matters for America documented, while some recent polls have indicated that immigration is one of the top three issues for Republican voters, six different polls conducted since January asked respondents to name the issues most important to them, and not one indicated that illegal immigration is in the top three among Democratic voters or voters as a whole. Olbermann referred to several of the polls Media Matters cited, then stated: "So how does Lou Dobbs know [immigration] is one of the top three issues for all voters? Because he listens to the polling being done inside his own head, if you know what I mean."

From the March 13 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: First, time for Countdown's number two story tonight: "The Worst Persons in the World."

[...]

OLBERMANN: The silver to CNN's Lou Dobbs, assuring his audience that illegal immigration is, quote, "one of the top three issues for American voters in both political parties." Last month, The New York Times polled illegal immigration seventh most important. January Fox News poll: 7 percent said it was tops. Early January, a CNN poll: seventh most important; sixth was gas prices.

So how does Lou Dobbs know it is one of the top three issues for all voters? Because he listens to the polling being done inside his own head, if you know what I mean.

—M.A.