Contradicting polling, Dobbs claimed "illegal immigration" is among "the top three issues for American voters in both political parties"
SUMMARY: Lou Dobbs claimed on his radio show that "illegal immigration" is among "the top three issues for American voters in both political parties." In fact, no recent polls support Dobbs' assertion that "voters in both political parties" consider illegal immigration "one of the top three issues," although some polls indicate that immigration is among the top issues for Republican voters.
On the March 10 edition of his radio program, The Lou Dobbs Show, Lou Dobbs claimed that the issue of "illegal immigration," which he grouped together with "border security" and "port security," is among "the top three issues for American voters in both political parties." In fact, while some recent polls have indicated that immigration is one of the top three issues for Republican voters, no recent polls support Dobbs' assertion that illegal immigration is among the "top three" issues for Democratic voters or for voters as a whole. Dobbs also alleged that "you wouldn't know" that illegal immigration was such an important issue from "listening to Senator [Barack] Obama, Senator [John] McCain, or Senator [Hillary] Clinton right now." However, both Clinton and Obama have stressed the importance of the immigration issue in recent months.
Six different polls conducted since January asked respondents to name the issues most important to them, and not one indicated that illegal immigration was in the top three among voters as a whole:
- In a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted February 20-24, 4 percent of respondents cited "immigration" as the most important problem facing the country today. The most frequently cited issues of concern were the "economy" (29 percent) and "war" (15 percent). Respondents named four other issues ("health care," "Iraq," "terrorism general," and "other") as more important than illegal immigration.
- A DIAGEO/The Hotline poll conducted February 14-17 also found that 4 percent of respondents cited "immigration/illegal aliens" as "the most important issue facing the US today." The top three issues were the "economy in general" (39 percent), "war in Iraq -- oppose" (7 percent), and "fear of war/feelings of fear in this country" (6 percent).
- In a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll conducted January 30-31, 7 percent of respondents cited "immigration" as the most important issue in deciding their vote for president. The top issues were the "economy and jobs" (30 percent), "war in Iraq" (23 percent), and "terrorism and national security" (10 percent).
- In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted January 20-22, 10 percent of respondents indicated that "illegal immigration" should be the federal government's top priority. "Job creation and economic growth" (26 percent), "the war in Iraq" (17 percent), and "health care" (17 percent) were the top three issues.
- In a CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted January 14-17, 31 percent of respondents said that "illegal immigration" would be an "extremely important" issue to their vote for president. The three top issues were "the economy" (45 percent), the "situation in Iraq" (43 percent), and "terrorism" (42 percent). "Health care," "gas prices," and "the situation in Iran" also were cited more frequently than illegal immigration as "extremely important."
- In an ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted January 9-12, 4 percent of respondents cited "immigration/illegal immigration" as "the single most important issue" in their choice for president. The three most important issues were the "economy/jobs" (29 percent), "Iraq/war in Iraq" (20 percent), and "health care" (10 percent).
The following recent polls have indicated that Republican voters place immigration among the top three most important issues (or tied for third), but Democratic voters do not: the February 14-17 DIAGEO/The Hotline poll, the January 30-31 Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, and a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll conducted January 18-22. A CBS News/New York Times poll conducted January 9-12 found that immigration was the third-most important issue for Republican respondents; the poll did not ask Democratic voters to express their view on the topic.
Moreover, both Clinton and Obama recently stressed their support for comprehensive immigration reform during the Democratic presidential debate in Austin, Texas, on February 21.
From the March 10 edition of United Stations Radio Networks' The Lou Dobbs Show:
DOBBS: One of the issues of this presidential election campaign year, of course, is illegal immigration, border security, port security. Now, you wouldn't know that listening to Senator Obama, Senator McCain, or Senator Clinton right now, or, for that matter, Ralph Nader, the independent candidate. But the reality is that it is one of the top three issues for American voters in both political parties. And there are all sorts of writers on the left -- I will just describe them that way -- left-wing, not necessarily radical, but including radicals, but left-wing, liberal Democrats, and on the right, right-wing, conservative bloggers of all sorts, aligned with, of all people, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- the business roundtable.
And they're trying to suggest that you forget about the issue of illegal immigration, suggest you forget about the issue of border security, port security, you know, the war on drugs, the fact that most -- nearly all -- methamphetamines, most marijuana, most cocaine, most of the heroin entering this country originates in Mexico. They wouldn't want you to think about that when we talk about border security. They wouldn't want you to think about the fact that right now the illegal immigrant population in this country is at its highest level ever. In fact, one in 25 residents now living in the United States is here illegally.
Dobbs is 100% on everything he says as long as you add the following three words to his pronouncements.
". . . .in my mind."
Nice catch by MMFA.
Lou just took an informal poll...
He asked his wife, his brother-in-law Morty, the right-wing producer of his show, and fired off a quick e-mail to rev. John Hagee. It was unanimous.
Immigration is on the top of everybody's mind!
Add Pat Buchanan to the sample polled. (no change in results)
I believe lou dobbs mispoke.
He meant to say that "illegal immigration" is one of the top three distractionary reactionary wedge rally-the-herd bait-Democrats "the world is going to heck" let's-play-on-their-fear-anger-hatred divide and conquer issues...
It is.
The other two are "gay marriage" (which few Democrats have took the bait on), and one that involves an intensely personal surgical procedure that a woman (often young) elects to have, for being in a particularly distressing unplanned circumstance...
...and that issue is all but invisible in this presidential campaign.
Thanks and praise to each and every sensible person who is responsible for that.
Hey, Tucker just got canned...
Good News! They oughta do a two-person show. Let's see.......Stephanie Miller, and.......who else?
What's wrong with David Gregory?
Hey, Tucker just got canned...
I wonder - is Tucker better in cans or bottles???? :-)
You all just don't get it, illegal immigration is behind everything. Take the concern over the economy and jobs, those illegal Mexicans are taking all the great yard work and kitchen work that most Americans are dying to get. Healthcare a concern, yes we are very worried about all the leprosy cases that are cropping up due to the illegals. I could go on but you get the picture (in Lou Dobb's mind)
And when CNN wised up and fires this clown, Lou Dobbs can always go get a job picking lettuce.....
And McCain will pay $50/hr (I think he said some time back) if he lasts all day.
Since we're in such a healthcare mess????????
Why don't we have illegals provide medical coverage? ...Yeah, that's the ticket! This is the kind of medical care conservatives can really rally behind. It's very cost effective, and no meddling from guvmint!
After all, if they're good with a lawnmower, they can probably wield a scalpel.
Just to add a little actual balance to this discussion, do you people not comprehend the real impact of illegal immigration on the ECONOMY, always in the top three concerns of Americans? To deny that impact is to deny reality for the sake of political correctness. You need to spend a little time out in the real world outside your private, exclusive schools and polite book clubs. Truthfully, your diatribe is amusing but hardly helpful to those struggling to maintain their quality of life in times of a disposable work force. Go ahead and chuckle about those less evolved than you if helps you feel superior. Those of us who deal in the real world will continue to hope for a government that believes average Americans are worth salvaging.
Had they taken an enlightened view of the root causes of why border crossers cross the border, they might still be in the hunt for the presidency. People are simply too informed to believe that stagnant wages, for profit healthcare and unacceptable education defficiencies are the fault of undocumented workers.
Hell, border crossers don't hire undocumented workers and sign the checks.
Undocumented workers weren't the ones who instituted NAFTA, created healthcare only for those who can afford it or strangled public education.
Take your pathetic conservative nonsense and sell it somewhere else. Undocumented laborers flooding our country is the direct result of the perverted corporate mindset that values insane profit over community stewardship.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness: A Complete Handbook ... By Florence Hartley
Use your google.
Private exclusive schools? Book clubs? What the hell are you talking about? Do you have this assertion (apparently you do) that all liberals are somehow rich and living in the lap of luxury? Let me tell you a little story about a man who worked in a paper mill in a small town in Maine for 45 years (yes, 45 years), who never held a supervisor type job, but was a ground level maintenance pipe fitter his entire career. His kids went to the public school (because small town Maine doesn't have fancy shmancy private schools) and they all graduated, and went on to get the college education he always wanted, but didn't get. My Dad, blue collar 110%, earned his living working on paper machines, breathing asbestos, and earned a pittance for his time. What was his political affiliation? Breathtakingly democrat, 200%. He refers to our current President as "that mealy mouthed SOB" in good times, in bad times, I can't repeat on here what he calls him.
You sir, are under some assumption that we live in gated communities, and sip mocha grande lattes as we drive our BMWs into our super high end white collar jobs. Wrong again. My dad, blue collar. Me? Sure, I got an engineering degree, but I still work in manufacturing, and get my hands dirty on a daily basis.
I think you might be the one who needs to possibly get out and see the real world.
As far as illegals being the trouble in our economy? Far from it chief. Far from it. Remember, when they're living here, they are getting paid some small pittance of a wage, and contrary to what you might believe, many of them spend all of their earnings here, in the good old US of A, paying for their bills, feeding their families, clothing them, and you know, living like you or I.
Thank you. Thank you.
It just burns me up that people actually believe that all liberals/democrats are some sort of rich kid trustafarian or something stupid like that. When in fact, the rich folks that I actually do know, are hard core republicans. Somehow, we got the title from the last election, where John Kerry was chastised for getting provolone on his cheese steak instead of cheez whiz, and how he was unbelievably rich and priveledged (which he was, no doubt, but let's not forget who he was running against a man who's dad was President, his grandfather an ambassador and Senator as well, and someone who went to and graduated from Yale and Harvard, yeah, real "salt of the earth" right there).
I have not checked any of these polls mentioned, but they appear to be commissioned polls, not independent polls.
How valid are they?
Before the vote on the Bush amnesty, all the media was touting a poll saying a majority of Americans was for amnesty. The problem was, the poll DID NOT SAY THAT. It said only 24% supported it. Another Rassmussen poll at the same time said only 26% supported it, but it was never mentioned.
During a one month period I check the actual polls each time there were mentioned in the national print media saying a majority favored amnesty. My results? Three polls did not even exit, one was on a different subject all together, and one was correctly cited. But it was a commissioned poll, and I presume was slanted, as the independant polls at the time were finding 68% wanted deportation.
Now think back to NH and their primary. The pollsters got that very, very, wrong.
With push polls, commissioned polls, and spin, who can trust any of these poll? Unless you know all the details of how it was commissioned, who aid for it, what was the methodology etc, you really cannot trust them.
I'm amused by your comments but must remind you that if you lived in some areas of this country, many of you hard workers would long ago have lost those jobs to people that will work cheaper for no benefits.
The point is most of you don't live where the affect is greatest and therefore opine upon that which you know little or nothing. Most polls ask questions designed to get specific answers, or offer answers that are narrowly focused. If you want to know the true affect of illegal immigration, I suggest fairly stated polls should be taken in impacted regions. You'd find a very different response from those whose lives are negatively impacted daily by failing schools, gridlocked freeways, closing emergency rooms, and declining wages in jobs that used to be the mainstay of middle class Americans. Get off your liberal high-horses, resist your feelings of superiority for just a moment, and think about what the impact would be on our economy if we legalized 20 million people all at the same time, most of them poor or very poor. And then imagine a million or so of them now live in your neck of the woods and are now elegible for all the services paid for by YOUR tax dollars. Any affect on your economy?
Now about the book of the week......
Nobody is talking about legalizing 20 million all at the same time. Only in your adled mind.
How have illegal immigrants affected you? Chances are, they haven't.
Gridlock. ERs clogged up, and other things you mentioned. You think that these are all because of illegal immigrants? Amazingly ignorant, but that's OK, you can live in your own little fantasy world.
Let me let you in on a little secret. I DO actually live in a location where there are a lot of illegal immigrants (North Carolina if you really want to know), I have seen most of them working hard, swinging hammers, and building up the state I now call home. Maybe if they got paid a liveable wage, you wouldn't be so worried about legalizing a bunch of "poor" people, which is really what you're worried about isn't it? Yes, it is, you said so yourself actually. What would be the difference between them living here now, contributing to this country, picking our food, building our houses, and doing other things that are vital to the country actually and being here "legally"? If legal, then they could actually get all of these great benefits that they allegedly already get, and could "live off the system" right? Hogwash really. Again, the illegal immigrants I know, hard working, religious, family oriented, and just wanting to scratch out a life here, and be part of, yes, America. Wow... That's such a horrible thing. They make money here, they spend money here. Most of them, since they have a bogus SS number, won't ever see the money and taxes they are paying into the system come back to them like it does the rest of us, and they are fine with that, as long as they can be here, and work. Kind of sounds like the American dream we sell so much out there. Come here, work hard, and you too can make something of yourself. Most of the illegal immigrants are here, just because of that.
You should get over yourself, and your irrational prejudice against people from Mexico, and embrace them. They could be great Americans someday, but folks like you keep not wanting to let them be.
Um... I live in Michigan. It has the highest unemployment rate in the country and this has very little, if anything, to do with illegal immigrants. The only relation might be super-rich people looking for cheaper labor (since Michigan doesn't have an enormous supply of low-wage immigrants to choose from, these companies are moving to their country).
I don't blame illegals for all the ills in the world, just those for which they have direct or indirect responsibility. And yes, legalizing all of them in a relatively small period of time is exactly what is coming. It's just a matter of time. Of course, that will just begin a new and even bigger stampede. But oh well, that's for our grandchildren to deal with.
As to my prejudices, they are mostly aimed at arrogant, moronic, or hopelessly naive liberals whose need for affirmation and political correctness blinds them to reality and who want me to live as they see fit.
These polls were conducted by the MSM special interest groups.
They all want tax payers to continue to subsidize illegal immigration and cheap labor for their corporate/banker owners.
They all will also try to distract us with sex scandals and position illegal immigration as not a major issue while Congress sneaks through an amnesty bill named the agJOBS bill or something else that diguises the bill's intent.
It's hard to rank the issues facing this country right now because they are all top issues that will lead to the loss of our way of life so, you can justifiably take your pick.