Another example of the Modern Political Era

[jducoeur]

I just got a spam from "Team Trump". (I'm pleasantly amused that Google marks it as spam, but it appears to be a legit email from gop.com). It's a push-poll "survey" about the census. Like all such, it's annoyingly obvious in its agenda (Trump and his cronies want to design the census so as to intimidate non-citizens to not return it), and yet I suspect will be effective in rallying its target audience.

The full text:

The President wants the 2020 United States Census to ask people whether or not they are citizens.

In another era, this would be COMMON SENSE… but 19 attorney generals said they will fight the President if he dares to ask people if they are citizens.

The President wants to know if you’re on his side.

Do you believe the 2020 United States Census should ask if people are American citizens?

(first button) ABSOLUTELY! IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION?

(second button) NO

I'm halfway tempted to push the second button (I despise push polls to the core of my being, and love messing up their data), save that I'm quite sure that the only way to actually register that opinion would involve signing me up for yet more spam...

Comments

[cellio]

You have a domain; don't you have a /dev/null address?

We recently (a couple months ago, I think?) got the (mandatory) interim census questionnaire, which does in fact ask about citizenship(s). Not "'Murican: yes/no" but, rather, "what countries". That bothers me less than questions about race/ethnicity, which I can't see any reason for a government to need in the execution of its duties to the people.

But the poll you got, of course, is not interested in a neutrally-phrased question or thoughtful responses. Nor does either of its answers match my view, so I wouldn't bother trying to respond either.