Lies, damn lies and polls

According to an Elon College poll published in the Raleigh News & Observer, it seems that 49% of my fellow North Carolinians support H1183, the Tuition Giveaway to Illegal Aliens Bill. (The sponsors are free to call it whatever suits them. I have a terrible habit of callin’ ’em like I see ’em.)

Having studied a bit on the subject of statistics and the proper methodology for polling, I know that this number could have been achieved in a number of ways, some legitimate, some not. I have to hope that 49% of the population (with a margin of error of 3.38%) doesn’t actually believe that giving benefits to illegal aliens, benefits paid for by legal residents who pay taxes, is really a good idea. Because if 49% really do think this is a good idea, this state is on its way down the same toilet that California and others have already flushed themselves down.

One thing in the article does make me smile:
The poll showed that women, younger adults ages 18 to 34 and nonwhite respondents were more likely to favor the proposal, Vercellotti said. So were people who described themselves as politically moderate or liberal.

Who would have suspected….