"Attack" Polls!

I was over at Prairie Wrangler, and he has some valid questions about polls.

The problem I have with polls that suggests "Do you think Canada should abide by our Kyoto targets?", is likely the same as the problem Jeff would have with a question like "Do you want a tax cut?" - simply, it doesn't provide the requisite context, and the questions seem to suggest that we live in a consequence free fantasy land where our wildest dreams are only a poll question away! You like Kyoto? Sure I do! Do you pay too much tax? Damn right! Should the government both cut taxes in half and double health spending? Absolutely! Should the government buy you a brown or a white pony? A white pony! And so on.

The reason polls are done, mainly by the MSM, is that they are effective, just like attack ads, they work, therefore they can shift public opinion.

Right now we are being told by the MSM that we care more about the environment than health care. This is plainly untrue, no-one would put the environment before health care, but the polls tell us that we do, therefore, it must be true. They don't mention/release the polls that didn't go the way they wanted. How many polls are paid for but never released because they go the wrong way?

The MSM have figured out that "attack" polls are just as effective as "attack" ads, and they use them daily, check out any website for any paper, they all have a daily poll, funny how some of them disappear real quick, funny how you can't view the final results of many polls.

Attack polls are effective, they shape public opinion, ask the MSM!