This just goes to show that poll results are only as good as the questions asked.

Some 56 percent of U.S. consumers think Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is bad for America, according to a Zogby International poll released on Thursday by one of the retailer's most vocal critics.

The national poll -- commissioned by WakeUpWalMart.com, a union-funded group that has been pressuring Wal-Mart to raise employee wages and benefits -- surveyed 1,012 randomly chosen adults on their attitudes toward the world biggest retailer.

Respondents were asked to choose which of two statements more closely fit their personal opinions.

The majority, or 56 percent, picked: "I believe that Wal-Mart is bad for America. It may provide low prices, but these prices come with a high moral and economic cost for consumers." Thirty-nine percent agreed that "Wal-Mart is good for America. It provides low prices and saves consumers money every day."

The problem is, in my opinion, that the poll unreasonably restricts the choices available to those polled. Where is the middle ground choice? You know, something like "Wal-Mart is both good and bad for America. It provides low prices for consumers and good entry-level jobs, but it also negatively impacts some local businesses and communities." I'd bet that such a choice would have attracted a majority of those polled -- folks like me who see that Wal-Mart, like any other corporation, is primarily about the bottom-line and will adopt policies and practices based primarily upon profit-margins.

Even more troubling is this question -- which proves that those who conducted the poll were incompetent.

Thirty-three percent strongly agreed that Wal-Mart was a retail monopoly that threatened the future health of the U.S. economy, but 35 percent did not agree at all.

Uh -- Wal-Mart is not a monopoly, and no poll results can make it one. Other businesses can and do make a go of it in the retail industry, though Wal-Mart is the bibbest of the bunch. As such, the only thing that is proved by the results is that 33% of the polled group (and, I would presume, Americans as a whole) are ignorant boobs when it comes to economics.

Love Wal-Mart or hate Wal-Mart -- that is your choice. But be honest in your attempts to bersuade others of your beliefs, and don't use junk polling data to tryy to bolster your point.

(DISCLAIMER: As I wrote this point, I realized that the only items I am wearing that are not Wal-Mart/Sam's Club purchases are my wedding ring and my cross.)

Posted by: Greg at 04:10 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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