This kind of shyte really pisses me off... The current CNN poll:

[Goldmund]

The spacewalk to repair Discovery's protruding tile gap filler is:

Necessary

Too risky

What exactly is your average CNN.com reader supposed to base his or her opinon on?

I'm somewhat of a space enthusiast, but if you asked me about this I'd say: "Hell if I know". And I'm pretty sure I know more about it than the average cnn.com reader.

They often do this. It propagates the idea that familiarity with facts is not a necessary ingredient in forming a valid opinion.

So if you think you can validly speculate on the Shuttle's protruding tile gap filler, then what more do you need to speculate on the threat that Iran poses to the US, or the global warming or evolution or tax cuts?

The dumbing down continues.

[politicaholic]

1. You're so right.

CNN is assinine in that way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. yep, and I am also a space enthusiats

for the record I do not envy the crew or ground control

[elehhhhna]

3. It's probably both risky and necessary. Can't have that shuttle

blowing up over Texas again--not while asshats' on vaca. here, anyway...

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Doesn't everyone have a PhD in aerospace engineering,

space physiology metaphysics and transcendental statistics?

[Moochy]

5. C'mon Goldmund, it's not Rocket Science!!

:) oh wait. damn, I guess it is.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. I proposed a Junk News forum a couple of weeks ago

Several of CNN's polls would make good fodder for it.

I'm no dummy, but rocket science isn't my exterpise. How about I'll trust the engineers in Houston about this? What anybody else (I included) thinks about the risk factor really doesn't matter.

[madeline_con]

7. Even dummies want to be included....

in the "big decisions".

Some people think these polls have somethig to do with what the White House or NASA decides. :eyes:

[mattclearing]

8. Yeah, it's media manipulation.

Any journalism class will tell you that what they are doing is unacceptable.

They are drawing conclusions and interjecting opinion when they should be reporting fact and leaving conclusions to the viewer.

[jillan]

9. It just pisses me off that they spent all of our tax money on this

and they still didn't get it right.

Get these astronauts home safely, and put the space program to rest, until we can really devote some time and MONEY into it. Bushco chose to invest into forcing democracy around the world. The space program has to wait.

[Goldmund]

10. LOL

Awesome cartoon. :rofl:

[jillan]

12. actually, here is one space program I'd like to see them invest more $ in

See ya later dude!

[Rude Horner]

11. I thought the exact same thing...

when I saw that question. Ya know, like we're supposed to be able to give an expert opinion or something? What the hell difference does it matter what a poll of that question shows?

They do that with a lot of their questions. So many times there are big news stories and I zip over to CNN figuring that they'll have a poll about the big story, and it's some dumbass stupid poll like this.

:banghead:

[redqueen]

13. No kidding... when will the MSM get back to reporting NEWS?

At least Harper's has that article this month...

[BiggJawn]

14. Guess we're suppose to ask the Benny Hinn phone counselor...

...what "GAWD'S Will" is on that question.

I looked at it and sneered. Like most the folks here already stated, if *I* could intelligently answer that question, then I wouldn't be sitting in the middle of no-place, fixing TV's and VCR's, now, would I?

I'm wondering if maybe they're being over-cautious. Is this the first time those "whiskers" have popped up, or is this just the first time some layman watching NASA "Select" has said "Hey! What's THOSE things?"