When Vox.com isn't paying for its editors to promote domestic terrorism, other writers formerly of Think Progress, where there is little thinking or progress are trying to convince Americans that "Canada is the least xenophobic country in the Western world" and that the U.S. should adopt the ways of its northern neighbor. Zack Beauchamp's article contains a quote from Cas Mudde, a professor at the University of Georgia:
The only real outlier [to the nativist trend] is Canada ... [Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] has handled, so far, the Syrian refugee crisis incredibly well, having taken in 25,000 Syrian refugees against the majority will. Initially, he wasn't supported by the majority -- but when they finally arrived, a majority of Canadians did support it. That's one of the few encouraging lessons that we have seen over the last several years: that if you have a positive campaign, which is supported by a large portion of the media, that you can actually swing public opinion in a positive direction.
And then there is reality.
There was, indeed, a rogue poll released December 23, 2015 by Nanos Research trying to show that two thirds of Canadians supported taking in 25,000 refugees. But note the timing of this poll. The 25,000th refugee didn't arrive until February 27, 2016. Only a small portion of the refugees had arrived by Christmas. Once Canadians got to see the firsthand impacts of the mass refugee influx, any apparent short-term support began to crater. By February 19, 2016, only 52% of the public still supported the plan for 25,000 refugees, while 42% wanted an immediate halt to the program and just 29% were willing to go along with the Liberal government's plan to take in more than 25,000. At that same time, before the 25,000 refugee quota was reached, polling data showed the following:
Canadians are feeling less than stellar about the current screening process for Syrian refugees coming into the country. A new Angus Reid poll suggests less than one-third of Canadians believe checks to ensure Syrian refugees aren't a threat to national security are adequate.
Hardly a ringing endorsement for Trudeau's plan.
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