# How many Americans actually want a wall? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 9, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126 "2017-04-09T19:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/82 "2017-04-12T02:14:08Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > A “big, beautiful wall” covering our entire Southern border will never be built. The Mexicans will never pay for it and Congress is not going to cough up 20 billion dollars either. > > That leaves Trump a difficult problem that requires a solution worthy of PT Barnum. He likes fake props that “prove” his point. Remember the news conference with “Trump” steaks and, more recently, blank printer paper in manila folders that was supposed to represent blind trust legal documents. > > The solution will be to create a cheap portable wall made of Styrofoam bricks. It only needs to be about 500 yards long. When Trump does his wall inspection victory tour, the wall can be hastily assembled in each town for a quick photo op with his gullible supporters. Then it can be torn down and reassembled before he appears in the next town. Me thinks you went to the Roger Waters concert 1 too many times? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/83 "2017-04-12T02:22:55Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > How do you think American voters feel about the 40% reduction in illegal crossings since Trump took office? You’ll notice that that change _did not require a Trump-eque wall_. Existing structures, along with fear of new policies, did that. Indeed, the fall-off started before Trump had a chance to even enact any new policies. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/84 "2017-04-12T02:32:21Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > … Americans were very unhappy with Obamacare. I have heard that there is a great deal of discontent with Obamacare, and most Americans would prefer to scrap it and just keep their coverage under the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/85 "2017-04-12T02:40:42Z")
> [@Tranquilis](#): > > You’ll notice that that change _did not require a Trump-eque wall_. Existing structures, along with fear of new policies, did that. Indeed, the fall-off started before Trump had a chance to even enact any new policies. Imagine that. The mere suggestion of enforcing existing laws made a 40% difference. Trump’s supporters got it. The illegal immigrants got it. That just leaves… ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/86 "2017-04-12T02:45:35Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I have heard that there is a great deal of discontent with Obamacare, and most Americans would prefer to scrap it and just keep their coverage under the ACA. Most Americans would have preferred not to get screwed by the ACA in the first place. They went to the polls and the result of that was both houses of Congress changing parties along with the President. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/87 "2017-04-12T02:52:18Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Imagine that. The mere suggestion of enforcing existing laws made a 40% difference. Trump’s supporters got it. The illegal immigrants got it. That just leaves… So then you agree with “Hell no, we don’t need a wall!”? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/88 "2017-04-12T02:57:37Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Imagine that. The mere suggestion of enforcing existing laws made a 40% difference. Trump’s supporters got it. The illegal immigrants got it. That just leaves… Kinda backs up my assertion - A _well-maintained_ Border Patrol force is entirely adequate to the need, without any wasteful boondoggle white-elephant wall. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/89 "2017-04-12T03:16:23Z")
> [@Tranquilis](#): > > Kinda backs up my assertion - A _well-maintained_ Border Patrol force is entirely adequate to the need, without any wasteful boondoggle white-elephant wall. Border patrols are fine in unpopulated areas but not in urban areas. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/90 "2017-04-12T03:21:01Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Border patrols are fine in unpopulated areas but not in urban areas. Disagree, strongly. I spent a LOT of time in San-Dog, and surrounding cities. Border Patrol were flexible, responsive, and able to detect many of the kinds of penetrations that a wall _won’t_ stop - like tunnelling and vehicular scams. Indeed, the only real issue at the Port of Entry there is that 1) there weren’t enough agents, and 2) policies prevented or inhibited pursuit and apprehension in a number of scenarios. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/91 "2017-04-12T14:01:22Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > That’s actually not true; Democrats see how this could lead to higher employment in the construction industry. > > Of course, the same would be true for a construction project digging holes and filling them in again. It would benefit those who are hired to do the work…it just wouldn’t benefit the overall economy, nor would it be a sane investment. At least re-filled holes wouldn’t leave us with a 2000-mile long eyesore that pisses off our neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/92 "2017-04-12T14:45:12Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > The Poll left out the option I would pick: > > Yes. Build the wall. Around Trump. And make Trump pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/93 "2017-04-12T16:20:22Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > You can’t possibly be that dense to think he promised to build the Great Wall of Mexico as a singular structure anymore than President Hoover literally meant a chicken in every pot. > [@Magiver](#): > > … > I don’t know which is sadder, the Democrats who think it means just a wall or those who think they can somehow cause division among Trump supporters with some kind of political “gotcha”… . A physical wall is literally what he proposed, which is why he is ridiculed for it. Of course, now that he’s got to make good on it, it’s a metaphorical wall. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/94 "2017-04-12T23:56:25Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Hey, why not dig holes randomly around the border area, put sharpened sticks in them . . . Sharpened sticks are too 18th century. Lasers! Deadly gamma-ray lasers, zapping between concrete bunkers! Bonus: they can be aimed up, to zap North Korean missiles! > [@CurtC](#): > > At least re-filled holes wouldn’t leave us with a 2000-mile long eyesore that pisses off our neighbors. There is a lawsuit, now, filed on environmental grounds. The wall would be a hazard to the normal habitat of endangered species. (I’d be interested in seeing how the wall is intended to deal with gullies and gulches. The desert gets the occasional flash flood of remarkable intensity. Will there be culverts to deal with such flooding? And if so, what keeps people from passing through? Are we looking at some kind of Watergate here?) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/95 "2017-04-12T23:59:38Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > …There is a lawsuit, now, filed on environmental grounds. The wall would be a hazard to the normal habitat of endangered species… Is that a metaphorical lawsuit? Or metaphorical environment? Or metaphorical…“endangerd”, “Species”, “hazard” etc…? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/96 "2017-04-13T00:03:51Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > There is a lawsuit, now, filed on environmental grounds. The wall would be a hazard to the normal habitat of endangered species. Fortunately, Scott Pruitt is now in charge of the EPA. He’ll protect us from the environment. > [@Trinopus](#): > > (I’d be interested in seeing how the wall is intended to deal with gullies and gulches. The desert gets the occasional flash flood of remarkable intensity. Will there be culverts to deal with such flooding? And if so, what keeps people from passing through? Are we looking at some kind of Watergate here?) It’s gonna be a wall! A beautiful bigly wall! The most tremendous wall anyone has ever built, better than the ‘Great’ Chinese wall, more popular than the Vietnam Wall, and more impenetrable than the Berlin Wall that Hitler built to keep the Russians out! It’s going to be a fantastic, powerful wall to end all walls. No little bit of rain is going to damage our wall. Don’t worry about it, folks, we’re going to get the best, the absolutely best wall builders to build our wall, and Mexico is going to pay for all of it! I promised, therefore it is true. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/97 "2017-04-13T06:40:18Z")
Trump even tried to walk back the wall, but then saw that everyone was too excited about it, and then reluctantly said they’d build one. I’m pretty sure that was the point when he found out it wouldn’t work. But lying to make a deal is what he does. And now he’s counting on a very basic psychological principle where people defend their choices to cover for it. Problem for him is, I don’t think it’ll be enough. Because he’s making those same people pay for it. The people who see taxes as stealing from them. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126/98 "2017-04-13T19:15:05Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Fortunately, Scott Pruitt is now in charge of the EPA. He’ll protect us from the environment. 'Whole new interpretation of ‘Environmental Hazard…’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-americans-actually-want-a-wall/784126.md?page=4)