[internetworkers] Bogus Political Polling

Tony Spencer tony at tonyspencer.com
Sun Oct 10 21:45:39 EDT 2004


Thanks for the info David.  I naively admit I've not heard of this.  I do
remember the primaries of 2000 and I remember that Bush was losing but I
always thought that it was his comeback in the debates that cinched it for
him.  If what you say is true, I'm absolutely disgusted.  I'm off to
research.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: internetworkers-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org 
> [mailto:internetworkers-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf 
> Of David Minton
> Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 6:08 PM
> To: InterNetWorkers
> Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Bogus Political Polling
> 
> Tony,
> 
> I am surprised this is something new to you. This type of 
> thing made big
> headlines in the 2000 Republican Presidential Primary.
> 
> It is called "push-polling." A push poll is where, using the guise of
> opinion polling, disinformation about a candidate or issue is 
> planted in the
> minds of those being 'surveyed'. Push-polls are designed to 
> shape, rather
> than measure, public opinion. Karl Rove is supposed to the 
> grand master of
> the push poll.
> 
> It is reported that George W. Bush¹s campaign strategists, 
> including Karl
> Rove, devised a push poll against John McCain in 2000. South 
> Carolina voters
> were asked "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote 
> for John McCain
> for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate 
> black child?".
> They had no interest in the actual percentages in the poll, 
> the goal was to
> suggest that he had. This was particularly vicious since McCain was
> campaigning with his adopted Bangladeshi daughter. The sight 
> of the little
> dark skinned girl made the seed planted earlier grow and John 
> McCain lost
> South Carolina, effectively ending his run for the presidency.
> 
> Here is a piece that Slate ran on the subject:
> 
>     http://slate.msn.com/id/74943/
> 
> Looks like some Democrats are attempting to even the playing 
> field. Too bad.
> 
> David
> 
> On 10/10/04 5:49 PM, "Tony Spencer" <tony at tonyspencer.com> wrote:
> 
> > I encountered the oddest tactic to sway my opinion on the 
> upcoming election
> > today. I received a phone call from a company called "GHY 
> Research". The
> > call begins like a neutral political survey poll asking me 
> questions such as
> > my choices for president, governor, and lieutenant 
> governor. About 5 minutes
> > into the survey the caller begins to ask loaded questions 
> such as "Richard
> > Burr sided with RJ Reynolds and voted against a tobacco 
> buyout hurting our
> > North Carolina farmers. Does this make you more or less 
> likely to vote for
> > Mr. Burr?"
> > 
> > Incredible. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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