newsobserver.com projects - A new weapon against push polls - Comments

Re: A new weapon against push polls

bnartist — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:09:52 -0500

Don't be a rotter, man.

Re: A new weapon against push polls

GOPWIN08 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:37:47 -0500

I wrote down the questions of Walter Jones' taxpayer funded poll. Ryan, can I send them to you for your story or should I just send it to Mark and Karen?

Re: A new weapon against push polls

Wildgoose — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:19:50 -0500

Too bad we don't have a device on Walter Jones office and others in DC that use "constituent calls" and "franked mail" for blatent campaigning with our tax dollars. Push polls probably inform the ingnorant voter more often than not of the real facts. You sure won't get that from the liberal media, the N & O is no exception.

Re: A new weapon against push polls

obxsurfergirl — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:32:43 -0500

Wow. I wish you would have given me this idea before Walter Jones did his poll a few weeks ago. Only problem was that it was paid for with taxpayer money! It asked questions that you couldn't help but agree with him with. Yeah, that would have been a great piece for Under the Dome. I'll rush out and get my recorder. Keep up the good work Ryan.

A new weapon against push polls

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:39:04 -0500

Push polls are Ma Bell's whisper campaigns.

Under the guise of an objective survey, political candidates (and those who oppose them) sometimes hire firms to call up voters and give them leading questions.

"We're doing a survey," they say. "Would you vote for [Name Here] if you knew he is a cannibal?"

For the victims of a push poll (and Dome includes the general public), the hardest part is proving that they're going on. Multiple people can tell a reporter they received one, but, well, where's the proof?

In some cases, the opposing campaign will release the "results" of a push poll, though they usually tip their hand by declining to provide the wording of the questions asked.

But now, for a small amount of money, you can fight back.

After the jump, an explanation.