newsobserver.com projects - Towns: When is a poll pushing? - Comments

Re: Towns: When is a poll pushing?

twoshadesofblue — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:27:12 -0500

Not a good poll, but not a sleazy "push poll." Read the JOMC blog linked above (or google "push poll"). These are all legitimate questions for the campaign to determine whether their free book campaign was successful and what the views are of their supporters (and non-supporters) with regard to controversial questions.

Here are some poll questions from Fred Smith

newbernbear — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:10:43 -0500

Here are the questions from a Fred Smith poll I got a few weeks back. I wrote them down as quick as I could. Not sure if this is a push poll, but I didn't think it was too scientific to have the questions end with "do you intend to vote for Fred Smith for Governor". For the record, I said I was voting for Smith, although I am currently undecided.

Do you vote in North Carolina?

Do you intend to vote in Republican primary for governor in 2008?

If your choices for Governor are Fred Smith, Bob Orr, Pat McCrory and Bill Graham, do you intend to vote for Fred Smith for Governor?

Now, if your choice for governor was only between 2 candidates, Fred Smith and Pat McCrory, would you vote for Fred Smith?

Recently, Fred Smith mailed you a free book entitled a little extra effort, did you receive your free copy of the book?

Have you had an opportunity to read it?

Would you like a copy of it?

Are you Pro Life?

Do you believe marriage is between one man and one woman?

Do you support your taxes not being raised and possibly cut?

Do you believe that illegal immigration a problem?

Do you support the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms?

Then it asked a bunch of questions about age, sex, and things like that.

Towns: When is a poll pushing?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:26:00 -0500

Leroy Towns says "push polls" are oftentimes not.

On his Talk Politics blog, the UNC-Chapel Hill journalism professor writes that polls designed to spread misinformation about an opponent are "rather sleazy tactics."

But he says that there are legitimate reasons for candidates to ask negative questions, including testing arguments for use against opponents.

Push polls have such a bad media reputation that when voters hear the "push" question in a legitimate poll, they call the newspaper and complain candidate A is push polling. Reporters fall for it almost every time.

Towns says political reporters (including Dome) have an obligation to "sort out" sleazy poll questions from legitimate ones and provide evidence calls were made.

Note to Towns: That's why we asked readers to record the calls.