Hillary Busted Using Push Poll
You can hear the evidence and read the story here, here and here.
In order to ensure adequate righteous outrage at this tactic, I provide to you the following definition from Wikipedia. Please pay particular attention to the highlighted keywords.
A push poll is a political campaign technique in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a poll. In a push poll, large numbers of respondents are contacted, and little or no effort is made to collect and analyze response data. Instead, the push poll is a form of telemarketing-based propaganda and rumor mongering, masquerading as a poll. Push polls are usually the “innuendo” manifestation of knowledge gleaned from opposition research on an opponent. generally viewed as a form of negative campaigning. Push polling has been condemned by the American Association of Political Consultants, and is illegal in New Hampshire.
Now let’s review the keywords along with some synonyms:
- Guise - cloak, cover, disguise, false colors, front, mask, masquerade, pretense, pretext, semblance, veil, veneer
- Propaganda - misinformation, distortion, lies, rabble rousing, fear-mongering, demagoguery
- Rumor mongering - Gossiping, scuttlebutt, innuendo, misinforming, calling fire in a crowded theater, crying wolf
- Masquerading - a false outward show, false appearance, pretend to be someone or something that you are not
- Innuendo - insinuation, implication, incrimination
- Negative campaigning - Bush, Rove, Clinton
- Condemned - wrong, guilty, worthless, unacceptable
- Illegal - against the law, prohibited, criminal
And now you know.
[…] the Pajama Journalist have posts spreading the word about Clinton’s push-polling, here and here. MCFunk also has a piece about Obama’s press conference regarding Jeremiah […]
April 29th, 2008 at 2:30 pm