The only problem is, by the description in the article, it doesn’t look like push polling at all.
First a critical definition: push polling, which many of us are familiar with term after the hit job done on John McCain in South Carolina appears to the receiver to be “issues polling”, but usually last just a few minutes, because the goal is to simply plant negative information against a candidate and move on.
True push polls tend to be very short, with only a handful of questions, so as to make as many calls as possible. Any data obtained (if used at all) is secondary in importance to negatively impacting the targeted candidate. Legitimate polls are often used by candidates to test potential messages. They frequently ask about either positive and negative statements about any or all major candidates in an election and always ask demographic information at the end.
So Andrew Malcolm in the LA Times’ political blog Top of the Ticket gives this little tidbit:
Ed Coghlan was just starting to prepare his dinner in the northern San Fernando Valley the other night when the phone rang. The caller was very friendly. He identified himself as a pollster who wanted to ask registered independents like Coghlan a few questions about the presidential race and all the candidates for Super Tuesday’s California primary.
Ed, who’s a former news director for a local TV station, was curious. He said, “Sure, go ahead.”
But a few minutes into the conversation Ed says he noticed a strange pattern developing to the questions. First of all, the “pollster” was only asking about four candidates, three Democrats — Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, who was still in the race at the time — and one Republican — John McCain.
Also, every question about Clinton was curiously positive, Coghlan recalls. The caller said things like, if you knew that Sen. Clinton believed the country had a serious home mortgage problem and had made proposals to freeze mortgage rates and save families from foreclosure, would you be more likely or less likely to vote for her?
Ed said, of course, more likely.
Every question about the other candidates was negative. If Ed knew, for instance, that as a state senator Obama had voted “present” 43 times instead of taking a yes or no stand “for what he believed,” would Ed be more or less likely to vote for him?
“That’s when I caught on,” said Coghlan. He realized then that he was being push-polled. That malicious political virus that is designed not to elicit answers but to spread positive information about one candidate and negative information about all others under the guise of an honest poll had arrived in Southern California within days of the important election.
It could become an issue in the closing hours of the campaign.
Someone who obviously favors Hillary Clinton is paying an unidentified company to spread this material phone call by phone call among independent voters, who can, according to California party rules, opt to vote in the Democratic but not the Republican primary on Feb. 5, when nearly two dozen states will choose a large chunk of the delegates to the parties’ national conventions next summer.
Coghlan said he was offended by such underhanded tactics and knew he was going to get out a warning about this dirty trick, but he said he played along for the full 20-minute “poll.”
Catch that? The full 20-minute poll? And the poll taker asked about several candidates, not just planted negative information on a candidate and move on, including asking for Coghlan’s take on the last debate. Pollster.com:
That last bit of information tells me that this call was almost certainly a message testing survey, and not a so-called “push poll.” California has over 15 million registered voters, and roughly three million of those are independents. If “someone” was paying “to spread this material phone call by phone call among independent voters,” would they really spend 20 minutes on the telephone with each one?
Not likely.
The call that Coghlan describes sounds more like a message testing survey that included many negative messages about Clinton’s opponents. In other words, someone called a random sample of voters with the intent to “elicit answers,” or more specifically reactions, to negative messages that the Clinton campaign or an allied group considered airing in California.
But wait, there’s more. Ed Coghlan, the helpful citizen that alerted Andrew Malcolm of this supposed push polling is described as a former news director. But a simple Google search tells you that Ed is the former news director of KCOP, LA’s FOX affiliate. And writer Andrew Malcolm? Why, he’s the former Press Secretary for Laura Bush. Perhaps you can infer motives from them from that information as easily as Malcolm implies in his final paragraph:
Phil Singer, the spokesman for the Clinton campaign. was contacted by e-mail last night. He answered that he was there. He was asked if the Clinton campaign was behind the push-poll, knew who was behind it or had any other information on it. That was at 5:27 p.m. Pacific time Saturday. As of this item’s posting time, exactly eight hours later, no reply had been received.
Wow. Right before Super Tuesday with campaigning in high gear and a Saturday evening to boot, the spokesman didn’t get back to Malcolm. What a shocker. Don’t get me wrong, I have had a lot of problems with Clinton’s tactical approach throughout this campaign, but I don’t like dishonesty and what looks like a perfectly Rovian hit piece in the Times right before the primary either.
No Trackbacks To “LA Times Accuses Hillary Clinton Campaign of Push Polling“
Looks push-poll-y to me. Also, as I recall, there have been other mentions of Clinton’s people using push polls. There’s something familiar about the tone of this post, if only I could put my finger on it…
while not “push polling” it is deceptive to hide a campaign call in the form of a poll
and can anyone make heads or tails out of the polls? they are all over the place
and if romney wins california, does that mean the repugs are going all the way to the convention too?
I feel glad to know that I have not received any push polling. Am I just not cool enough?
HILLARY CLINTON VOTED FOR IRAQ WAR - AND DONT YOU FORGET IT!
You Tube Video
this story has been debunked.
Hall monitor, she pushed me!
we are all aware that all polls regardless are wholly dependent on the way
the questions are phrased or presented. this in itself will make more polls
totally useless. bias is generally built in and renders the outcome pointless.
Hillary can poll me anytime.
Gee the “LA Times” the republican newspaper that supports obama….wouldn’t you know it? The were just bought out and became REPUBLICAN. Fired all the democratic leaning employees. Including the editors.
Anybody have any proof this is the Clinton campaign? Notice, there were some really nasty robocalls in South Carolina about Hillary, using the “c” word, and accusing her of everything Limbaugh and worse were accusing her of during the ’90s. TPM went and investigated and it turned out to be some right-wing wacko, being financed by who knows who. It came from a handful of people who had caller ID, and they all gave TPM the same number.) Would it have been right to accuse Obama of that? No.
What we have in the Times, which just endorsed Obama, is one call, and an accusation from one guy. Based on what? This looks to me like a last-minute accusation, which it will take too long to investigate before the primaries. But it’s okay, it’s the Obama side making the accusation, and they’re clean, so it must be true. Right? Clinton rules! You can accuse them of anything, based on one phone call by who knows who!
Hmmmm. I wonder who stands to gain from this last minute hit piece from a California newspaper the day before Super Tuesday?
I have to ad a PS>>>I just saw the quote Hillary voted for the war. She also explained why and would never have done it, if she had known the facts.
WHAT IS OBAMA’S EXPLAINATION FOR BELIEVING BUSH AND WANTING TO BOMB IRAN..AND SEND IN MISSILES.
Now we have this, in the newspaper article written by a hometown reporter in the Chicago Trib…all you have to do is search the archives. Damn. I bet no one has even asked him that question. Course they haven’t he gets a pass.
Two substantive differences between Hillary and Barak
On Cuba — Fareed Zakaria from Newsweek
Obama has advocated easing the Bush-imposed ban on Cuban-Americans visiting the island and sending money to their relatives. He makes a broader case for a new Cuba policy, arguing that capitalism, trade and travel will help break the regime’s stranglehold on the country and help open things up.
Clinton immediately disagreed, firmly supporting the current policy. This places her in the strange position of arguing, in effect, that her husband’s Cuba policy was not hard-line enough. But this is really not the best way to understand Clinton’s position. In all probability, she actually agrees with Obama’s stand. She is just calculating that it would anger Cuban-Americans in Florida and New Jersey.
Land Mine Ban — David Rees from Huffington Post
Over 150 nations have signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. It pains me that our great nation has not. But in the autumn of 2006, there was a chance to take a step in the right direction: Senate Amendment No. 4882, an amendment to a Pentagon appropriations bill that would have banned the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas.
Senator Obama of Illinois voted IN FAVOR of the ban.
Senator Clinton of New York voted AGAINST the ban.
Analysts say Clinton did want to risk appearing “soft on terror,” as it would have harmed her electibility.
Travis @ 1:
Have any links to these other mentions? All I’ve found so far are ones pointing back to this story where one person believes they were being push polled.
I wouldn’t characterize that as an “eruption”
definitely push-polling.
You can avoid all this stuff if you have caller ID on your phone. If you don’t know the caller, don’t answer the phone. They don’t seem to call back but maybe one more time. They don’t want to waste their time on a phone number that doesn’t answer them.
Thing Fish @ 13:
look up stuff about her Nevada campaign, there was definite push polling of the “Barack HUSSEIN Obama” nature
[refers to deleted post]
i didn’t want to be the one to say it. seems like she really went out of her way to prove something, that is obviously push-polling to me, as benign and inconsequential.
Travis @ 1:
Yeah, a FOX NEWS punk gets a call and tells LAURA BUSHES EX PRESS SECRETARY about it…and YOU believe it. Jeebus CRISPIES it’s enough to make you wonder how we have survived as a species with such glaring examples of gullibility to outright dishonest thinking out there don’t it. Wait, wait, Carl Rove just said Hillary Clinton has made a deal with SATAN to let him have the souls of all the babies planned parenthood will forcibly abort if she wins!!! It’ll be on the front page tomorrow!!!
How do we know that this guy is on the up and up? Push polls use open with ” Hi! I am So and So and I am polling Voters on their primary preferences..who are you leaning towards?” If you answer with their guy you get some quick puffery and a “Have a nice day” If you don’t you get pushed. This poll or whatever does not sound like that. I think its probably crap: as near as I can tell there are not a lot of folks that are reporting it..in a state with 10 % of the US population.
I was polled by my ahem “Union”… Before they announced support for a Candidate.
When asked which Candidates I supported… I said Kucinich and Edwards… Both strong union candidates… FFS Dennis is a member.
The pollster asked me for a third … to which I really did not have a third.. so the lady started saying… “H..h…hhiiillllaaaaaaaarrryyyyy?”
To which I was outraged instantly.. as I feel like one of the few liberals that does not give this woman a free pass to anywhere… and remembers her fucking RECORD…and is not impressed and googly eyed over her CFR ass…
How much more disgusted could I be when the union snooz letter arrived 2-3 months later and who did they announce they are supporting???…
Go ahead.. fill in the blank like that polling group tried to do with me..and most likely did it to every single member of the union that they called.
Even though I do not know ANYONE that supports her… I do not see ANY yard signs .. bumper stickers… or t-shirts… and EVERY time I mention her I get rolling eyes… be it at the CO-OP (Hippy Grocery Store)– The Bar… A party… My Mechanic… Bodyshop…Work… or a Gas Station… As I actually talk to people…as I feel that Democracy is in the streets…
And ZERO support and Zero enthusiasm…for her ..
I am sure people will VOTE for her if she is the one the Bilderburgers selected and we have NO choice… Yet… the Manufactured excitement is totally fraudulent from where I am standing.
It’s the fucking LA Times. What do you expect, honesty, integrity? Please. If their keyboards are clicking, or their gums are flapping they’re lying.
I am not a naive person by any stretch of the imagination, but how is the fact that the man receiving the call used to work for Fox relevant in any way? Did he actually receive the phone call? Is what he is saying substantively true? Did the questions only address negative qualities of the other candidates while only addressing positive qualities of Senator Clinton? If so, his former position with any media affiliate is inconsequential and any reference to that is just an attempt to confuse the issue.
Push polling and dirty politics in general comes in a million different forms and manners, so claiming that this alleged call doesn’t fit into the “classic” form of push polling and then dismissing it as push polling is disingenuous.
Travis @ 17:
I’m just questioning this current story. One person claims they were being pushed polled and it get’s called an “eruption”? Also this is coming from the LA Times. Which became more Fox like since the Tribune took over.
Saw that Ben Smith’s blog has a recording of the Nevada call. Can’t really call Ben Smith pro-democrat either.
I’d like to wait until I hear of more reports from more sources before I’d jump on this as poll pushing.
Right now it seems more like “proof” of the democrats are just as bad as republicans so don’t bother to vote meme.
Funny that
Here is some more push polling done by the Clintons Nicole Belle. Write about this:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo.....922/449619
Betty @ 5:
By whom, when ? LINK, please..
hey, Betty - are you trolling Shillary’s overtime ? You’ve left your shillary-VAseline-Intensive-Care posts all over Euro media online, is Shillary that cheap that you still have to slave ?
Shooo, you TROLLLL , shooooooooo..
Tell your friend Linda to go to hell as well - she pooped all over on the same Euro sites you did.
Shooo, you TROLLLL , shooooooooo..
It is not push polling???
Well as one person that has gotten one of these calls (go check the comment logs on this site 4+ months ago.. I told ppl here about it the day it happend)
It sure feels that way… when they are framing it a certain way… and then putting candidates into your mouth… I am sure many go along with it, and thats why they called Union people first with it… as we tend to be democratic, and … well as most people do when it boils down to the moment will go along.
Most are sheep… and thats how you get sheep to go where you want them too…
Push them… Get them Scared… or Ring the Dinner Bell.
I heard the push-polling was financed by the same Las Vegas shift supervisor Bill Clinton overheard that told his employees they couldn’t get time off to vote if they intended to vote for Clinton. Busy dude.
How come McCain is the only Republican in this poll? What kind of negative things did they say about him? Anything?
What a silly defense of your neo-con princess.
Why don’t you post the clip of her crying again the day before the big vote!
What an offensive joke to women all over the world.
I get doubtful of stories like this only because others haven’t came forward yet about it. Having said that what really matters is what the person that got the call actually thinks.
People hate push polls and they are easy to detect so the next logical step is a push poll diguised as a message poll.
In this age an 8 hrs lag in getting back to somone about so negitive an issue by a campaign if only with a “We’re still looking into it” is an eternity.
Stop the clintons
Save the world
I’ll take the thrust of Hillary being a self serving control freak and agree.
How did she accumulate 35 years of public service while she worked full time at the Rose Law firm?
Just heard a clip of Michelle Obama being interviewed on Good Morning America at the Taylor Marsh web site. Despite the fact that Hillary and Bill have pledged to support Obama if he is the Dem nominee in November, Michelle is not certain she can support Hillary. So much for Obama’s theme of “unity”. She criticizes Hillary’s “tone” but I think her “tone” lacks maturity, something that should be required for a First Lady. If Hillary can work with the likes of Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, and Lindsay Graham to get legislation passed for the benefit of veterans, (the very same men who voted to impeach her husband), then I think Michelle needs to grow up a little and understand what politics (and life) are really all about.
Don’t sell the Republicans short on this one. There were up to some dirty tricks with phone calls and polling around here during the Darcy Burner/Dave Reichert race. People were getting plenty sick of the calls from the Democrats when, lo and behold, it turned out the Republicans were behind a lot of them.
Not as scummy as your avg. GOP push poll, but still deceptive.
Sort of like Hillary herself.
This is a Clinton Push Poll, Altered around the edges for plausible deniability.
Carmen @ 32:
Well said. I read this today. It’s slightly OT, but it does touch upon Hillary bashing and why Obama is getting a little better treatment from the media than Hillary…
http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html
Please allow me to correct the confusion. I think the LA Times has gotten confused. I am the push-poller around the Clinton campaign offices. I have been making my way around the Los Angeles area, polling constituents regarding my wife’s candidacy for office. And I do push my poll, if you take my meaning.
Let me assure you, I do not leave the constituents “wavering.” Before I leave, I make sure each and every one of the voters I poll has reached a satisfying conclusion about Super Tuesday… or Monday or Friday, whenever I happen to get there.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to get back to the voter rolls. I’m hardly through the “A”s yet. Here’s another one, a Mrs. Pamela Anderson-Lee-Ritchie-Salomon. Hmm… with a name like that, I’d better stop by the drugstore on my way over to conduct my next round of poll-pushing…
CappuccettoRosso @ 25:
Witih a name like John shouldn’t you be skipping to the loo?
Carmen @ 32:
Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, and Lindsay Graham
Why is it surprising that she, as a conservative, would work with these guys?
Let’s try that again:
CappuccettoRosso @ 25: