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No Vested Interest

(5,211 posts)
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 02:56 AM Feb 2018

Push Poll this evening- turned out to be Republican.

Are you a registered voter (Yes)
Do you intend to vote in the primary eection (Yes).
What political party do you belong to (Democratic).
Did you vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? (Hillary Clinton)
Thinking of Sherrod Brown: Very favorable, somewhat favorable, not very favorable, not at all favorable? (Very Favorable)
(Sen. Brown's first name was mispronounced: SherRod - accent on second syllable - a giveaway that the person was not familiar with Sen. Brown).
Have I ever heard of Melissa????? (No)
Have I ever heard of (another name)? (No)
Have I ever heard of Jim Renacci? (Yes)
In the Republican primary, which would I vote for - Melissa, (another name), or Jim Renacci?
I remained silent, as I could not answer the question, inasmuch as I'm not voting in the Republican primary.
The last question was repeated, again I could not, did not answer, and the call was terminated.

This was a recorded poll, with answers by pushing buttons on the phone.

5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Push Poll this evening- turned out to be Republican. (Original Post) No Vested Interest Feb 2018 OP
The kook brothers' 400 mil at work not fooled Feb 2018 #1
Think I would answer that last question..... safeinOhio Feb 2018 #2
Why do you call that a push poll? Jim Lane Feb 2018 #3
The poll on my phone limited my answers by virtue of having me push numbers on the phone No Vested Interest Feb 2018 #4
I don't draw the same inference about the pollster's honesty. Jim Lane Feb 2018 #5
 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
3. Why do you call that a push poll?
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 04:33 PM
Feb 2018

When a campaign commissions a poll to get information that the campaign intends to use, that's partisan, but it's not a push poll. If I were running one of the Republican campaigns, I'd want to know the answers to the questions you were asked.

A push poll is one that's not intended to get information, but to disseminate a point of view, using the guise of a poll so as to gain credibility. An example would be, "Would you be less likely to vote for Sherrod Brown if you knew that he ____ {insert absurd falsehood about Brown}?"

No Vested Interest

(5,211 posts)
4. The poll on my phone limited my answers by virtue of having me push numbers on the phone
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 05:32 PM
Feb 2018

to indicate agreement to their set answers.
It was not conducted by a live person, but a recorded questioner.
It purported to be a "public opinion poll".
I considered the first few questions were to put me at ease with the poll.
There was no alternative to what was (for me at least) the final question - For whom would I vote in the Republican primary?

The example you cite is certainly a type of push poll, but not the only one.
Whoever commissioned the poll or whoever wrote the wording was looking for certain responses, not conducting an honest survey of public opinion. That qualifies as a push poll.

 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
5. I don't draw the same inference about the pollster's honesty.
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 06:23 PM
Feb 2018

There will evidently be a contested Republican primary for the right to run against Brown. For any Republican contender, the first hurdle is winning the primary. If a poll responder likes Brown and has no intention of voting in the Republican primary, then the pollster wants you to hang up at that point. Nothing you might say will give a GOP candidate any information that's useful to his or her immediate concern.

At least, that's how I'd interpret their motives.

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