Push-polling starts aimed at Mitt Romney; N.H. launches probe

Well, it's started already. New Hampshire's attorney general has launched an "expedited investigation" into a spurt of unidentified push-polling calls in his state, where all forms of political communication including phone calls must identify the candidate being supported.

The Associated Press reported late Thursday that residents of both Iowa and New Hampshire had begun receiving the calls from unidentified callers. Push-polls start out sounding like a normal polling survey but in reality are designed to plant and spread distorted, damaging and often untrue information about a particular candidate, in this case Mitt Romney. He happens to be leading Republican polls in both states.

Because push-pollers also rely on the news media to help spread the same false information, we're not going to do that here except to say the calls involved Romney's Mormon religion. An example of a push-poll question could be: "If you knew that Candidate X had been previously arrested on sexual assault charges, would you be more or less inclined to vote for him?"

It's not the voter's answer that matters; it's that he or she might pass on that rumor to others and affect their vote.

The AP story suggested the calls were being made by a Utah company called Western Wats, where a spokesman refused to comment on the recent incidents but denied the company did push-polls.

"I've seen over the last few weeks more and more reports of e-mails, of literature being passed out, and now push-polls which attack me on the basis of religion," Romney said Friday while campaigning in Nevada, "and I think that's very, very disappointing and un-American."

John McCain, who was reportedly mentioned favorably in some of the calls for his military and anti-spending records, denounced them as "cowardly acts" and called on all the other campaigns to do the same and pledge not to use the tactic. McCain himself was the victim of push-polling in South Carolina in 2000, when callers planted the story that he had fathered a black child when in reality he and his wife had recently adopted a little girl from Southeast Asia.

Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson also denounced the calls, with Thompson calling them "robo-dialing bigotry," although push-polls involve a real person and are not automated dialing.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Dustin Hofheins]

These attacks on Romney have absolutely no ground to stand on. I believe the American people should be able to look at Mitt and see that he is the most qualified in the way he lives his life (his values). He has a resume that tops all others, amazing business experience, an amazing family, and the talent of bringing a team together to tackle and solve tough problems. I am sure that the push pollers did not mention that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Religion) gives millions upon millions of aid around the world on a yearly basis, and that when natural disaster strikes they are often the first people on the ground offering aid, supplies, and support. The Church is a tremendous organization for good, and always has a hand stretched out to people in need. If you honestly look at Mitt Romney, look at his values, look at his record of achievements, the misconceptions of these push pollers are melted away, and you realize that he (Mitt) is the only, and I might add, obvious choice for the nomination.

[Shawn M. Hussey]

I think the attacks on Mitt Romney's religious affiliation are reprehensible.They go against the ideals for which our nation should stand.We are all Americans and we should respect the right of each individual to practice his or her faith.A person's religion is a private matter.Push-polling is an unethical tactic which should not be utilized by political candidates.

[Larry from Purdue]

I can't wait to see which camp originated these calls.

Like y'all didn't see this coming?

[Shag]

There is speculation that Romney's organization may be behind this scheme. The group is based out of Utah and has some Romney donors finicially involved. The rightwingers want to throw religion in everyone's face, and this is what it gets them.

[simon lomax]

The fact are this RON PAUL Is the only REAL conservative candidate out there and the media knows this which is why it is attacking him. Hilary, guiliani, and those other clowns are enemies of the constitution.They hate what the founding fathers stood for and they're intent on destroying it. Hliary and co- are for the north american union. So the message is if you want your country to carry on down the course it's on and you want more of your young men and women killed in foriegn lands fighting the wars being waged by private interest groups then go vote for mitt romney, guiliani or any of the other puppets out there. But if you want america to return to what the founding fathers created when they wrote the bill of rights and the constitution then the only person you can consider voting for is RONPAUL

[mike]

Hey Shag,

Let me guess, that "speculation" about Romney's camp placing those calls is similar to other lefty loons speculating that Bush's "weather machine" was behind Katrina, eh? Keep on drinking that Kool Aid, slappy!

[Shaun Dakin]

This is just the beginning. Robo calls, push polling, phone banking.

We have started a new non-profit, non-partisan group to fight back using the power of the vote.

The National Political Do Not Contact Registry is fighting back and giving the voter control of the conversation, not the politicians.

More at http://www.stoppoliticalcalls.org/index.php

Shaun Dakin

[A. Burns]

I think after people take a deeper look at Mormons, they will realize that Mormons are good, descent people.

In 2006 alone, Mormons:

- Made clean water possible for 1,121,323 people in 34 countries
- Donated an amazing $17 million in 50 countries for emergency response
- Trained 1,465 professionals in 26 countries on neonatal resuscitation tecniques
- Provided wheelchairs to 55,090 people in 56 countries
- Provided vision treatment training to 7,797 doctors and patients in 15 countries
- and more

I, for one, have never heard of a cult that cared so much about humanity. If this is the kind of people that the Mormon church is turning out, I don't care how strange their beliefs are. It's better than a religion based on hate and destruction.

[Texgotham]

I won't vote for Mitt Romney, not because he's a Mormon, but because he's a Republican.

[Steven RInehart]

GO ROMNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pete]

When an individual writes that Romney is behind the push polling him self, that person has just become the push poller.

[Howard Stark]

There are some persons who might not vote for Romney because he is a mormon. He should get the matter out in the open and defuse the situation by a full disclosure as to what he believes in.

[Mad Jayhawk]

"I won't vote for Mitt Romney, not because he's a Mormon, but because he's a Republican."

So you would vote for a criminal or for someone that 50% of the American people dislike and do not trust or for someone without any practical experience, before you would vote for a qualified, experienced Republican? You must be the child that was left behind.

[G. Fawkes]

Did Mitt Romney Push Poll Himself?
A web of connections.

More Info Here http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Y2ZkMWNkZDkzOTk1YTM0NTNkNmJlZThmYjJmM2ZmOGE=

Finally the Republicons true colors shine through.