“Local Candidate Conducting Push Polling???”
Published by watauga August 9th, 2008 in PoliticalOk, we read JW’s post on the other site. We do not know if anyone in Watauga county is conducting a push poll. If you received this poll and could send us the audio or a transcript, we would like to review it to decide if it was indeed a push poll. We will even post it on our site to let you decide for yourself if we are able to receive it.
We are not certain that someone who has never been involved in government or politics other than a lecture on “cultural politics” is qualified to make a claim in a fair and accurate way. We would like to hear the call or read the transcript to make the decision rather than have it decided for the citizens of Watauga County by someone who is biased.
Still no one i know has heard a push poll, yet the dems continue in the Democrat yesterday.
Against ‘push polling’
Editor:
I hate dishonesty in politics, don’t you? I hate it when a politician assumes that we voters are too stupid to look at votes and discern truth from distortion.
Jerry Butler, who is running against state Sen. Steve Goss for his seat in the N.C. Senate, has apparently decided to engage in “push-polling” calls in this district.
A “push poll” is an attempt to manipulate voters via telephone by pretending to be a legitimate opinion poll, when in fact, it is not.
It works like this. You answer the telephone, and somebody from Mr. Butler’s campaign says, “Would you vote for McCain or Obama for President? Would you vote for Senator Elizabeth Dole or Kay Hagan for the Senate? Would you vote for Senator Steve Goss or Jerry Butler for the NC Senate? When you respond that you would vote for Sen. Goss, the caller goes on to say, “Would it change your opinion of Senator Goss if you knew he voted for a new tax of up to $1,000 when a homeowner sells their home?” There’s one problem with this type of polling. It’s full of distortions. Sen. Goss never voted for a new tax. He voted against the so-called “home tax”.
There isn’t enough space in one letter to address the other distortions mentioned in these calls concerning Sen. Goss, but if there is an outright lie concerning one issue, you can be sure there are others.
One thing I know about Sen. Steve Goss is that he has the highest integrity and moral character. His only desire is to do the very best he can for the people of this district.
The fact that he is a retired minister actually means something in his case. Never did he engage in these sleazy politics when he ran for the senate the first time, and I have no doubt that we will not see him engage in this type of small-minded politics now.
What do these “push-poll” calls say about Jerry Butler?
Susan Phillips
Vilas
Don’t believe everything you read
Editor:
(In response to a letter by Susan Phillips regarding “push-polling”) Ms. Phillips, get your facts straight before you accuse a local candidate of sleazy politics.
1. Neither the Watauga County Republican party nor our candidate for state senate, Jerry Butler, had any knowledge about the poll that ruffled your feathers.
2. Sen. Steve Goss during the 2007 session did vote 13 times in the affirmative for H 1473.
This was an appropriations bill that included, in section 31.17(a), an authorization for county commissioners to levy a local land transfer tax.
The bill after thirteen votes was ratified and the governor signed it into law. (Sen. Goss did not record a no vote on this issue)
The ironic reality of Ms. Phillips accusation is that no one has endured, in this election season, false negative insults of the magnitude that were thrown at Dr. Butler during his primary.
We can now add Ms. Phillips misinformed vitriol to that unacceptable form of campaigning. (To check the facts, go to http://www.ncleg.net 2007 H 1473 section 31.17(a))
Hugh Sturgill
Media Chair, Watauga Co. Republican Party