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Huck Lovin' Push Pollers Dial into Nevada
5 million calls and counting.
The push polling group supporting Mike Huckabee, Common Sense Issues, has added Nevada to their list of target states in a big way. They've made over 300,000 calls there, the group's executive director Patrick Davis* told me, and plan to "call every household in the state" (there were approximately 750,000 households in the state as of the 2000 census).
The automated calls fit the same model as those in the other primary states -- South Carolina (over a million), Iowa (850,000), New Hampshire (800,000), Michigan (2,000,000), Florida (hundreds of thousands, though less than a million) --, where a voice asks the voter which candidate he/she supports, and then goes on to provide a battery of facts meant to demonstrate why Huckabee is preferable. Davis told me that the calls frequently begin with "this is a call from Election Research with a 45-second survey."
As Nevada journalist Steve Friess writes on his blog, he got a call from the group Sunday evening. After saying that he supports Giuliani, he was informed that Giuliani supports gay marriage and "sanctuary cities" for immigrants and that Huckabee is a lifetime hunter. That's substantially similar to what a TPM reader reported from Michigan.
There seems to be a specifically Nevadan component, though. Friess says that the call asked if he had a favorable view of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).... "After I answered, the voice says something to the effect of what I think of the fact that Reid wants to surrender in Iraq and hand over our freedoms to Islamo-fascists." When I asked Davis if that was an accurate characterization of the call, he said "yes."
The group will go up with a TV ad in Michigan tonight and into tomorrow, Davis said, saying that the it wasn't a very large buy -- in the range of less than $50,000. It's the same ad that the group ran in Iowa, which you can see on their website, TrustHuckabee.com.
*Update/Correction: This post originally referred to the group's executive director as Rick Davis. His name is Patrick.
Josh
Zachary
I have one question. What do we do to put a stop to automated calls period. Any, and I do mean ANY politician that wastes me time using an automated call system and not a person to do his poll work will not recieve my vote. You want to discuss your candidates positions..call me with a person who can discuss them not some automated, and largely undocumented back talk.
January 14, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Leave it to the bible-thumper to use the smarmiest methods available.
January 14, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Received a few of these here in Michigan over the weekend. Since I had nothing better to do, I humored myself by saying "he's a f&*king a$$hole" when asked if I had a positive view of Romney. The polite robo-caller voice then asked me if I'd consider voting for Huckabee because he is pro-life. Made me wonder if that is the programed question for a f&*king a$$hole reply.
January 14, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seeing it is a Republican I wouldn't be surprised if the automated service wasn't outsourced.
January 14, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if the dispirate parts of the party will cleave together after the primaries? Will this outfit do work on the ground for the eventual Republican candidate, even if that candidate is Romney? They've committed to an all-out campaign for Huckabee, where their funding is coming from is anybody's guess (I suspect megachurches and values-conscious conservatives), and considering the vitrol expressed for Romney and mormonism generally I really wonder if they could do an about-face and support him in the general if he wins. I don't think that will happen, but I don't see them lining up behind McCain either.
January 14, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huckabee the Hypocrite strikes again. If this was any other candidate the media would be ripping his head but his holiness gets a free pass because the press want him to be the Repubs nominee.
January 14, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
A long time ago a poster said that this guy looks like gomer pyle. I didn't see it at the time, but this picture definitely shows the resemblance. Shazam, Shazam, Shazam. Tooooo funny. Maybe that's why he is getting so many votes. Gomer pyle fans.
January 14, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
just got the call here in nevada, starts out with "do you support president george bush?", if you say 'who', it hangs up. LOL
January 14, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
These calls are an epidemic and are invading the privacy of All American Voters.
Our members are taking a stand and saying enough is enough at the National Political Do Not Contact Registry at StopPoliticalCalls.org.
Here is a quote from a member this morning:
"I find it very frustrating... I tend to get calls at the WORST time. I have a one year old daughter, and it NEVER fails that the phone will ring when I put her down for a nap or for bed. Also my vote is PRIVATE... so who do you think you are calling with a survey to find out who I am voting for!!! Stop calling me."
Regards,
Shaun Dakin
CEO and Founder
http://www.stoppoliticalcalls.org
January 15, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
January 15, 2008
Open Letter to South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster:
Earlier this evening, at approximately 8:50 PM on Tuesday, January 15, 2008, I received a telephone call from telephone number 703-961-1077 with the Caller ID of “Hinton, L”. Answering the phone, I was asked if I would participate in a 45 second poll on the presidential primary. After being asked if I supported President Bush and was planning to vote in the South Carolina Primary, I was asked whom I planned to support. I responded Fred Thompson. I was immediately thrown into a series of questions asking my position on illegal immigration, abortion, and others. Each question went as follows: “Are you pro-life” My answer “Yes”. Their response: “Did you know that Senator Fred Thompson [contradicting pro-life stance], and that Governor Mike Huckabee has [supporting pro-life stance]. After answering two of the questions, I took out my tape recorder and recorded the rest of the conversation. Being acutely aware of push polling tactics and negative campaigning, I answered some of the questions based on the responses that would illicit a negative response from the caller. I have attached a copy of the voice recording of the second half of the auto call (unfortunately the really good nasty stuff was during the first half of the call), as well as photos of the caller ID displaying the callers name, telephone number, and time of call.
It is my request that you pursue these individuals to the fullest extent of the law. You may reach me at the contact information listed above.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Teitleman
January 16, 2008 9:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
If people don't like them don't tell them the truth. If the data that comes out of them is garbage, they won't use it.
January 17, 2008 3:57 AM | Reply | Permalink