« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Push Pollers Heart Huckabee
It's not much of a mystery which candidate the nonprofit group Common Sense Issues supports. After all, they run a website called Trust Huckabee. And they've made millions of calls in key primary states on Mike Huckabee's behalf.
From the various reports, the automated calls are transparent examples of push polls -- i.e. calls posing as polls, but really intended to give negative information about a particular candidate.
Common Sense has some considerable experience with this. In the 2006 elections, the group paid for calls attacking Democrats in at least five states. The robo calls followed their favored formula -- extremely leading questions followed by a barrage of "facts." In Maryland, voters were asked whether they supported medical research experiments on unborn babies. In Tennessee, voters were asked "Would you prefer to have your taxes not raised, and if possible, cut?" and then "Do you believe that foreign terrorists should have the same legal rights and privileges as American citizens?" You can listen to one of the Tennessee calls here. Always, the "facts" based on the voter's response.
When I talked to one of the leaders of the group, he told me that the questions used "accurate characterizations," and added: "There are a fair number of things that are unpleasant to talk about, but that doesn't make [our questions] any less accurate."
The group doesn't mind pushing the envelope. Since December, they've paid for calls supporting Huckabee in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, and South Carolina; because they are robo calls, they've been able to reach hundreds of thousands of households (1 million in South Carolina and Michigan each, and approximately 850,000 in Iowa). Florida is apparently next. The group also ran a TV ad in Iowa which you can see on their website called "Who Can You Trust?" Just in case voters didn't get the message, they were directed to CannotTrustMittRomney.com, which includes a series of old TV clips of Romney proclaiming his pro-choice stance.*
The calls all seem to follow the same pattern. Voters are asked who they're supporting, and then depending on their answer, they're provided with a barrage of negative information about their chosen candidate (if it's not Mike Huckabee). Huckabee himself has feebly protested the calls, saying that they "violate the spirit" of his campaign and “I wish they would stop." Not suprisingly, Mike Hosenball of Newsweek reports that the major backers of the group are also supporters of Huckabee.
The calls have already gotten the group in trouble. Romney asked the Iowa attorney general to investigate the calls, and they've also come to the attention of the New Hampshire and South Carolina attorney generals. No one seems to be investigating the group yet, although the group is living dangerously in South Carolina, where not only is the Republican attorney general Henry McMaster co-chairman of John McCain's state campaign, but there's a law against automated phone calls. But the executive director of the group made it apparent that they'd already gamed this out:
Common Sense Issues’ Executive Director Patrick Davis has said the calls originate outside the state, are legal under federal law and amount to constitutionally protected free speech. “It’s all factual,” he said.
The group even has a defense of the calls up at TrustHuckabee.com, which argues that because the calls are based on voice-recognition technology and tailor their negative information based on the voter's responses, they're a-ok:
The type of calls that Common Sense Issues, Inc. is making into Iowa and New Hampshire are personalized educational conversations enabled by artificial intelligence. While some have suggested that these personalized conversations are "push polls," they are not as each one is unique based on the individual. Push calls are designed to be a one-way communication. During a personalized educational call enabled by our voice recognition artificial intelligence technology a participant has a two-way dialogue.
They seem to be rather proud of this strategy and of the technology that allows them to make the calls. The calls are actually made by a company called ccAdvertising -- a favorite company for shadowy third-party groups in the 2006 elections. The company can make at least 3.5 million calls per day.
When disclosing its activity to the Federal Election Commission, Common Sense has labeled all of the disbursements to ccAdvertising as "GOTV," indicating that the calls serve the double purpose of distributing negative information about rival candidates and identifying Huckabee supporters to be rallied on election day.
*Note: Don't miss the group's recent ad against Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), where he's presented with a "Cuban propaganda award" from Fidel Castro:
Josh
Zachary
push the story about the dog torture
January 10, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm in MI near Detroit. My ZIP Code is heavily Dem. I just got one of the push poll robocalls described. It urged me as a Democrat to cross over and vote in the GOP primary for Huckabee! It was immediately clear at the beginning of the 2 min 45 sec call that this was in favor of Huckabee. I was surprised at the end when the disclaimer stated it was not sponsored by a campaign. It's clearly candidate advocacy.
January 10, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
the americatalksback.com ad is marginally NSFW. Not to be a prude or anything.
January 10, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh what a slime fest the Dems have waiting for them come the general election. This will look like child's play compared to what they'll face from these good, "Christian" candidates on the Right.
January 10, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
This sort of tactic is going to get robocalling banned. It's not necessarily bad. My local Democratic Party uses them to tell people about forums, fundraisers and such. This is the first time I've heard of pushpolling being done by robocall, which I'm sure is cheaper than live calling, but it's not like the conservative groups lack for funds. I suppose if the calls were banned, they'd go back to live calls and the legitimate uses would be banned. Any chance we can somehow tell people that negative calls, like negative ads, are normally deceptive?
January 10, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ross In Detroit:
I'm in MI near Detroit. My ZIP Code is heavily Dem. I just got one of the push poll robocalls described. It urged me as a Democrat to cross over and vote in the GOP primary for Huckabee!
That sounds like an excellent reason to register a protest vote for Romney!
January 10, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since when did the Commandment against "bearing false witness" not apply to political campaigns? What has Christianity come to?
January 10, 2008 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul, check out this article:
"Common Sense Ohio" is headed by Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble executive Nathan Estruth. Estruth recently came under fire when he told a Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter that he was an independent but Republican-leaning voter who went to see Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ted Strickland speak, but was "put off by his partisan rhetoric." In actuality, Estruth is a longtime supporter and financial backer of GOP gubernatorial nominee Ken Blackwell.
"Common Sense Ohio" has also been sued by the Ohio Democratic Party for placing ads critical of Strickland while claiming non-profit status to the Internal Revenue Service.
http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2006/10/30/procter__gamble_exec_behind_senate_push_poll
I guess P&G doesn't care what outlandishness you push on your free time.
Anyway, this group blatantly violates the issue advocacy rules for a 501(c)(4) in their advocacy for Mike Huckabee. They should be fined and forced to re-register as a 527 and disclose their donors.
Can you find out the status of the lawsuit by the Ohio Democratic Party?
January 10, 2008 6:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Chelsea Clinton tortured a dog and her father as governor got her off with no punishment and then tried to cover it up
Think their would be a media storm ???
Damn right there would be.
So why the kid glove treatment for Huckabee and his son???
January 10, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
ok, lets suppose Chelsea Clinton
tortures a dog.
The sherriff is about to press charges,
at which point then governor Clinton intercedes and gets Chelsea off and tries to cover up the "episode".
Do you thing the media would go absolutely ape shit if they found out ? -
of course they would.
Well it wasn't Chelsea -
but it was Hucckabees son -
and Huckabee did get him off and did try to cover it up.
So why the double standard?
cmon main stream media!!!!!!!
January 10, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the TPM site where I have been dumping links and info about the so-called Common Sense groups and Proctor & Gamble executive Nathan Estruth, who appears to be a driving force behind them.
http://coffeehouse.tpmcafe.com/blog/ohiomeister/2006/nov/03/procter_and_gamble_paying_for_push_polls_to_buy_off_evangelicals
January 10, 2008 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
"So why the double standard?"
Because Mitt tortures dogs, too.
So, you see, no double standard. Huck dog-torturing is getting about the same amount of play as Mitt dog-torturing.
Now, I suppose, you could make the argument that the Republicans get less press attention for there dog-torturing than Democrats would, but that's only natural.
It's like Republican corruption. Everyone expects it, so it's not news.
Likewise, people expect Republicans to torture dogs. So, it's not news.
As a further proof that people expect Republicans to torture dogs, I offer the corollary that if it were unexpected behavior for Republicans, it would be in the news.
Got that?
January 10, 2008 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do we know what percentage of receipients hang up on robocalls? I always do. In fact, if my caller id shows an 800 number or "out of area, out of area," I hit the on and then the off button to short circuit both the ring and the possibility of a robo message on my answering machine. Who actually wants to hear that stuff even if you like the candidate? Who believes a word they say?
All voters with brains, step this way!
January 10, 2008 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you JGabriel for helping us to clearly understand how the corrupt MSM works! We should urge TPMmuckraker to get right on this. Ooie! The nasty stuff going on between the Rs is absolutely fascinating. I can see why Kos is trying to promote more of it. I pay attention to R sites and the way they are slapping each other down and stabbing each other in the back is quite entertaining. While the Dems need to be concerned that these tactics will eventually be turning their way, the intramural damage that is going on in the R party is a joy to behold!
January 10, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huckleberry's friends sure do a lot of slimey shit for him . . .
January 10, 2008 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Serious question -- (I'd been assuming that this Common Sense Issues group was a 527 - maybe that's wrong) -- Is there something that candidates can do about/to these groups that are using unsavory means to 'support' them? Bush's response to the SwiftBoaters was inadequate by any measure, but what (hypothetically) could or should the Candidate-of-Your-Choice do if a 527 crops up using tactics in his/her support that the Candidate truly wants to, if possible, stop or at least clearly disavow? Does anyone know - or have informed opinion?
January 10, 2008 8:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I always hang up on these, when I say "hello?" and hear that pause as the recording clicks on, I know from the first word what it is and hang up.
January 10, 2008 8:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
it may work in the primaries for the fanatic RIGTH--- but it wont work in the general election against the democrats.
January 11, 2008 2:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's "whom" do you trust?, not "who".
January 11, 2008 3:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Huck's wandering right eye disturbs me.
"JGabriel wrote on January 10, 2008 6:22 PM:
Ross In Detroit:
I'm in MI near Detroit. My ZIP Code is heavily Dem. I just got one of the push poll robocalls described. It urged me as a Democrat to cross over and vote in the GOP primary for Huckabee!
That sounds like an excellent reason to register a protest vote for Romney!"
I was considering registering as a Republican to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries, but even that's really not worth it.
January 11, 2008 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Day off at TPMM today?
January 11, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I worked against Elder Fraud on a project assisted by the AARP.
Many of the people most likely to be influenced by the push polls are older, have little information beyond Fox News, (which does do a very good job of formating its information for the elderly) and do not have (or have not completely adjusted to) caller ID, Robo calls, or even cell phones.
They often take on faith that someone claiming to call them from their church is actually a member.
Republicans are urging church members to get lists of members so they can provide them to telecenters.
The story one of the workers told was about an elderly african american man (and a deacon in a rather small church) that was called from "a friend of his church".
He felt he knew anyone likely to call with church approval and doubted the call. He asked if the caller knew Deacon Jones. When the caller assured him he did he said: "Well tell him to give you a head slap then! and hung up."
Deacon Jones was a defensive lineman for the Rams, not an elder in his church.
January 11, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds might Christian of the good minister. As William S. Burroughs once said, "If you're doing business with a religious son-of-a-bitch, get it in writing. His words isn't worth shit. Not with the good Lord telling him how to fuck you on the deal."
January 11, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
To repeat my question: what could or should a candidate do if some group (527 or other) is doing something like this robocalling that they truly want to stop or, if that's not possible, make clear they do not approve, endorse or encourage.
----- This is important. Sometimes supporters go over a line that a candidate truly would not cross, and then the negative ad that a Clinton-supporting union sent out, making it appear as if it came from John Edwards, suggests another way really obnoxious push-polling could be used.
------ If Huckabee has the power to stop this(by right or by influence) this and doesn't, he should be censured. If he doesn't have the power but wants it stopped, what should he do to effectively make his position clear?
January 11, 2008 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm in Oakland County, MI, R country. The call just now came from a Virginia area code. It was obvious in the first 30 seconds that this was a Huckabee "push" - shove and tackle might be more like it. Interesting at the end, the robo asked me if I was a) over 50, b) a male, and c) if I like Carl Levin. And these guys are getting a tax break? Hope not.
January 12, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm in Reno, NV and got the push-polling robocall too, yesterday evening at 8:26p.m. - the caller ID shown is a dial-out number, as it's disconnected, for the takers: (703) 961-1077. The same opener question as others reported: are you going to vote in the Republican primaries? Nevermind that NV has caucuses... I decided to hear the thing out, and aside from some harsh bashing of McCain, Romney and Giuliani, I got the following question: do you support Senator Reid's position in favor of pulling our troops immediately out of Iraq and handing the country over to Islamic terrorists? Niiiiice. Needless to say, Senator Reid received their message too, now.
January 14, 2008 1:56 PM | 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 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huckabee is a bible-beating idiot. He will do no good for us Jews - he would be the first one to establish prayer in the public schools. I received a phone poll the other day and was horrified. Those calls should be traced and the persons responsible should be arrested.
January 16, 2008 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink