"My husband just got push-polled against Obama and Edwards"

[ClarkUSA]

From desmoinesdem over at MyDD:

Earlier today someone called asking for my husband (mispronouncing his name). I offered to take a message, and she said
she'd call back later. She called back during dinner. We took the call, and once he realized what kind of poll it was, my husband put it on
speakerphone so that I could listen. After the jump I've put the questions as closely as we can remember them.

Are you a registered Democrat? Yes.

How certain are you that you will participate in the Iowa caucuses on January 3 (range of answers provided) Almost certain.

Who do you plan to support at the caucuses? John Edwards.

Are you definitely for that candidate, or might you change your mind? Definite.

The woman reads a long statement about Barack Obama's health care plan not being universal and leaving millions of people not covered. (This
was when my husband put it on speakerphone.) Does this statement affect your opinion of Barack Obama a lot, a little or not at all? Not at all.

The woman reads a long statement citing foreign policy experts who say that John Edwards' plan to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq is
irresponsible for various reasons. Does this statement affect your opinion of John Edwards a lot, a little or not at all? Not at all.

The woman reads a long statement about how Barack Obama has accepted a lot of contributions from interests, including energy companies, that
have legislation pending before Congress. Does this statement affect your opinion of Barack Obama a lot, a little or not at all? Not at all.

Then she asked my husband's age, giving only three options: under 30, 31-60 or over 60. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a real poll ask
about smaller age ranges than that?

She did not ask any more demographic questions about race, income, education level, whether he voted in the last election, etc. He asked who paid
for the call, but all she would say was the name of polling firm, which sounded like "Influent." She said it was in somewhere, Illinois, but she was
mumbling--we couldn't make out the city. We don't have caller ID. I read on Politico that Influent is based in Ohio but runs call centers, so I guess
the call center could have been in Illinois.

Just thought you'd want to know.

http://mydd.com/story/2007/12/26/195826/97

Funny how another Iowan here at GDP also had a phone call from an anti-Obama push poller today. Read her story "I just told an anti-Obama
push poller to stuff it...": http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2534306&mesg_id=2534306

What a coincidence. :eyes:

[msongs]

1. seems to be a trend, 2 people say the same thing in the US population 300 million nt

[ClarkUSA]

4. Considering how many must have been push-polled, I'm surprised there hasn't been more reports.

I hope this makes the local news in Iowa.

[Clintonista2]

9. Wow, there are 300 million registered dems all living in an early state?

We have the next election wrapped up, if that's the case!

[Zueda]

2. The Clinton campaign is so busted...

with this be confirmed by two different recipients and the answer was once with John and once with Barack then the slander appears to be identical word for word.

[yardwork]

6. Why do you assume that it is the Clinton campaign?

Pushpolling was invented by the Republican Party. I was pushpolled by Elizabeth Dole's campaign back in 2004. Jesse Helms made it a filthy art. I've never heard of Democrats using this nasty trick. I'd be inclined to suspect Mitt Romney or Giuliani. They're the ones with the Bush connections.

[silverojo]

12. This isn't about who INVENTED it

It's about who USES it. If you seriously don't find it suspicious that this particular poll says nothing negative about HRC, I'll sell you the Brooklyn bridge. (Romney and Giuliani would be far more likely to push-poll their OWN opponents in the primary--duh!)

It's not bad enough the Clintons are friends with the Bushes, now they're imitating the Bush style of sleazy campaigning. :grr:

[papau]

22. earlier on Thursday there were reports of push polls slaming Hillary as well as Edwards with

a small swing at Obama.

I suspect they (push polls) are all being financed by the GOP

[ClarkUSA]

29. Links? Because I've never heard of it... it's obvious who's behind particular push poll, though

This is simply the latest in the long litany of Rovian-Clintonian dirty tricks that have occurred during this campaign season.
Raising the usual, "It's gotta be the GOP" canard is simply not believable.

[yardwork]

31. Combining Clinton's name with Rove's is disgusting and highly misleading.

This crap reminds me of the "Gore is just as bad as Bush" idiocy during the 2000 campaign.

[ClarkUSA]

32. No, it's apt and very descriptive of Hillaryworld's swift boating tactics

What's disgusting and highly misleading are Clinton staffers' "Obama is a dangerous Muslim Manchurian Candidate who went to a madrassa" emails
and Bill Shaheen's race-baiting "wondering" about whether Obama was ever a drug dealer, and Bob Kerrey's "compliment" about Obama's going to
a "secular madrassa" and stating three times in one sentence how nice it was that Obama had a Muslim family background. Then there's Bill's BS
statements about "rolling the dice" and comparing Obama's to a TV commentator or a plumber.

Get off the Kool-Aide and join us in the real world. Your girl is a lying phony POS who's using neo-Republican Rovian tactics against her top rivals.

[yardwork]

34. She's not "my girl" and even the phrase is offensive. You are offensive.

[papau]

36. Pointed out in ABC news story by Tapper n/t

[yardwork]

30. Considering that the immediate effect is to make you mad at Clinton,

I'd say that this has Republican campaign fingerprints all over it.

It's clear that the Republican machine wants Hillary to be the Democratic nominee, because they think that they can destroy her in the general election.

[ClarkUSA]

33. Spin it all you want but this has got Mark Penn the Pollster's fingerprints all over it

Funny how there's NO criticism of Hillary anywhere in this push poll, eh? Raising the GOP boogeyman is totally unbelievable
but I understand that's all you've got.

[yardwork]

35. Grow up.

[ClarkUSA]

7. I hope Iowans go to their local news networks with this stuff so caucus goers get a heads-up

Yup, the Rovian Clintonians are up to their neo-Republican dirty tricks again. Are we really surprised anymore?

[Rockholm]

3. Kucinich's dirty hands all over this!

[Debi]

5. Mr. Debi got that call during dinner tonight

Obama/Edwards slammed. Clinton not named.

I'm seeing Richards's fingerprints all over this one :rofl:

[ClarkUSA]

10. Debi, do you think Iowa likely caucus goers are going to fall for this?

Or do you think most will understand who's responsible?

[Debi]

11. Most Iowa caucus-goers probably hung up on a pollster who called

during dinner. x(

But yeah, we don't like negative campaigning - and we hate 'anonymous' push pollers.

[ClarkUSA]

14. Good.

The closer it gets to Jan. 3, the more dirt is getting slung. Hillary must be very worried about Obama and Edwards, eh?

[walk softly]

25. not sure I was on any legal ground

but got real "upset" with the bull they were pushing and kind of lost myself. Advised caller that this push polling was illegal in Iowa , spreading these lies was illegal etc. Great thing was, they hung up on me!! So be it.

[Debi]

28. Love it!

Whether or not it's legal in Iowa - it sure pisses us off here! :grr:

[regnaD kciN]

8. Why don't we just start calling her Hillary Rove-ham Clinton...?

:puke:

[silverojo]

13. That's a good one!

I'd love to write a push-polling script to use against her...but if I were to post it here, I'd get banned. :evilgrin:

[zulchzulu]

15. I'm going to do stealth campaign work in Iowa tomorrow after reading this stuff

I've decided it's time to bust these people.

I have remote audio recording devices and a small video camera that I am taking into one of the Clinton campaign headquarters in Iowa (west side) and will do all I can to make sure I have something to release to the media.

It's time to take these motherf*&ckers down.

[Debi]

17. Don't you think these calls are coming from national call centers

in Ohio or Minnesota or wherever? I doubt 'independent research' calls are being made from Hillary Clinton phone banks manned by volunteers.

Better to spend time promoting your candidate in Iowa than coming here to tear a different one down.

[zulchzulu]

19. Apparently you can sign up to do phone calls if you sign up on the Clinton web site

I have an account there. There isn't a way to actually make calls...the phone bank que is always empty.

I'll be in Iowa tomorrow to do some work for my candidate...and frankly, I may just pay the Clinton HQ a visit for good measure and see if a loudmouth wants to talk into a microphone about my candidate.

I've had it with the negative, smashmouth garbage from the Clinton camp and it would bring me great joy to bust them with their arrogance.

Jus' sayin'.

[Debi]

27. I just don't think these push-poll calls are coming from Clinton phone banks

the calls coming from phone bankers will be event calls or gotv calls for caucus night.

Please post back and tell me which it is after your visit to our lovely state (oh, and dress warm! :scared:)

[creeksneakers2]

18. Better bring along a witness

in case they confiscate your video and lock you up in a secret prison in Portugal. Oh, and bring a laser too.

[Pirate Smile]

16. I got that poll a month or so ago. I posted it on DU and someone else had also gotten the same call

[flyarm]

20. more of the "rovian-*" tactics at work now in the dem party brought to you by the candidate who's

husband is now tied to the hip of little lord pissy pants daddy and mommy..

how sweet..:sarcasm:

makes you get all warm and fuzzy that this bullshit is now being brought into our party.

not..

fly

[rufus dog]

21. Scorched Earth methodology

Either I win or I make everyone else lose. (Look Bad)

Whoever is doing this has no right what so ever to be a Democratic Candidate for President. It appears that Obama and Edwards are clean. The piece of shit candidate that did this will never get my vote.

Nice way to divide a party and lose an election!

[lisainmilo]

23. Hillary does or doesn't plan on pulling out the troops in a year? Flip Flop! Flip Flop!

"The woman reads a long statement citing foreign policy experts who say that John Edwards' plan to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq is
irresponsible for various reasons."

A Duty to Mislead: Politics and the Iraq War

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10947954 ( Have a listen to this )

All Things Considered, June 11, 2007 · Democrats are telling voters that if they are elected, all U.S. troops will be pulled out of Iraq. But as Sen. Hillary Clinton privately told a senor military adviser, she knows there will be some troops there for decades. It's an example of how in some cases, politics can force dishonesty.


or consider this:

http://www.juancole.com/2007/12/clinton-speaks-of-having-troops-out-in.html


Saturday, December 22, 2007
Clinton: Troops Perhaps out in a Year;
Al-Hakim Slams Awakening Councils;
Rice Bunkers Down

"Reuters says that Iraq made a comeback as a campaign issue on Wednesday through Friday of this week. On Wednesday, Senator Hillary Clinton told a voter that she could get all US troops out of Iraq by early 2009. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has called for an immediate and complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq, accused Clinton of changing her position. Clinton's aide, Harry Wolfson, responded, "Governor Richardson knows that Senator Clinton has been clear and consistent: If George Bush has not ended the war in Iraq, she will . . . As she has said, she would accomplish that by beginning to withdraw our troops within 60 days after inauguration at the rate of one or two brigades a month. This would mean that nearly all troops could be home within a year."

"In the past, Clinton has declined to pledge that all troops would be out of Iraq by the end of her first term if she were elected (i.e. by 2012). She has also spoken of keeping a US base in Kurdistan, apparently for the long term. But perhaps she is changing her mind about all that, and if so it is an excellent development. Of course, as Richardson implies, it may not be so much a commitment as the expression of one possibility among others."

<snip>

"The problem with a bunker mentality is that those inside the bunker forget that that is where they are."


or this: Hillary Clinton Troops in or out or Iraq? Pick one!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDq1MV6f8c0

[annie1]

24. yeah, as a hil supporter, this bugs the HELL outta me. really sick...

every day i have to decide who to vote for all over again. f'g lame.

[dkf]

26. Yup I'd be pissed if someone I supported was this dirty.

I simply will not tolerate it.