Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Zogby Engages in Apparent Push Polling for Right-Wing Website
The conservative website HowObamaGotElected.com reports that it has commissioned Zogby International to conduct a poll of 512 Barack Obama voters as part of what can best be described as a viral marketing effort to discredit the intelligence of Obama supporters.
The website, created by former radio talk show host John Ziegler to promote a forthcoming documentary, features a YouTube clip of interviews with 12 Obama voters who "were chosen for their apparent intelligence/verbal abilities and willingness to express their opinions to a large audience". The clip portrays the Obama supporters as giving "incorrect" answers to political questions such as "which candidate said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket". Of the 12 Obama supporters interviewed for the clip, 7 (58%) are black; nationwide, about 23% of Obama supporters were black according to the national exit poll.
..................
Most of the questions on the survey take the form of a multiple choice political knowledge test, stating a "fact" to the respondent and asking them which of the four major candidates (Obama, McCain, Biden, Palin) the statement applies to. Questions include the following:
"Which of the four (candidates) said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket?"
"Which of the four (candidates) started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground?"
"Which of the four (candidates) quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism?"
"Which of the four (candidates) won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot?"more at:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/zogby-engages-in-apparent-push-polling.html