Jewish-targeted push polling?

[Sisyphus]

Apparently, Jews living in Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have been getting phone calls asking a series of leading questions about Barack Obama insinuating an anti-Israeli agenda.

 

For example, "Would it affect your vote if you knew that..."

 

...Obama has had a decade long relationship with pro-Palestinian leaders in Chicago?

 

...the leader of Hamas, Ahmed Yousef, expressed support for Obama and his hope for Obama's victory?

 

...the church Barack Obama has attended is known for its anti-Israel and anti-American remarks?

 

...Jimmy Carter's anti-Israel national security advisor is one of Barack Obama's foreign policy advisors?

 

...Barack Obama was the member of a board (sic) that funded a pro-Palestinian chartiable organization?

 

...Barack Obama called for holding a summit of Muslim nations exlcuding Israel if elected president?

 

Really, it looks like a pretty classic push poll to me. It doesn't actually make any assertions (so you can't call them out on truth-bending), but it makes insinuations that appeal to our uglier fears. (The infamous push poll from the 2000 South Carolina Republican primaries was, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?")

 

The poll, apparently, was paid for by the Republican Jewish Coalition, which denies it was a push poll. The argument is that it was too long to be a push poll, which are typically short so as to reach as many people in as short a time as possible. That might be true - they could just be testing out responses to smear messages. Or, frankly, it could be both.

 

Favorite response from The Onion: "I'm more concerned by the implication that Republicans carry around a list of Jews."

[ParanoiA]

What's wrong with those questions though? Isn't it fair to pursue conclusions based on his actions and potential cabinet associations?

 

If you're a Jew, america's position on Israel is probably extremely important to you. In fact, it may be a single issue voting position for some. If I was jewish, I would be concerned about Obama's point of view.

 

That only seems reasonable. Of course, if it's a "push" poll, then it's a little ugly I think. I think they would do much better questioning him on it. Unless of course he beats around the bush on that subject too - in which case, I have no sympathy for the Obama camp. These people need to know where he stands and it's important to them. Many of them have family in Israel and equate american support with security for their loved ones, right or wrong.

[Sisyphus]

Certainly his position on Israel is important, but that's hardly the point. The questions themselves are deliberately misleading, obviously intended to paint a certain (very inaccurate) picture of Obama. We can go through the questions one by one if you want. So either it's a push poll, or it's research for waging an effective (and dishonest) smear campaign. It's intention is the opposite of trying to reveal Obama's stance; it's trying to portray it as something it is most definitely not.

[Pangloss]

Push polling is a particularly vile and disgusting side of partisan politics. But it is not limited to Republicans.

[ParanoiA]

Certainly his position on Israel is important, but that's hardly the point. The questions themselves are deliberately misleading, obviously intended to paint a certain (very inaccurate) picture of Obama. We can go through the questions one by one if you want. So either it's a push poll, or it's research for waging an effective (and dishonest) smear campaign. It's intention is the opposite of trying to reveal Obama's stance; it's trying to portray it as something it is most definitely not.

 

I guess I'm not clear on this tactic. It sounds like they're calling people and asking them if they would change their vote if that knew "X" about one of the candidates. That's quite misleading, and of course you could cherry pick ugly, specious factoids and smear somebody.

 

That said though, would you have an issue with calling these people and straight up telling them these things about Obama? And I mean the facts, not the lipstick junk or blog fodder.

 

I've never experienced a push poll, so I don't really know what they're like. I'm trying to figure out if you don't like it because it's disguised as a poll, when it's really an excuse to share disparaging information about a candidate, or if you don't like it because of what they're saying.

 

It doesn't seem too much different than TV or radio or here on the net - it's just over the phone instead.

[Pangloss]

It's an invasion of privacy. They're sneaking through exemptions to do-not-call legislation that are intended for either non-partisan political purposes or overt, clearly-stated political campaigns.

[ParanoiA]

Ah, I see. Yeah, that's nasty. I'm on a do-not-call list also. Of course, I still get called from time to time, but I've been having fun with them.