About that Iowa Push Poll:

Some research, heavy research was being done by Think on These Things about that Iowa Push Poll.
It is being traced to a republican outfit.



http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-negative-message-testing-against-edwards-and-clinton-in-iowa-somethings-fishy/


Here are some points I want to make based on some initial brainstorming and researching I’ve done on this story about John Edwards supporters receiving negative campaign polling calls. Journalists need to think and do some research before insinuating that the Obama campaign is behind these calls.

1: Why is it that only Edwards supporters are reporting to have received the calls? Shouldn’t Clinton supporters also be receiving them if the sole intent was to turn people away from both campaigns? Fishy.

2: Why would Obama do negative campaigning at a time that he is in a dead heat and has momentum from the recent debate and J-J dinner? That would be stupid.

3: Barack Obama has a bill out making deceptive campaign practices illegal. Why then would he be participating in something similar? That doesn’t sound right.

4: I just researched, “Central Research,” the firm that is supposedly making these calls and found the following article about the company being in the center of a controversy for an Oklahoma mayoral race about negative polling in April 2007. It seems that “Central Research” may be a front for Wilson Research Strategies, a Republican polling firm. The Kokomo Tribune reports:

The owner of an Oklahoma political consulting firm said a legitimate poll being conducted in Kokomo was doctored by opponents of Mayor Matt McKillip.

Last Friday, Republican mayoral candidate Rick Hamilton accused McKillip’s campaign of attacking his family through a “push poll,” a form of negative campaigning which masquerades as a phone survey.

Sources said caller identification showed the calls were made from a New York City phone number. Calls to the number were answered by individuals who identified the company as either “Central Marketing” or “Central Research.”

McKillip has denied allegations that his campaign is involved with the alleged push poll.

The mayor did, however, confirm the Oklahoman City firm Wilson Research Strategies has done polling work for him during the run-up to the May primary. According to McKillip’s pre-primary campaign finance report, Wilson received $16,000 from the McKillip campaign through April 20.

Chris Wilson, owner of Wilson Research Strategies, also confirmed Tuesday his firm has been polling in Kokomo and is proud to be working for McKillip.

Wilson said the firm is conducting polls for 15 to 20 mayoral campaigns in Indiana.

When asked about push polling, Wilson said his firm doesn’t do it.

But Allan Sutherlin, principal of Carmel-based political consultants Stakeholders Inc., said Tuesday he believed Wilson Research Strategies used the tactic earlier this year in Carmel against incumbent Mayor Jim Brainard.

“I wish I did know more about them,” Sutherlin said. “I was mad when it was happening against Jim Brainard. I don’t know who hired Wilson Research Strategies.”

Hamilton has been trying unsuccessfully to find a link between Wilson and the firm making the alleged push poll. Some of those who received the calls in question said the callers identified themselves as being from “Central Research Services” or “Central Marketing.”

But a woman who identified herself only as “a supervisor” told the Tribune Friday that Central was making calls in Kokomo.

During his interview Tuesday, Wilson first said Central Marketing Services was not involved in polling in Kokomo.

When told the telephone caller identification went back to Central Marketing, Wilson called Central “a sister company” of Wilson Research.

…

“The caller ID number went back to Central Marketing,” Dunn said. “He is a paid liar, is what I think.

…

Jennifer Hollowell of the Indiana State Republican Party said Monday that Wilson is an old friend. Both worked on the 1994 campaign of David McIntosh.

5: Wilson Research Strategies admits that “We’re a Republican firm” here.

6: Wilson Research Strategies has also done previous polls for Republicans to identify the issues they will have to run on against Democratic nominees. Read here.

follow the link at top for the rest: