An unknown entity has hired Survey Sampling International (SSI) to conduct a survey of voters in Minnesota House District 12A, but one voter who picked up a call IDed as SSI. 320-335-2732 described what appears to be very close to a push-poll.
Bluestem established the identity of the survey company by calling the number above.
Former state representative Jay McNamar is challenging Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley, for the seat once more. The race is a reprise of the 2014 contest in which Backer defeated McNamar by 660 votes. MinnPost places it among The 25 legislative races to watch in Minnesota in 2016 in a year when all 201 of the Minnesota state senate and house seats are up for election.
A reader from Pope County forwarded us the following email from a voter in the district:
. . .Caller ID says SSI. 320-335-2732
They asked to speak to a registered voter and said they were conducting a poll. I asked who they were were and they gave some neutral u(n) recognizable name.
The first 3 sets of questions or so were pretty straight up regarding conservative v. liberal perspective, likelihood of voting in the upcoming election, DFL v. Republican v. Libertarian, etc. Who did you vote for in the 2012 presidential election - Obama or Romney. (I declined to answer some.)
Then it moved to campaign message sorts of questions that were quite long and quite slanted - all extremely positive for Backer - i.e. Something like Jeff Backer voted to return taxes to middle class Minnesotans ball blah blah . Does this make likely to vote for Backer, less likely to vote for Backer, much less/more likely. Jeff Backer supports law enforcement etc. Does this make you more likely to vote for Backer, etc.
The next set of questions were similar items about McNamar but clearly reversed and posited a very negative voting record for him and then asked if it made you less likely or more likely to vote for him. I concluded my participation with the first question after noting that it was incredibly slanted and biased.
Is this message testing on behalf of the incumbent? Or message testing by another Independent Expenditure committee whose funders' names we'll never really know?
Or is it push-polling?
Without an exact transcript, it's hard to tell. For reference sake, we recommend Marjorie Connelly's 2014 post in the New York Times' The Upshot: Ask a Pollster, Push Polls, Defined:
“Push polls” — which are not really polls at all — are often criticized as a particularly sleazy form of negative political campaigning. Voters pick up the phone to hear what sounds like a research poll. But there is no effort to collect information, which is what a legitimate poll does.
The questions are skewed to one side of an issue or candidate, the goal being to sway large numbers of voters under the guise of survey research.
But the fact that a poll contains questions with negative information about one or more candidates does not make it a push poll. Campaigns regularly conduct genuine surveys that test campaign messages and advertising, including negative content.
Push polling is so incompatible with authentic polling that the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), the American Association of Political Consultants (A.A.P.C.), the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR) and the National Council on Public Polls (N.C.P.P.) have all denounced the practice.
“Survey research organizations are always concerned about establishing a good rapport with respondents, both in order to complete the interview and more generally to maintain a positive image for the industry,” said Michael Traugott, a professor of communication studies and political science at the University of Michigan. “Having a bad experience with something that seems like a very biased poll is harmful to both these interests.” . . .
A legitimate survey will identify the call center, although it often does not mention the candidate or political party sponsoring the research because that could influence the results. The survey will contain more than a few questions and generally will ask about more than one candidate or mention both sides of an issue. Demographic questions, such as those on age, race and education, will come at the end of the questionnaire. And the number of respondents to legitimate surveys will normally be between 500 and 1,000.
“Good message testing includes pro and con statements about both your candidate and his or her opponent,” said Nancy Belden, partner of Belden Russonello Strategists. “You need to explore the strength and weaknesses on both sides.”
If what the voter describes is accurate--that all the messages about Backer are positive--this was a push-poll or a relative too close to be a kissing cousin.
Moreover, it's possible that some retired voters might pick up the call thinking that it's the Social Security Administration when seeing "SSI" pop up on their phones.
The general tone is par for the course from the Republican side and its allies in this race, which have been engaging in place-baiting and worse. See our posts Backer's fundraising letter divides Minnesota, district voter declares in Fergus Falls paper and Backer backer blames Rep. Wagenius for buffer legislation she voted against 2 years running.
Photo: Would seeing a photo of Jeff Backer (left) standing next to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton make you more likely to vote for the Browns Valley Republican? Less Likely? No difference? Would it change if neither man wore aprons to grill turkey burgers? Photo via MPR's Tim Pugmire.
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I was just interrupted by a cell phone survey call that started ordinary enough. After asked about state of Iowa and presidential candidates I favor, the inquiry turned to whether I would more or less likely to vote for the local
democratic candidate based on slanted statements including: He took Medicare money from seniors, he wants to legalize all narcotics including heroin, he'll repeal RTW law to force union dominance, and comes from a party that offers government-paid on-demand abortions. I argued that every declaration was misleading or untrue, accused them of push-polling, and demanded their name. Survey Sampling International is slimy and dishonest in the extreme. I want to complain to their phone number 866-360-9678 but I want to know what other organizations I can lodge a complaint.
Posted by: Chris Causey | Aug 31, 2016 at 11:15 PM