Who is *We Ask America* ? Who is this polling firm?

[Raine1967]

Because of Grantcart and this entire thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=thread&address=10021489250 and a few members that thought that We Ask America was a bit sketchy as well, specifically this post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1492393

MessiahRp (5,142 posts)
155. That one is run by the right wing Illinois Manufacturers Association

IMA is a right wing corporate lobbying group and has opposed a litany of worker's rights. See more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Manufacturers%27_Association

I took it upon myself to research this *polling firm* and I think it is a lot more deceitful than one might think. Here is what I wrote: http://www.fourfreedomsblog.com/Blog.php?Act=ViewBlogPost&BlogID=2119

"We ask America" has much more than deep ties to the Illinois Manufacturers' Association - it's owned by them. This is an opinion piece from 2010, published in the Illinois State-Journal register:

I could have looked like a genius if I had listened to GREGG DURHAM before I made predictions for the Feb. 2 primary.

Durham, a former state spokesman who is now chief operating officer of Xpress Professional Services Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association that does things including polling, told me to watch for JASON PLUMMER of Edwardsville to be the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor

.

My takeaway: We ask America is not really polling at all - they are trying to shift a mindset via pointed questions. They are a polling company owned owned by a lobbying firm with a specific agenda, the results of their polls should not be considered accurate. That polling aggregates are taking them seriously (Just like Gravis Marketing) should give everyone pause.

Take look at the link, the addresses are all the same. Xpress Professional Services Inc. is proudly saying that they are in the business of "Measuring and Shaping Public Opinion"


We Ask America is NOT a legitimate polling firm.

[woolldog]

1. WeAskAmerica,

Garvis Marketing, Sienna, ARG, Baydoun Foster, EPIC-MRA, McLaughlin-ACU are all garbage. Don't need to research them to know, just have to look at their polls compared with the good pollsters. Ignore them

edit: oh and good job researching, OP.

[Sparkly]

2. Saw EPIC-MRA quoted today on MSBNC (I think) and had to ask -- "WHO??"

[Raine1967]

3. Thanks woolldog.

I still would like to see people we respect in the progressive community cease to use groups like this.

[woolldog]

5. polling has become a way to shape the media narrative.

And now we have all these little/unknown pollsters popping up. It's hard to tell how good they are. I could literally form my own company, claim to conduct a poll, and make everything up and release the results.

How does one pay the bills from conducting Presidential polls? I don't think it's possible, esp for little unknown firms, so how are these guys paying the bills??? who's funding them?

[Raine1967]

4. From the We Ask America Blog:

http://weaskamerica.com/2012/10/06/meltdown-mail/

Seems they do hate mail too:

We Ask America had a helluva Friday. Our polls in Ohio, Virginia and Florida generated so much traffic from the Drudge Report, Real Clear Politics and a number of others that our website melted down. Actually, our hosting company pulled the plug, saying that we had “killed all the little mice running in the wheels.” Now PETA is probably going to come knocking on our door. Thanks to our technical team’s hard work we moved the site to a host that understands scalability. At least that’s the theory.
Back to Friday: nothing brings out the best in people like surprise poll results. We’d thought we’d share a few of those emails we’ve received and answer those folks who took time out of their busy days to send us their thoughts. Each is an actual email we received; the only thing we’ve done is turn them into PG-rated:

who are you? you owned by Jack Welch, or citizens united? your site is questionable. I mean come on now, after all this time, you now show up? what’s your real agenda?

Answer: We wish we were owned by former GE CEO Jack Welch…maybe we could get a good deal on that General Electric 600 megawatt turbine we’ve been eyeing. And may we ask: after “all this time” of reporting poll results showing President Obama’s growing lead, why did YOU now show up?

[tarheelsunc]

6. When I see "America" or "USA" in a pollster name, I read it as "Conservatives"

We Ask Conservatives, SurveyConservatives, etc.