So I got Ohio PUSH-POLLED really badly tonight by Repug outfit

[ShaneGR]

Got a call about 8PM, from a group identifying themselves as the TERRANCE GROUP out of Texas.

Sat through the whole 20 min nightmare push-poll. It started out fair enough, if the election for the US Senate in Ohio would you vote for George Voinovich or Eric Fingerhut. Fingerhut, he's the Dem, I'd vote for him. Then they started asking questions about Bush vs. Kerry, Kerry I said. Then they asked me in 2006 would I be voting in the Dem or Repug primary, I said Dem.

This is where it got interesting, instead of asking me about possible candidates in the Dem primary they asked me about the REPUG primaries. But I just told them I'd vote in the Dems! Nevermind, what do you think of these candidates (All Repugs)... to which I told them they were all worthless.

NOW IT GOT REALLY INTERESTING. They went back to the Bush vs. Kerry questions. Here's what they asked:

If you knew that George Bush was standing up for the working man by cutting taxes would you be more or less likely to vote for Bush?

If you knew that John Kerry was interested in raising your taxes would you vote for Kerry?

If you knew that Kerry voted for blah, blah, blah, would you be more or less likely to vote for Kerry.

THEY did exactly the same thing for the US Senate Races for Voinovich vs. Fingerhut, questions that praised Voinovich and questios that slammed Fingerhut.



At the end I told the girl, who was very nice, that this was the most unethical polling call I'd ever gotten. She apologized and said she was doing her job, I said, well, you're lucky to have one under these Repugs, they'll probably be shipping your job off to India in the near future. She actually laughed and said, quote, "I know."

[BeatleBoot]

1. Ohio is THE battleground this year...

You should have told that interviewer to go take a shower.

[SeanOhio]

2. Thanks

I'll be listening.

[liberalhistorian]

3. That's for sure, I know

I definitely would have! I'm in Ohio, and I'm going to do EVERYTHING POSSIBLY IN MY POWER to swing Ohio to the Dems. Someone called me with a bullshit poll like that, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves and go back to kissing the asses of their repuke masters!

[Dr Fate]

4. Interesting, informative antecdote- thanx. n/t

n/t

[Florida_Geek]

5. You could have been talking to India

that teach Texan there as one of their languages.

[efhmc]

7. What exactly does that mean? I speak excellent English and am

certainly more articulate than that creep that pretends to be a Texan. Texas bashing is not okay. Assist not hinder us, please, with positive words and ideas to help rid us of the blight that is repuke. Thanks.

[tg]

9. It's not Texas bashing

It's a reference to outsourcing call centers in India that teach their employees an American, usually "mid-western" I believe, accent so that callers will not realized they are dealing with foreigners. The training can also include American cultural and regional references.

[DjTj]

10. That reminds me of the Simpsons episode...

...when Apu was going to be deported and tried to talk in a fake Texas accent. That was a good one.

There's no way they can teach non-native speakers to conduct entire surveys with fake accents, and if they can I hope they are paying those people a lot.

[Doomsayer13]

6. Nothing is too low for these Republicans

the battle ground is set - Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, West Virginia - These states will determine who the next president is. We must fight with every fiber of our being against all Repub dirty tricks.

[AP]

8. It's really interesting that they're asking a registered Dem whant you

think of the Republican primaries.

I'm trying to imagine a scenario whereby that would be valuable info.

I should know this: is that an open primary? Is the Dem running that year not likely to have an opponent?

[Ksec]

11. Ohio is sooo republican

Even if the constituency isnt. The Repubs have made it nearly impossible for a Dem to be competitive. I hate this state I live in.

[jeanmarc]

12. I worked for them one summer about 20 years ago...

Crappy telemarketing summer job in Houston. I was pretty good at keeping people on the phone. It was horrible how slanted the 'polling' was. Not only do they get to push a message that is almost always negligent of the truth, they get to find out which issues polarize the most. Which ones get the most bang for the buck. Don't blame the kids on the end of the phone. Blame their masters. I never had a problem with someone just hanging up or going off on me, because I WAS interrupting them to push some nonsense into their house.

By the way, I got fired in a blaze of glory. Showed up after a few beers with friends about 2 hours late and then when the managing imp came over to ask my explanation for being late, I demanded to know WHEN'S MY BREAK! Have not treated any other job that way at the end of it. Tarrance and Associates is one very, very evil firm.

[jeanmarc]

13. p.s. Glengary Glenross

Great movie, and it was really horrible to watch the salesman cold call these poor people with their horrible scripts. Reminded me of my crappy job at Tarrance and Associates.

[seabeyond]

14. they did it to mccain in s carolina

this has to be said out loud that bush is doing this

at least not as bad as with mccain,.........if you knew mccain had an illigimate black daughter would you vote for him