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Just received a phone poll asking opinions on Ray Watts, Jack Williams, UAB football, and the UA BOT.

Seems to me it's from Jack Williams. Didn't ask about any other politicians.

Looks to me like Jack Williams is trying to gauge how worth it pushing for UA-BOT restructuring will be in the elections.

Not from Jack.

Jack doesn't need to poll but people like DC do

The only entities named were Ray Watts, Jack Williams, and the UA BOT (Besides UAB/ UA/ Auburn). They also asked about the upcoming elections, how regular a voter I was, and what my political leanings were.

Only one of the named entities is an elected position. The poll is about Jack Williams, even if it isn't paid by him.

Why didn't you ask who the poll was being conducted for?

Sounds like either the BOT has asked its PR firm to put a wet finger in the air to try to determine which way the wind is blowing so they can try to figure out how much trouble they are in.

May have been one of these:

From http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/upshot...fined.html

“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.

Since as we know from the DirectComm memo, they are expert at this sort of thing.

Bingo. Wouldn't be shocked to see Counselor Ryan showing the legislature these numbers. "See? No one in the BHM metro even knows about what Jack Williams is doing and thinks Dr Watts is great!"

(02-25-2015 04:39 PM)58-56 Wrote:  May have been one of these:

From http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/upshot...fined.html

“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.

Since as we know from the DirectComm memo, they are expert at this sort of thing.

I suppose that's possible, but I do get a fair amount of phone polls and this seemed pretty in line. They also did identify the polling company (based in montgomery) and asked demographic questions, which according to the NYT article isn't usually a part of "push polling".

(02-25-2015 07:49 PM)sadolakced Wrote:  

(02-25-2015 04:39 PM)58-56 Wrote:  May have been one of these:

From http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/upshot...fined.html

“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.

Since as we know from the DirectComm memo, they are expert at this sort of thing.

I suppose that's possible, but I do get a fair amount of phone polls and this seemed pretty in line. They also did identify the polling company (based in montgomery) and asked demographic questions, which according to the NYT article isn't usually a part of "push polling".

And push polls would have some statement before the question that could impact the response of the person being polled. For instance, did it say something like : "UAB Medical school had fallen out of the top 30 by 2012 but under Ray Watts' tenure as UAB President, it has risen back into the top 20. Do you have a favorable opinion of Ray Watts? Press 1 for yes or 2 for no." These types of polls are usually made for negative comments about the opponent of the person paying for the poll, though.