There are some practices in the ‘business’ of political campaigning that I really dislike. I’m not talking about electoral tricks, voter disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, other forms of cheating. I am talking about things that probably happen regardless of party.
The one I have picked tonight is about something I call push surveys.
More below.
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Most of us are familiar with the practice of push polling, in which a political contact is disguised as a poll being conducted, when in reality it is an insidious attempt to influence opinion, almost invariably in a quite negative way. (Does anyone know if Democrats conduct push polls? I know I have never been on the receiving end of one from Democrats. I just don’t know if they are exclusive to the party of most efficient and vicious cheaters.)
No, I am no fan of push polls, or any dishonest effort in political engagement, though I certainly know they are out there and that even our party does things I am not wild about. (Another is the practice of triple match style fundraising efforts, which make you think your contribution will be tripled, up to a crazy high donation amount. Who the f*ck are these multiple contribution matchers, and why the hell don’t they just FUND all our candidates themselves if they’re so flush with cash??? I can’t imagine that there are truth-in-advertising laws which mean that campaigns face consequences if there IS no one really providing this ‘triple match.’ What percentage of such efforts are really true?)
Push surveys are surveys that seem legitimate the entire way through the survey. It seems like the participating organization really cares about what you think and your input.
Only, in the very last question, it says: yes, I will contribute $20/50/250 to help fight this issue. And you cannot possibly submit the survey without clicking that. And you can’t pick a zero amount to contribute.
The latest one to hit me with this crap is an End Citizens United group. It is a cause I believe in, one I have supported financially in the past. I like the content of their survey, I like the way they conduct it. RIGHT UP UNTIL YOU CANNOT COMPLETE THE SURVEY WITHOUT PLOPPING SOME MONEY IN THE TILL.
I hate that so badly that I have not contributed to their group since they started sending me these.
If they send a survey asking me what I think of this hideous practice, they may accrue more truth than they want to hear (IF it can be submitted without making a contribution).
You don’t find out that the survey is a push survey until the last question, which you usually cannot see until you have already filled out several pages of survey.
And when you stop and do not complete and submit your survey, they send you followup emails … you stopped too soon, you didn’t submit your survey.
No, and I’m damned well not GOING to submit it.
By any chance does anyone here have a connection to Democratic strategists who can put a stop to this dishonest practice?
Our fight is real. Our fight is SERIOUS. And none of us have time for crap like this.
My $0.02.
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