So much for bipartisanship.
There’s a push poll in the fields in WA state, and apparently this one’s a doozy, filled with all types of lies and distortions about Governor Gregoire and the Democratic legislature. According to the Caller ID the poll is originating from the Fort Collins, CO call center of Research Data Designs (RDD), a Portland, OR based market research firm that has worked with WA state Republicans in the past.
In October of 2006, RDD conducted a push poll on behalf of then state Senator Luke Esser, who was in the midst of getting his ass kicked by Democrat Rodney Tom in the 48th Legislative District. Now, just days after Esser takes the reins as state GOP chair, RDD is back in WA trashing Democrats in general. Coincidence?
When one angry recipient asked who was sponsoring the survey the caller claimed it was the “Lotto Office of Massachusetts.” Of course that’s bullshit.
I think I may have gotten this call myself this afternoon, but hung up before I realized what it was. Damn. So if you get this push poll, please take copious notes, or record it if you can, and forward me the details. I’m eager to learn more about this poll… as is Charles McIntyre, General Counsel of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission:
I am in receipt of an email from the Executive Director of the Mass Lottery in which you express your concerns about the “Lotto Office in Massachusetts” engaging in polling of opinions in the Seattle area. I can assure that the Massachusetts State Lottery is not engaged in opinion polling in your area. We are also not aware of any firm or company that may be involved in this type of conduct. We certainly would be interested in any additional information that you could provide, given that we highly value our good public image.
We’ve come to expect dirty tricks like this during the election season, but now it appears that WA Republicans have embraced perpetual campaigning that is just as nasty — and clumsy — as any campaign they’ve run in the past. Welcome to political hardball, Luke Esser style.