Is Gravis Simply "Republican-Leaning," Or is it an Outright Con?

[alcibiades_mystery]

Some remarkable research is emerging in General Discussion regarding Gravis Marketing, a supposed polling operation that has put out numerous GOP-friendly polls. Catch the utterly devastating debunking by DU genius grantcart here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1489250

This information should certainly be of interest to our numerous poll junkies here on DU Politics. The claim has been made numerous times that Gravis polls should always be included, simply because they are included in Silver and Huff Post and RCP, etc. I have no problem with that argument, so long as an appropriate qualifier is provided with the poll. The question is, what is an appropriate qualifier? In light of the emerging picture of Gravis Marketing as some kind of deeply dubious front organization (at best), is it sufficient to simply note that the poll is "Republican leaning?" Or is it not more appopriate to, say, link to this emerging research and caution readers that the poll may be an out-and-out fraud?

It would seem to me that responsible poll junkies would now have to wrestle with this question, which some have been able to dodge up until now by pointing to Silver, HuffPost, RCP, etc. It would seem that we now have much more information about the nature and character of this supposed polling outfit than any of those platforms, and we should note the background prominently if we are to be honest with forum readers.

Just a thought.

[grasswire]

1. Expose the bastards, and call any media outlet to task for using them.

If a citizen journalist can find the evidence to show that the outfit is a CON, then media outlets certainly ought to be proclaiming the truth, not enabling lies.

[tarheelsunc]

2. I'd love for the truth about this to go public

The conservatives would claim we are trying to attack one of the few legitimate polls.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Even most lurking Freepers, I'd argue, would be disgusted by what is being found on Gravis

These guys look like Boiler Room level con artists. Maybe they're not, but it looks shady as all git-out, and even a lurking Freeper being honest about the information would come to the same conclusion. They know they'd go buckwild if the situation was reversed, and the only poll consistently showing Obama ahead in some states had the people and history of Gravis Marketing. They know it, and so do we.

[NCLefty]

4. They justify Fox by saying it balances the left. It wouldn't surprise me a bit

if some of their pollsters are crusading the same way.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Can you call an outfit that makes up number wholesale an actual "pollster"

I think that's the question at issue here.

The dudes (and I do mean dudes) who run this "Gravis Marketing" operation look to be a gang of boiler room hucksters, at best.

[Cha]

6. Tweets on Gravis..

http://theobamadiary.com/

[starroute]

7. I added some stuff to that thread about Doug Kaplan, Gravis CEO

Short version is that he and his associates have been engaging in fraudulently pushing vacation deals by way of FAX spam (and more recently robocalls) since about 1999, using multiple front companies. They've been sued and cited and have even gotten in trouble with Disney for pretending to be some sort of official Disney World booking company.

I don't think they even care about rigging things for the GOP. They're just out to make a dishonest buck any way they can.

Go read the thread. This could get as nasty as the Nathan Sproul election fraud.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. All the more reason for a stronger disclaimer than "Leans Republican"

[anneboleyn]

9. It needs to get nasty -- it is really a form of fraud

[TroyD]

10. We Ask America also cooked a couple of polls today

In the Senate races.

They have Brown only 2 points ahead of Mandel in Ohio despite the fact that Brown has been way ahead in all the recent polls and has about a 90% chance of winning according to Nate Silver.

And they have Nelson and Mack tied in Florida despite the fact that Nelson has been way ahead of Mack in all the recent polls and has about a 95% chance of winning according to Nate Silver.