I was a push-poller for the Republicans...ask me anything.

[LoZoccolo]

I took a summer job when I was in college that my brother and some of his friends reccomended; it involved taking phone surveys. It looked real appealing because I didn't have to work with food, it paid a lot (something like $6.40/hr in 1994 dollars), and had really cool hours (I didn't have to be at work until 3pm, compared to the 5am shift I worked at McDonald's before). Then when I went to apply I found out that in addition to these corporate surveys, they did polling for Republican candidates. I thought it would be too unreliable to try to find another job, and I didn't know about push-polling anyways, so I just took it. Remarkably, it seemed like everyone else there thought it was just a job too, and weren't there out of zeal for the Republicans. I didn't know much about what was going on, like that fact that push polls are there to spread rumors, at the time.

[napi21]

1. What kind of things did you have to say in 1994?

I didn't realize they were doing that that long ago. I thought this was something new in the John McCain/GW primary.

I'd be interested to know what you were told to say.

[LoZoccolo]

2. I can't remember what candidate this was, but...

...there was a question that was something like "_____ is under investigation about an illegal video poker ring, does knowing this make you more likely or less likely to vote for him?" It wasn't nearly as hideous as any of the John McCain questions. That was the only rumor I remember spreading. The rest was mainly stuff about which issues people thought were most important, and asking them who they'd vote for (I think the people that said they were voting for the client would get a reminder to vote later). It wasn't near what you hear about today.

One thing that was shady was that they'd identify themselves as "The National Research Center" to sound like they were some sort of objective thing, even though that was not even the name of the company. I remember that that was the thing that I was most upset about at the time, this hiding of what it was really about.

[napi21]

3. Do you have any idea how they developed the phone list?

Was it ONLY Pubs, or did you get Dems & Inds too? I guess it would depend on if it was a primary or general election. If a primary, obviously, they'd be most concerned about one particular candidate. In a Gen, they'd be concerned about convincing EVERYBODY to vote for their candidate.

[LoZoccolo]

4. I'm not sure.

I was just a worker bee on the phones there; I didn't have contact with the data collection. I was later in the summer, though, so I think it was for general elections. I remember one of the candidates was running against Zell Miller, and Jeb Bush and Oliver North were both clients.

[napi21]

5. Thanks for the inside info.

If you remember anything else, let us know. I hate this kind of politics, but somethins you have to fight fire with fire. It's nice to take the high ground, but you don't win that way!

[Magrittes Pipe]

6. That explains the Oasis thing.