Peg Luksik Alerts All Beware of Push Polling 1998 Election Voters Public Opinion Constitution Party of Pennsylvania Pro-Life Pennsylvania Governor Candidate PEG LUKSIK

Warning! Beware of Push Polling!

(a word from Peg Luksik's campaign manager)

An Example of Push Polling

Earlier this year, Charlie Gerow was close to unseating Bill Goodling in the York County Republican Congressional primary. Then the Republicans hit Charlie with a "push poll." Push polls are intended not to measure, but to change, public opinion, without appearing to do so.

In Charlie's case, when the voter was asked over the phone by the pollster whom he or she was intending to vote for, and replied "Gerow" the pollster asked "would you be more or less likely to vote for Gerow if you knew he was a convicted felon?"

Charlie Gerow is not, of course, a convicted felon. He is an Officer of the Court, which he could not be if he were a convicted felon. However, enough voters believed the lie to weaken his support drastically. And Goodling won the election (which up to then was very close).

We are now (as of 9/28) hearing numbers from the Ridge nightly tracking polls showing Peg at 30% and rising, Ridge at 45% and falling. (Itkin is in the low teens in these polls.)

Very soon, the Ridge campaign will almost certainly begin push polling against Peg. We don't know what sort of lie they will concoct, but they will begin push polling very soon. Already, many of our people have been polled, and the pollsters have been hanging up when they hear the word "Luksik." That will change. They will soon get dirty.

We need to let everyone we have contact with - our 50 voters, our friends, civic groups, and so on - know that Ridge will very likely begin a telephone slander "push poll" against Peg like the one Charlie Gerow suffered in the primary. Use Charlie's story as an illustration, to explain what push polling is. Then, when our voters get a call asking if they would be more or less likely to vote for Peg if they knew she was a thief, a murderer, or whatever slander they consider most believable, it will strengthen our supporters, for we will have prepared them for it. Our voters will see the push poll for the filthy tactic which it is.

It is a great shame that career politicians resort to such tactics. But if we notify our people now, the Ridge push poll will work to our advantage, strengthening our people's resolve to support Peg.

For our part, we will not do push polls against Ridge. We will do everything in our power to make voters familiar with his record - and his record is negative enough without us adding anything to it.

- Robin Bernhoft, Campaign Manager

Mail contributions or request more information:

Constitution Party of Pennsylvania

PO. Box 1766 Lancaster, PA 17608-1766

717-299-6285

Email: Jesse C. Wagner II

Paid for by the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania

James Clymer, Treasurer

Back to Our Home Page

The author is a member of