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Holly Friesen thought that it was no big deal to take a phone poll regarding this year’s primary campaign.
But, after participating in the robo-call poll on Tuesday, Friesen, a Manhattan resident, had a completely different view of things.
“I thought ‘what the heck’ and I decided to take the poll,” Friesen said.
And she was not the only one.
Approximately 1,000 Kansas voters received calls on Tuesday to participate in a robo-call poll by Magellan Strategies, but after a series of what seemed to be normal questions about different policy issues and partisan party affiliation, Friesen said that things took a different turn and started addressing abortion and gay marriage which she said was geared more to garner support for U.S. Senate candidate Todd Tiahrt and take away any momentum for his opponent in the Aug. 3 GOP primary, Jerry Moran.
At that point, Friesen said that she ended the call because it “was just a waste of my time.”
Yvonne Starks, a Republican and tea party activist and tea party supporter from Olathe, received the same call.
“It started to center in on abortion and asked if I was aware that Moran voted against parental rights,” Starks said. “There were a few along those lines.”
The Moran campaign immediately labeled the poll as a "push poll," which is typically used as a negative form of polling disguised as political research.
But, John Diez, co-founder of Magellan Strategies — which has offices in Denver and Baton Rouge, La., said that they did not conduct a ‘push-poll.’
“The bottom line is that we tested messages that were factual,” Diez said. “We talked to a little over 1,000 people all over the state, in each congressional district and this typical.”
He said that the poll was commissioned by a third-party group, but would not disclose who that third party was.
Diez said that the Tiahrt campaign had nothing to do with the poll that was conducted.
“We have no way of knowing if the poll that was conducted was a push poll or not,” Tiahrt campaign spokesperson Michelle Schroeder said. “What we do know is that, for the last three months, Moran has attacked Todd on the air on television and in print and I find it interesting that they continue to cry about negative campaigning when they are engaged in the worst kind of it.”
Holly Friesen thought that it was no big deal to take a phone poll regarding this year’s primary campaign.
But, after participating in the robo-call poll on Tuesday, Friesen, a Manhattan resident, had a completely different view of things.
“I thought ‘what the heck’ and I decided to take the poll,” Friesen said.
And she was not the only one.
Approximately 1,000 Kansas voters received calls on Tuesday to participate in a robo-call poll by Magellan Strategies, but after a series of what seemed to be normal questions about different policy issues and partisan party affiliation, Friesen said that things took a different turn and started addressing abortion and gay marriage which she said was geared more to garner support for U.S. Senate candidate Todd Tiahrt and take away any momentum for his opponent in the Aug. 3 GOP primary, Jerry Moran.
At that point, Friesen said that she ended the call because it “was just a waste of my time.”
Yvonne Starks, a Republican and tea party activist and tea party supporter from Olathe, received the same call.
“It started to center in on abortion and asked if I was aware that Moran voted against parental rights,” Starks said. “There were a few along those lines.”
The Moran campaign immediately labeled the poll as a "push poll," which is typically used as a negative form of polling disguised as political research.
But, John Diez, co-founder of Magellan Strategies — which has offices in Denver and Baton Rouge, La., said that they did not conduct a ‘push-poll.’
“The bottom line is that we tested messages that were factual,” Diez said. “We talked to a little over 1,000 people all over the state, in each congressional district and this typical.”
He said that the poll was commissioned by a third-party group, but would not disclose who that third party was.
Diez said that the Tiahrt campaign had nothing to do with the poll that was conducted.
“We have no way of knowing if the poll that was conducted was a push poll or not,” Tiahrt campaign spokesperson Michelle Schroeder said. “What we do know is that, for the last three months, Moran has attacked Todd on the air on television and in print and I find it interesting that they continue to cry about negative campaigning when they are engaged in the worst kind of it.”
But, Moran campaign spokesman Dan Conston said that the poll was “the latest typical Washington hypocrisy” from Tiahrt.
“That may work in Washington on the spending committee, but not here in Kansas,” Conston said.
That did not take away from the feelings that Friesen and Starks had about the language in the polling.
“I am livid and angry,” Starks said. “The idea of hitting vulnerable people really upsets me, especially in a Republican primary. For this to happen ... this is not conservative and it’s not what the tea party is about.”
“It seemed like there was a fear tactic,” Friesen said. “My greatest concern is that people are receiving these robo-calls and voters won’t really research these issues for themselves.”
On the Web:
Todd Tiahrt campaign: http://www.toddtiahrt.com
Jerry Moran campaign: http://www.moranforkansas.com
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
