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News & ArtsFriday, September 18, 2009
News A Homophobic Push Poll From Hutchison?
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Joni Balter at the Seattle Times has a blog post about a reader who was, apparently, surveyed for push-poll trying to slam King County Executive candidate Dow Constantine:
A reader called this week to report on a questionable campaign phone call she received testing negative messages about King County executive candidate Dow Constantine. Kaye Kilgour of Seattle, who ironically worked in market research, was asked a series of questions about whether she would be more or less likely to vote for Constantine if she knew different things about him.She called me because she was insensed [sic] by a question about whether she knew that Constantine was 47 years old, never married and lived with a partner, the implication being he is somehow not OK because he isn't married.
Constantine lives with his female partner, Shirley, and has for many years. He told me she is just very unconventional, not eager to get married.
If true, it seems obvious that this push poll isn't trying to suggest that Constantine lives with a longtime girlfriend, but rather a partner—a male partner—implying that Constantine is gay. Which he isn't.
That would be par for the course for push polls, which are often slimy, but it would also be seriously dirty politics—especially if the poll were paid for and conducted by the most likely suspect for an anti-Constantine push-poll: Susan Hutchison.
Her base is more conservative, more suburban, and more likely to be homophobic. However, Hutchison recently said she would back gay rights by voting to approve Referendum 71. If this poll was in fact run by Hutchison's campaign, it would mean she's comfortable working against homophobia while also stoking homophobia for her own political gain. In other words, a giant hypocrite.
So did her campaign run the survey?
"We don't discuss any proprietary polling information," says Hutchison's campaign manager, Jordan McCarren. So he's not saying it wasn't them, right? "We don't discuss polling."
"Proprietary" has a pretty clear meaning. If this poll did in fact happen, and if it falls under the domain of polling that Hutchison's campaign won't discuss, then it would seem to be a poll that Hutchison's campaign bought and paid for.
The questions is, did other people get the same homophobia-baiting question?
So, Slog, anyone else get the call? Send me a note.
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Which reminds me, an online friend worked on the Huckabee campaign... I should ask him some questions.
2
Unite!
Let's hurry and jump to conclusions!
It's what we do best!
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Again.
Is work pretty tough at the Stranger lately?
Why are all the staff so eager to jump to conclusions?
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If no to any of the above, welcome to the reality of what a push-poll does!
Seattle OUTProtest has brought together a grassroots coalition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and straight people and organizations to organize a series of solidarity events to coincide with the National March for Equality this October.
March and Rally
Forty years after the Stonewall Rebellion, we march in solidarity with our brothers and sisters and allies in Washington, DC to demand equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states and to show our public support for the Approval of Referendum 71 here in Washington state.
Sunday, October 11
2:00 pm: Volunteer Park, 10th Ave E & E Prospect
5:00 pm: Rally, Federal Courthouse, 7th & Stewart
Thinking Queerly: Community Workshops on LGBT Issues
Community organizers and activists will present a series of workshops on a range of issues affecting the lgbt community including Stonewall and lgbt movement history, homelessness, hate crimes and self defense, lgbt health, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, lgbt legal issues, Gay-Straight Alliances, marriage equality, and more.
Saturday, October 10
9:30 am to 5 pm
Piggot Auditorium, Seattle University
HIV/AIDS Vigil
As the AIDS pandemic nears its fourth decade, we gather to educate and raise awareness about the continued struggles of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, friends, and support networks as well as to demand all resources and all funding necessary for prevention, treatment, and a cure.
Saturday, October 10
Starting at 6 pm
Seattle Central Community College South Plaza, Broadway & E Pine
Generation Q Mega Mixer
Come mingle and mix with seasoned leaders and activists of the GLBTQ community at the Generation Q Mega Mixer. Young leaders (25 and under please) will have the opportunity to socialize, learn from, and quite possibly have a dance off with some of the community's most inspiring members in a relaxed social environment.
Sunday, October 11
6:30 pm
Sole Repair Shop, 1001 E Pike
Seattle LGBT Equality Weekend March & Rally
http://nationalmarch.seattleoutprotest.o…
Get involved with one of our planning committees! Contact for more time and details:
March/Rally Committee, March@seattleoutprotest.org
Workshops Committee, Workshops@seattleoutprotest.org
Outreach Committee, Outreach@seattleoutprotest.org
Mixer Committee, Mixer@seattleoutprotest.org
HIV/AIDS Vigil Committee, Vigil@seattleoutprotest.org
Biweekly General Organizing Meetings, please contact whitney@seattleoutprotest.org for time and location.
National Equality March: Equality Across America
www.equalityacrossamerica.org
Approve Referendum 71
Keep the Domestic Partnership Law
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This article would suggest that, though it does mention her name.
Also worth pointing out is that "partner" is a common term to describe unmarried senior couples. Calling a 50 year old a "girlfriend" seems weird, even to me, and Dow and his partner are easily bordering on that. It seems the likely target of this poll would feel the same way, and be similarly more familiar with that particular use of "partner".
If the call had mentioned his "girlfriend" you could just as easily (read: not so easily) make the argument that they were trying to plant the image of an unmarried playboy courting young 20 somethings.
Furthermore we don't even have the exact wording of the poll.
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But then, that would involve admitting Susan isn't as straight as she likes to pretend.
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