George,

I got push-polled by the Kilgore campaign today or, more precisely, by the RNC on behalf of the Kilgore campaign.

The caller initially said that she was taking a poll for the gubenatorial race and would I answer a few questions. The first question was who would I vote for of the three men running. I answered Kaine. She then asked what issues mattered to me. I answered education, mental health and transporation. She said none of those issues were on her list, which consisted of things like "saving the unborn," "protecting my 2nd amendment rights to own a gun," and "avoiding an unnecessary $1 billion tax increase."

I then asked her if she knew what a push poll was and she indicated that she did not. Finally, I asked her who was paying for the "poll" and she answered the Republican National Committee. At that point I declined to answer anymore "poll" questions and hung up. My caller ID gave the number as 1-000-000-0000 so clearly they are are trying to hide their identity.

Have others been "polled" as I assume they are calling registered voters all over the state?

Jeff Fracher (electronic mail, September 20, 2005)