Last week I broke the story on this web site "New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan" and on KKOB Radio of the negative phone calling that had begun against candidates not to the liking of the pro-business Greater ABQ Committee. The ABQ Journal editorial page shared my view that this campaigning was indeed negative and should be halted. Veteran political consultant Dan Houck speaking for Greater ABQ emailed this spirited defense of their phone tactics and I am printing it here for your consideration. I will comment further following the rebuttal.

"Just a comment about the polling CGA conducted. It was done by a highly respected national firm, Public Opinion Strategies (POS), who also polled for us in the John Sanchez vs. Raymond Sanchez race. I have personally seen and read the questions and polling results for City Council District 6. The so-called "rough" questions have been reported incorrectly. They were very neutrally designed to determine what the core issues are for the likely voters in that district. As the Albuquerque Journal pointed out, you don't "push poll" just 250 people. And I'll add, having been there personally, push polling questions are far more loaded.

Polls of this type ask questions on both the perceived negatives and positives of the candidate and the opponents. The purpose is to determine what issues/concerns will "stick" versus those that engender no voter interest. Without disclosing confidential details, I can state the poll did an excellent job of defining the race in District 6 and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of all the leading candidates.

I have had the opportunity with other local political operatives to work with POS over the last 4 years. Their accuracy is amazing. I think this is because their polling is so rigorously conducted to elicit frank responses from voters, not sway them. As an experienced political operative yourself, I hope you'll help others to understand the difference between scientific polling versus "push" polling in this case.

....I think the criticism of CGA, coming almost entirely from the left, is self-serving to say the least. As usual, the left thinks it is OK for them to campaign for candidates but it is not OK for others to do likewise. I am very heartened to see that Albuquerque's business community has finally decided to work in the best interests of the local economy and good jobs instead of just rolling over as usual and donating to business-hating liberals in the hope they won't do too much damage. It's about time!"

Dan Houck

Dan, thanks for the knowledgable explanation. But whether you call it push polling, or by a new name, it appears to be the same old wine in a brand new bottle. The end result is certainly the same: voters who report receiving the calls say it is clear to them that the calls are aimed at forming a negative view of a candidate by using misleading information. Brian Sanderoff, President of Research and Polling, and one of the Southwest's leading pollsters, believes the calls constitute negative campaigning and says it will make his job of objectively measuring public opinion harder to do. Those of us concerned about city politics being muddied up are not from the "left." We represent a broad cross-section of mainstream society who are simply concerned that city elections, long one of the last vestiges of "clean" campaigns, is going the way of the big money, big attack campaigns. Whether it is developers, environmentalists or Republicans, Democrats or Greens doing the "muddying up" they should be called to account. Greater ABQ Committee is composed of some of ABQ's most outstanding and distinguished citizens. I hope they carefully weigh the tactics they employ in the coming campaign. And the same goes for the critics of the Greater ABQ Committee.

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