AZ GOP illegal push poll in Tucson City Council elections

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona GOP's dirty politics Is the Arizona GOP illegally 'earmarking' funds for Tucson City Council elections? is deeper in the gutter today with an illegal push poll in the Tucson City Council elections.

Press release form the Pina County Demcoratic Party:

Trailing badly in the polls, the Tea Party Republicans are resorting to smear tactics and rumor mongering as the 2011 city elections draw to a close. 

A “push poll” conducted and paid for by an unidentified group sure seems like the handiwork of Phoenix political consultant Nathan Sproul but voters can’t tell because this push poll does not identify the party responsible. Failing to disclose who paid for the expenditure is illegal but it’s hardly the first time the Republican candidates have violated campaign finance law this year (1, 2, 3). 

Sproul has been brought on by the Arizona Republican Party in Phoenix to run the GOP campaign for Tucson City Council and has been tied to numerous voter suppression efforts (1, 2, 3).

 A “push poll” is when a caller “pushes” a message disguised as an unbiased pollster. They are used to lie to voters about candidates and spread rumors. This is the same tactic that George W. Bush used against John McCain in 2000, when supporters of his campaign asked South Carolina Republicans if they would support McCain if “he had a black child out of wedlock.” 

“It seems like typical Nathan Sproul,” said Jeff Rogers, chairman of the Pima County Democratic Party. “His penchant for voter suppression and win-at-all-costs mantra may play well in Phoenix, but here in Tucson we expect more from our candidates. Tucson isn't buying the snake oil that Sproul is selling.” 

The Tea Party candidates seeking to take over the City Council may have friends in big Phoenix's halls of power but they are failing to compete in the general election because they are out of step with the people of Tucson. Anonymous last-resort smear tactics and rumor mongering are simply acts of desperation, Rogers said. 

“If the Republican candidates have something to say, they should have the courage to tell voters directly and not do this kind of school yard rumor-mongering,” Rogers said. “It just shows that these extreme, Tea Party candidates are out of touch with mainstream Tucson values.” 

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