The day after filing concluded for the special election, we've got the first sign of things getting ugly in the Fifth Congressional District.
Last night on Fox Chicago's nightly newscast, Dane Placko reported on a poll apparently conducted by Sara Feigenholtz's campaign that included negative message-testing against opponents Mike Quigley and John Fritchey. According to Placko, the poll alleged that Fritchey is "paying for his campaign office with taxpayer money" and "took donations from a political action committee with ties to organized crime." Fritchey responded that the charges are false and said, "We're really seeing the two faces of Sara here."
The poll also asserted that Quigley "does not have the judgment to be a congressman because he supported Todd Stroger" and described him as a "turncoat on the cause of reform." Quigley answered, "Sara has clearly charted the course for business as usual." Meanwhile, a press release from his campaign today included this statement:
“The people of the 5th Congressional district deserve better than this kind of negative, slash-and-burn politics and personal attacks,” Quigley said.
“They deserve a discussion about the issues that matter to them— how to fix our broken economy, how to fight for lower taxes, and the need to thoroughly reform government once and for all. Those are the kinds of goals I have fought for on the Cook County board, and those are the issues that I plan to discuss during this campaign."
Meanwhile, the Feigenholtz campaign won't admit its their survey, instead releasing a statement claiming that "[w]ith at least 15 people in the race, anyone could be polling." Of course, Placko added that a Feigenholtz spokesman also wouldn't deny that it was their poll. Watch the entire report here.
Comments
James S. (not verified) on Tue, 01/20/2009 - 15:35
It's interesting--I was contacted by that poll, and at first I thought it was a push poll against Feigenholtz, as it recited a litany of nasty attacks against her. By the end, though, it had shifted to lines of attack against Fritchey and Quigley, and then it closed with a reading of Feigenholtz's record, with questions on which aspects seemed most favorable.
It was definitely a Feigenholtz poll, one looking to:
1. Figure out the most effective attacks against her to head them off
2. Figure out how to attack Fritchey and Quigley (whom she must see as her most formidable foes)
3. Figure out which aspect of her bio is most appealing to voters.
The funny part is that I'm supporting Geoghegan, and the guy asking the questions kept mispronouncing the name. It is a tricky one, sure, but he didn't pick up my attempts to correct him.
Lakefronter (not verified) on Tue, 01/20/2009 - 18:08
A friend of mine who lives in the 5th also got this poll, and said that the person asking the questions also couldn't pronounce Blagojevitch, in spite of her repeated attempts to give them the correct pronunciation.
She also was convinced that it was a poll being done by Feigenholtz, and though she didn't feel it was a push poll that it definitly bordered in that direction.
Joe F (not verified) on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 11:25
I can see no reason to even feed the greedy Democratic appetite for power in Chicago. After all that has transpired in the last several months, I refuse to vote in the Democratic party. Green ballot is the only way to stay clean.
Amy (not verified) on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 15:20
I took part in this poll too...and I agree with the first commenter -- it definitely tested negative messages against Sara F. as well as against other candidates. At the end though it seemed like a Sara F. poll b/c it did review her record.
In any case, she can't be the only one doing this type of polling. What did Obama say yesterday -- forget the childish disagreements. To mike quiqley -- I say get a backbone and start proposing what you are going to do as opposed to whining about what other people are doing.
leo (not verified) on Wed, 02/04/2009 - 12:47
You know, after every advertisement on tv, you have to know what campaign "approved of this ad". Maybe it'd be a good idea to have the same sort of line from a poll research company.
Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 12:40
A friend of mine who lives in the 5th also got this poll, and said that the person asking the questions also couldn't pronounce Blagojevitch, in spite of her repeated attempts to give them the correct pronunciation.
ada (not verified) on Fri, 03/06/2009 - 03:36
I can see no reason to even feed the greedy Democratic appetite for power in Chicago. After all that has transpired in the last several months, I refuse to vote in the Democratic party. Green ballot is the only way to stay clean.ada
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