THE PUSH AND POLL OF POLITICS

Yesterday, we got hold of a link to a mysterious poll labeled “Local Issues Research.” The survey contained a series of pointed questions almost exclusively addressing “school vouchers.” The nature of the questions, paired with its timely release shortly after Beacon’s poll—which showed 68 percent support for the governor’s proposal to expand school choice—makes it a shining example of push polls’ utility in partisan politics.

WHAT’S A PUSH POLL?

Unlike opinion polls, which are used to assess public attitudes about certain issues, a push poll is a marketing technique. Recipients are presented with a series of loaded questions that are designed to influence their views. In this case, the poll was designed with the intent of painting “vouchers” in a negative light.

The survey included questions such as:

School vouchers take tens of millions of dollars from rural and small-town schools, leading to consolidation, a cut or end to extracurricular activities - including sports and band - and provide those resources to urban, private schools. Does knowing this make you more or less likely to support school vouchers?

Publicly funded school vouchers would bring government involvement and oversight into private schools and homeschool programs. Does knowing this make you more or less likely to support school vouchers?

You get the picture.

WHO DONE IT?

Though we’re unable to pinpoint who’s directly behind the survey, this same pollster was used for positive Republican outreach in the past. This is by no means a smoking gun; however, it’s a good reminder that ESA programs are a contentious topic across the political spectrum. When it comes to school choice, opponents and allies aren’t limited to one side of the aisle. We’re sure to hear more about the data collected from this poll as we roll into this year’s General Assembly.

*The results from a poll with identical questions have since been release. If they are one and the same, it has been revealed that the push poll was conducted by Co/efficient on behalf of the Tennessee Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state