Another sign of nervousness about Wisconsin recalls: Major GOP firm testing hard-core anti-union

[cal04]

Greg Sargent
Another sign of nervousness about Wisconsin recalls: Major GOP firm testing hard-core anti-union messages in the state
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/another-sign-of-nervousness-about-wisconsin-recalls-major-gop-firm-testing-hard-core-anti-union-messages-in-the-state-/2011/03/03/ABK9Xfq_blog.html

Here’s another sign that some folks may be getting mighty nervous about the Dem drives to recall Wisconsin GOP state senators: I’m told that a major national Republican polling firm is in the field in the state testing some hard-core anti-union messages, including ones about how pro-union forces targeted a GOP state senator with death threats. It’s another sign that the Wisconsin standoff has escalated further into a protracted, high-stakes national war.

The GOP firm, Public Opinion Strategies, is doing a poll to gauge public sentiment about the effort to recall State Senator Alberta Darling, a top target of Democrats, a source familiar with the poll confirms. It’s unclear who’s paying for the poll, but it’s clearly being paid for either by Darling herself (her campaign didn’t return calls) or by outside conservative groups that are now spending money in the state to defend embattled GOPers being targeted by the recall drives.

I was unable to obtain the exact wording of the poll, but the source, who is familiar with the line of questioning, confirmed to me that it was testing messages asking whether recipients’ opinions would be changed by the following:

* The fact that union sympathizers have given Darling death threats

(more at link)

[gratuitous]

1. Gov. Walker doesn't appear to care

I think he's got his post-statehouse career all mapped out, courtesy of the Koch brothers. A nice sinecure, occasional guest spots on Fox and Fluffy's show, and he's pretty well set for life. But I don't think every Wisconsin Republican has their golden parachute all packed. At least a few of them must have a heart for public service, mustn't they? What's their fallback position? Or do they intend to ride that train all the way to the bottom of the gulch?

[stlsaxman]

2. GOP/POS??? How aptly named!

:rofl: - "Public Opinion Strategies?!?!?!"

[Scuba]

3. You beat me to it. n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. Piece of WHAT?

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. anti union messages running on cable tv in los angeles. "Call Obama" 'bout those bad greedy unions

[Blue Owl]

5. "Public" Opinion Strategies

...oh suuuuuuure they are...

:eyes:

How much you wanna bet they polled only the Government/Corporate Facebook Sockpuppets?

[starroute]

6. Public Opinion Strategies has been accused of using push polls in the past

It's the largest Republican polling firm, but its record is far from unblemished.