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Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Joanie Griffin Campaign Admits Negative "Push Polling" in ABQ District 6 City Council Race

GriffinBelow is a release from the Rey Garduño campaign reporting on negative telephone "push polling" that the Joanie Griffin campaign has allegedly admitted it is behind. When the Garduño campaign learned of the calls, they got voters in District 6 to record info from them and passed it on to Dan McKay of the Albuquerque Journal. According to Garduño, McKay followed up and Griffin (above right) eventually admitted she had paid for the anonymous push polling.

Those familiar with Albuquerque politics may remember that similar push polling was done against Martin Heinrich and Debbie O'Malley four years ago. Funny how push polling and other negative campaign tactics often get employed against candidates who are not to Mayor Marty Chavez's liking, isn't it? No proof. Just saying.

From Rey Garduño for City Council:
ALBUQUERQUE (Wednesday, September 26, 2007). Starting early this morning voters in City Council District 6 received an anonymous "push poll”-- or calls that pretended to be a poll but whose purpose was to include negative information about Rey Garduño. Push polling is universally denounced as an unethical campaign tactic.

In violation of the city’s ethics code, the calls were anonymous and when voters pressed the caller to disclose who was paying for the calls, the caller either hung up or said they could not disclose that information. Later it was revealed that candidate Joanie Griffin paid to have the calls made.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 26, the Albuquerque Journal asked Griffin if she was behind the anonymous push poll, which she admitted she was. As late as 7:30 PM, Griffin did not change the phone script to include a disclosure nor did she stop the calls from being made.

"Push polls are universally denounced as unethical campaign tactics. They mislead the public to think they are participating in a legitimate poll when are in fact the purpose is only to malign candidates. I am disappointed that she stooped to this level," said Rey Garduño.

"The fact that she did unethical push polls was bad enough. Even though she admitted to the wrong doing she still allowed the calls to continue in violation of the city’s ethics code. At a minimum, Griffin should apologize to the voters in District 6 for engaging in unethical dirty campaigning," said Rey Garduño.

Albuquerque's municipal election is set for October 2nd, 2007. Both mail-in (absentee) and in-person early voting is going on right now. To read our previous posts on the city election, visit our archive. You might also want to see a previous post about other rather shady practices used by the Griffin campaign.

September 26, 2007 at 10:18 PM in 2007 Albq. Municipal Elections, Ethics & Campaign Reform | Permalink

Comments

This push polling thing combined with the phony claims (lies) of being supported by other public figures tells me all I need to know about why Ms Griffin isn't getting my vote.

Posted by: VP | Sep 27, 2007 7:25:36 AM

Why can't we elect people who don't have criminal convictions? Bush's DWI, Cheney's DWIs, State Sen. John Ryan's burglary and extortion, Rey Garduno's larceny. Don't we demean all the good, decent honest people in government when we vote for someone who has not been able to follow the very rules they will demand the rest of society observe once they gain control over our lives? I think progessives hurt their cause by lowering their standards to support anyone who has a criminal conviction, particularly one involving dishonesty by a middle-aged man.

Garduno has an adult criminal record for shoplifting. Period. His son and campaign manager has the same criminal history. Does that say something? Just like the Bush kids all having criminal records along with their Dad? Garduno viewed his e-mail account at UNM as personal property just the way he viewed property at Sears in 1988. He's already lied about his criminal history and his recent explanation to the Alibi gets worse. It conflicts with the explanation on Monahan today, and it doesn't make sense. Garduno said he unconsciously walked out the door with a $200 "cell phone" back in 1988. Was Sears even selling cell phones back then? More likely it was a pretty big hunk of electronics he "forgot" he dropped in his shopping bag. And anyone who has been in the Sears here in Burque knows it's a good walk from the section where they sell telephone gadgetry to the nearest door.

And he's paying his son with our tax dollars. Shades of Paulette d'Pascal.

Sorry for the long blog. But at times I get so disappointed in the progessive movement in which I'd like to believe more deeply.

Posted by: Just Asking | Sep 27, 2007 7:39:44 AM

Most of us have done things we shouldn't, and that are technically illegal. Think about your entire drinking, driving, sexual, taxpaying, gambling and shopping history. If you're brown, they are much more likely to have led to an arrest.

Posted by: Michelle Meaders | Sep 27, 2007 8:05:10 AM

The thing with Rey and Sears sure sounds like a misunderstanding to me. Sounds like Rey followed the procedures after that and usually such petty charges are taken off the record if that is done. Somebody on the Griffin side went digging for 20 year old garbage about Garduno because Griffin can't compete on the issues. That's why she resorted to this low life push polling too.

She's nothing represents business as usual interests and was a Republican until a short time before she declared her run. She made it seem she had people's endorsements she didn't have. She's dishonest and trying to pretend she's someone she's not so that Mayor Chavez can grab another seat on the council.

Many of us have known Garduno from his work on behalf of those who have less, who have a harder time because of their background and how they are seen by people with more. He hasn't done this for commissions or city contracts but because he believed in the cause. I'll support that every time over someone who makes a living as a public relations type who will say anything if they are paid to say it.

I will vote for Rey because he represents the interests of ordinary people not just the bigshots.

Posted by: 6th district voter | Sep 27, 2007 9:58:03 AM

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