Why is the Ron Paul Campaign Touting Suspicious Polling?

Posted by in Blog, Featured, Politics on August 19, 2011 2:19 am / 32 comments

Over the past few days, some polls have been floating around showing Ron Paul beating Texas Governor Rick Perry and the entire field in the state of Texas for the GOP nomination. This is surprising because, even though Ron Paul is from Texas, there has (to my knowledge) never been a poll that wasn’t either a straw poll or some other non-scientific survey showing him leading the GOP race at any time. I then saw that Ron Paul himself tweeted a blog post that linked to the poll in question.

I already had some suspicions about this poll, so I decided to do a little digging. The poll was conducted by Azimuth Research Group and says that Ron Paul is leading Rick Perry in the State of Texas by a margin of 22%-17%. The post goes on to say this:

The poll comes just days after Mr. Perry announced his intention to seek the Republican presidential nomination.

First of all, that post may have come days after Rick Perry announced he was running, but the poll didn’t. The website for Azimuth Research Group is www.azimuthpolls.com and it clearly states this “poll” was taken from 5/29-6/3.

Now,  If you’re wondering why I put quotes around the word poll, you’re about to find out. I had never heard of Azimuth Research Group or Azimuth Polling before so I decided to do a little research on them. The information on its own website says the following:

After the 2010 election we decided to fill our time between paid polling campaigns by doing selected pubic interest polls and formalized our organization as Azimuth Research Group in early 2011.

That and the posts on that blog don’t show anything other than they have only been around for a few months. They have a Facebook page which was created on June 30th of this year. I wasn’t able to find any presence on Twitter for them. The fact that they were only created a few months ago made me a bit skeptical, but is not a reason to dismiss their polling out of hand.

What I found next would greatly suggest to me that Azimuth Research Group and Azimuth Polls exist to as a propaganda arm for Ron Paul, even if indirectly by his supporters.  I am not sure how much Ron Paul knows about the poll in the blog he tweeted to his followers, but I found out some rather interesting information about them.

The domain azimuthpolls.com is registered to Dave Nalle of Austin, TX. But who is Dave Nalle? Dave Nalle is a Ron Paul supporter and  is Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, a group that promotes Libertarianism within the Republican Party. In fact, if you go there, you’ll see an article written by Dave Nalle entitled “Don’t Believe the Hype.  Meet the Real Rick Perry.” The RLC also endorses just one current elected official that is running for president. Any guess as to who that is? Yup. Ron Paul. You can also find a great many posts by Nalle which stakes out a lot of which you can hear from Rep. Paul.

What you have is a a candidate for president, Ron Paul, tweeting  a link to a blog that cites the only poll in existence that shows Ron Paul leading. It also just so happens to be from the Azimuth Group who has only been in existence for a few months, whose domain is registered to known Ron Paul supporter Dave Nalle who also happens to be chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus which also happened to endorse Ron Paul.

With that now in the picture, the Ron Paul campaign’s posting of the poll on their blog comes into question. Remember, the blog post claims the poll was taken days after Perry’s announcement, but as clearly shown on Azimuth’s own website, the poll is from late May /early June. It is possible that Hunter and Paul’s campaign were duped by the State Column into believing what they wrote, but with an avowed Paul supporter running the research group that took the survey, this becomes less likely.

But there’s more. In an interview, Nalle freely admits his poll is flawed, saying:

“maybe we got too many live responses from people who live in certain sections of the state. It wasn’t intentional, but it looks from the numbers that we caught a lot more people at home in the Houston area than we expected to, out of proportion with the rest of the state, and that includes the area that Paul represents. [...] The level of response from Houston was about 27% higher than expected and Austin was about 18% higher than average for the other regions. I think this was a result of timing since the bulk of the calls to those two areas were made on a Sunday afternoon. Henceforth we’re going to randomize the calls more for day of the week and time of day.”

To recap, the Paul campaign is tweeting out an article written on their campaign website touting a poll that came out days after Rick Perry announced but was actually released months earlier, conducted by a man with serious ties to Paul and freely admits that the poll was skewed. Is this a ploy for money, attention, or what?

Does this seem funny to anyone else or is it just me?

 
 

32 Comments

  1. A political consultant says:
    August 19, 2011 at 8:28 am

    Breaking: campaigns pay pollsters.

  2. Stix says:
    August 19, 2011 at 8:46 am

    Burt But But He is the only one that can beat Obama and the only one that is for Liberty and the Constitution. It does not matter if they lie and cheat to make him look like a viable candidate. He is the Messiah that will bring us to the Promise Land.

    /sarcasm

  3. Tommy says:
    August 19, 2011 at 9:18 am

    @PolticalConsultant:

    And that would be fine if they didn’t post this on the poll: “This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. Azimuth polling is a non-partisan polling company” and the owner of the polling group didn’t try to represent it as a legit, independent polling group.

  4. Greg says:
    August 19, 2011 at 2:34 pm

    Tommy, why do you support the NAFTA Superhighway and the military industrial complex blowing up tower 7 to cause chemtrails that makes you want to buy vaccines that make you vote for corporatists like Perry?

  5. Leon O'Dell says:
    August 19, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    This poll was sampled at 6 different state mental institutions. Enough said.

  6. Ms. Finch says:
    August 19, 2011 at 4:56 pm

    I find it quite interesting that a poll that shows Ron Paul beating rick perry is called into question, but the other ‘polls’ in which Ron Paul is not in first or second aren’t questioned. There is another analysis on line, reporting from actual, factual data that Ron Paul is the front-runner. You’ll have to google it.

  7. Dick says:
    August 19, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    Dave Nalle: He’s not Ron Paul but just as crazy.

    Good bust. Thank you.

  8. Mark D says:
    August 19, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    I am sure they went out to Local “Head Shops” to take the survey…

  9. Writer Chick says:
    August 19, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Well now we know how Paul could be leading any of the others. It merely takes an invested person to start a group and conduct a skewed poll. It’s stunts like this (as well as Paul’s rhetoric) that keep Paul as a fringe candidate. He’s like the Ralph Nader of the right. It also seems to something else – that even his strongest supporters know that he doesn’t have the following they claim and that they have to resort to tricks to give the appearance of a base that doesn’t exist.
    Writer Chick

  10. Rich says:
    August 19, 2011 at 6:16 pm

    @Greg, typical Paul-bot response.

    Person A: Hey, I’m not sure about these polling numbers.

    Paul-bot: Why do you hate liberty so much?

  11. Andrea says:
    August 19, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    LOL that you have to waste your time worrying about some little poll because you can NOT touch Ron Paul on his 100% Constitutional voting record says A LOT. How about Fox News Polls being biased, how about the other polls put out by websites that are clearly anti-Ron Paul? Where are the stories about those polls? Yeah, don’t see them.

    The fact that you can ONLY try to demonize Ron Paul is through a poll that is in no way related to his campaign rather than the real issues at hand. It is kind of hard to get him other than cheap shots like this after all when you look at his untouchable background, the fact that he has been RIGHT in predicting every financial crisis we have experienced, the fact that he is a non-interventionist and free trader rather than an isolationist like the other candidates who constantly beat the drums of war, his unshakable stance on sound monetary policy and his devotion to we the people and Constitution, rather than we the corporations, lobbyist and special interest groups.

  12. Trinity40 says:
    August 19, 2011 at 6:51 pm

    Yeah, the idea of peace and liberty and upholding our constitution is just crazy! We should all have our heads examined! Please Please strip away more of my freedoms, I beg you!(insert sarcasm here)

  13. Efbandy says:
    August 19, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    It is false that the RLC had endorsed or has endorsed Ron Paul for president.

  14. Ron Paul Fan says:
    August 19, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    You don’t like the outcome of the poll so you attack the source. Typical Liberal Media. You write for the Washington Post too?

  15. Brutacus says:
    August 19, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    If RP wants more media coverage, let’s give it to him. How about we start with his ties to the crazy, anti-America Truthers? He needs to be outed for the kook that he is. He has more in common with the rioting anarchists than he does with Republicans or the Tea Party.

  16. Yvonne says:
    August 19, 2011 at 10:19 pm

    I suppose this Texas CBS affiliate is lying too…….

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcE8PTid6qU&feature=share

    Nuff said. Now crawl back into your little hole and cover your head with sand!!!

  17. Yvonne says:
    August 19, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    Or maybe you could critique these….

    http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/rep-ron-paul-tops-gov-rick-perry-in-series-of-latest-polls/

  18. brian says:
    August 19, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    I saw this poll months ago. So where was the deception? The polling group nor it’s founder has endorsed Paul? Why is it hard to believe that a governor who has a 45% approval rating in his state would fall behind a Congressman who gets an 85% approval rating in his district?

  19. Evelyn says:
    August 20, 2011 at 12:10 am

    There have been plenty of polls in which Ron Paul has won- by a landslide. The Rasmussen poll of 1000 that is touted all over Fox News is from GOP voters. Online polls show support more accurately because there are democrats and independents who are switching to vote for Paul. They are not in the GOP sampling for phone polls. Also remember the Iowa Straw Poll? Yeah. I suggest people start doing some reading instead of looking for conspiracies. Lots of ignorant comments are getting thrown around by people who don’t even know whom they are voting for yet!

  20. Tommy says:
    August 20, 2011 at 12:52 am

    Yvonne – Did you really just cite an internet poll as proof? And I have my head in the sand? LOL!

    Trinity – Thanks for the strawman.

    Efbandy – I never said they endorsed him for president. I said they endorse him and he’s running for president. They do and he is running.

    Ron Paul Fan – You don’t like the facts in the article so you attack me and not them? Pot meet kettle.

    Brain – You just want one deception? Sure. The chief blogger for the Ron Paul campaign said in his post “The poll comes just days after Mr. Perry announced his intention to seek the Republican presidential nomination.” Since you freely admit in your comment “saw this poll months ago” it could not have come “just days after Mr. Perry announced.” Since Perry announced a week ago and, as you admit, you saw it months ago. is that not a deception? Tell you what, I’ll give you another. Reread the part where the found (Paul supporter) of the group that did the poll freely admits his poll is “flawed” because they admit they got a larger sample from the actual area Paul represents. That would provide the very result you describe.

    Andrea – 1st, when a campaign posts something on it website and it is tweeted from a candidate’s official account, it then has something to do with the campaign. Two, if you can point me to any other campaigns that use polls performed by groups run by their supporters and pass them off as independent, I’d be more than happy to write that as well. I look at a lot of stuff everyday. If I see it, you can bet I’ll write it. Meanwhile, I would love to see any information you have on that topic. Thanks!

  21. Tommy says:
    August 20, 2011 at 1:17 am

    Evelyn – Most pollsters will tell you that online polls are inaccurate. There are many reasons for that, some are that it’s not based on a random sample at all, but by those who are are motivated to participate and you have no idea where they are from and many times people can vote as often as they like. Also, once people begin to Facebook and Tweet “Go vote for [insert person] here? Secondly, the Iowa Straw Poll? I addressed straw polls in the post. But, that’s beside the point. This post was about this poll and only this poll. What I can’t understand is how no one seemed to notice that the group that actually took the poll has freely admitted this poll is flawed. Why does everyone seem to be ignoring that glaring fact?

  22. Robert says:
    August 20, 2011 at 7:03 am

    I find it curious and reprehensible that these charges are being leveled at the only candidate that champions the issues that others only give lip service to. I don’t her any other candidate speaking about sound money, the toxic effect of the Federal Reserve on our economy…no strangely enough, candidates like Rick Perry look like a deer in the headlights when asked a economic question. Their polished and awkwardly generalized responses are what scares me, not whether or not some minor poll claims a candidate has a lead. No questions here from why Fox has ignored Paul, and no questions why a Zionist like Levin hates a candidate that promises to cut funding for Israel.

  23. Dave Nalle says:
    August 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm

    Your article is based on a couple of flawed premises.

    First, as someone already pointed out, the RLC has never endorsed Ron Paul for president. We did not endorse him in 2008 and we have not yet endorsed him in this election. Our membership is divided on the presidential race, supporting at least 3 or 4 of the candidates and we are a grassroots organization which will not endorse a presidential candidate unless there is a clear supermajority of our 40+ state chapters in favor of it. And even if you’re referring to candidates who we have endorsed for past offices you’re also incorrect as Gary Johnson is also a past endorsee.

    Second, the “article” about Rick Perry may have been posted by me, but it was a press release which was a collaborative effort of a task force of the Texas RLC chapter, all of which was obvious if you bothered to read the first few lines of it.

    Third, you assume that I am a Ron Paul supporter. In fact, I’m Texas Chairman of the Gary Johnson campaign. I think that Ron Paul would be a good nominee, but I’d much rather see Gary Johnson leading the pack as he is more true to traditional libertarian principles.

    As for my “serious ties to Paul” – I’d like you to detail them. I haven’t even been in the same room with Ron Paul in more than 20 years and have never spoken more than a few words to him.

    I do think you have a point about the State Column creating a lot of confusion. They’re slipshod blogjournalists.

    If you are going to “research” things like this you might want to get your own facts straight.

    We’ll be doing a followup poll soon to see how Texans feel about the candidates now that Rick Perry has started campaigning actively.

    Dave Nalle
    Azimuth Polling and other pro-liberty organizations.

  24. Tommy says:
    August 20, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Dave – I already addressed the RLC endorsing Ron Paul question. I did not say the RLC endorsed him for president. I said the RLC endorses him and he is he running for president. Both of which are true. Gary Johnson was not included because he is not a “current elected official.” He does not currently hold an elected office.

    Your press release vs. post argument? Please. It’s your group. And if it is a “press release,” why does it say this at the bottom: “The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the RLC?” What’s the point of the press release then? That’s laughable.

    You & Ron Paul? How about this for starters:

    Join Me to Support Ron Paul on Thursday
    By Dave Nalle – May 4, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    http://www.rlc.org/2011/05/04/tune-in-to-support-ron-paul-on-thursday/

    Or how about this comment from that interview: “I’d just as soon have Paul win over anybody else that runs.”

    Additionally, Nothing in this discussion changes the fact that the Ron Paul campaign used a “flawed poll” (your words)taken almost 3 months ago, and represented it as taken less than a week ago, then used it on their campaign website and and tweeted it from their candidate’s official Twitter account.

  25. Tommy says:
    August 20, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    Robert – Thanks for the strawman.

  26. Yvonne says:
    August 20, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    Read it again genius and maybe this time you might want to actually open up the link and watch the video. I posted a poll taken by a CBS affiliate in Texas. Dr. Paul won with 81%. Maybe you can contact the news station and ask them why they reported a poll that even they were surprised at. Or maybe you could just suffocate on that sand you must be inhaling by now!!!!

  27. Patrick Connors says:
    August 21, 2011 at 12:19 am

    @Rich, I could not stop laughing, because what you posted is so true. The other worthy post was the comment about Paul as the Ralph Nader of the right (the very far right, off the chart right and mostly wrong). He waves his hand, brandishes a constitution he does not quote and the fans go all wild and googly. One of the saddest spectacles of hero worship outside of Obama’s legion of drones in the marketplace of “retail” politicking today. Who came up with this term “retail?” That is becoming annoying too.

  28. Patrick Connors says:
    August 21, 2011 at 12:24 am

    Whoops, I placed a bad sentence, actually a non sentence, in there near the end, but this was still a fun exercise; thanks Tommy. By the way, Tommy, you crafted some great retorts.

  29. Tommy says:
    August 21, 2011 at 11:11 am

    Yvonne – Again, this poll you describe is an internet poll. Perhaps YOU missed the part where the anchor said “We asked you to visit our website?” Internet polls are not reliable nor scientific. I addressed this twice already. Perhaps this sand you describe has gotten in your eyes and you missed what I wrote. But, even given all this, this article is about this poll. Why have you made no comment as to the Paul Campaign using this poll, which the poll taker has admitted was flawed, and then misleading people about the date is was taken? Interesting you ignore that but create some argument which has nothing to do with this post.

  30. Azimuth Polls Owner Linked To Pro-Ron Paul Group – Ron Paul’s Azimuth Poll Win | Ron Paul Exposed says:
    August 21, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    [...] http://www.therightsphere.com/2011/08/why-is-the-ron-paul-campaign-touting-suspicious-polling/ Share this:StumbleUponDiggRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was posted in Fake Poll Wins, Fully Dellusional, He's Gunna Win 2012. Bookmark the permalink. ← Articles On Racist Newsletters [...]

  31. Hannah says:
    August 21, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    Ron Paul will never gain the nomination, primarily because of his “fans” who are putting people off left and right. No one wants to listen to him because of his followers, who constantly spam local and national message boards with some really crazy talk, and who seem to spend an inordinate amount of time figuring out how to manipulate online polls. Perhaps if Paul’s fans spent more time rationally discussing his campaign and what he might actually DO for America (rather than attacking other candidates and posters) he would look more attractive to mainstream America. But we’ve seen this before, and I know that is not going to happen.

  32. Abraham says:
    December 20, 2011 at 11:48 am

    “Third, you assume that I am a Ron Paul supporter.”

    “I’m on at 2pm (EST) and you can tune in on the runronpaul.com website. I’m in the honored slot right after Dr. Paul himself”

    Gee, why would anyone assume you are a Ron Paul supporter?

Post a Comment