Editing Push poll (section)

=== {{anchor|Political push polls: United States}} United States ===

Political consultant [[Lee Atwater]] was well known for using push-polling among his aggressive campaign tactics. He apologised for this in later life.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gravely Ill, Atwater Offers Apology |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/13/us/gravely-ill-atwater-offers-apology.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 13, 1991}}</ref>

[[George W. Bush]] used push polls in his 1994 bid for Texas Governor against incumbent [[Ann Richards]]. Callers asked voters "whether they would be more or less likely to vote for Governor Richards if they knew that lesbians dominated on her staff".<ref>''Test by Fire: the War Presidency of George W. Bush'' by Robert H. Swansbrough (2008), p. 47. {{ISBN|978-0-230-60100-0}}.</ref>

In the [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 2000|2000 United States Republican Party primaries]], it was alleged that Bush's campaign used push polling against Senator [[John McCain]]. Voters in [[South Carolina]] reportedly were asked, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?" This hypothetical question seemed like a suggestion, although without substance. It was heard by thousands of primary voters.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/03/21/the_anatomy_of_a_smear_campaign/ "The anatomy of a smear campaign"]. ''The Boston Globe''</ref>

In the 2008 presidential election, Jewish voters in several states were targeted by various push polls that linked [[Barack Obama]] to various anti-[[Israel]] positions. For example, various push polls suggested that Obama was a Muslim; that his church was anti-American and anti-Israel; that he often met pro-Palestinian leaders in Chicago (and had met [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]] leaders); that a [[Hamas]] leader had endorsed him; and that he had called for a summit of Muslim nations excluding Israel if elected president. The Jewish Council for Education and Research, an organization that endorsed Obama, denounced the push polls as disinformation and lies.<ref>Smith, Ben (September 15, 2008). Jewish voters complain of anti-Obama poll. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Jewish_voters_complain_of_antiObama_poll.html?showall</ref>

Amid widespread controversy over the [[Executive Order 13769|Trump administration's executive order]] restricting immigration from the [[Middle East]], the Republican Party sent out a poll to supporters on February 17, 2017, titled "Mainstream Media Accountability", which included such questions as "Do you believe that the media unfairly reported on President Trump’s executive order temporarily restricting people entering our country from nations compromised by radical Islamic terrorism?" and "Were you aware that a poll was released revealing that a majority of Americans actually supported President Trump's temporary restriction executive order?" Trump's campaign used similar tactics throughout the [[2020 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/trump-media-accountability-survey-democrats-liberals/|title=Donald Trump is upset that Democrats are taking his biased survey on media bias|date=2017-02-18|newspaper=The Daily Dot|access-date=2017-02-19|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://action.donaldjtrump.com/mainstream-media-accountability-survey/|title=Mainstream Media Accountability Survey|website=GOP|language=en|access-date=2017-02-19}}</ref>