Unscientific Exit Poll

…of one potential voter. I think that those of us to write or read this blog and others are, let’s face it, not normal. I talked to a normal voter a few minutes ago who “remembered seeing something” about a primary election today. Here’s what she said, unprompted:

Her: “I know that Baker, Barnes and someone named Oxendine are running for Governor. I’m not sure who to vote for. I don’t like voting for people just because of their skin color.”

Me: “Are you voting in the Republican primary or Democratic primary?

Her: Blank look, then, “I’m a Democrat.”

Me: “Well, then your choices are…(and I rattled them off.)

Her: “I heard Barnes said all the stuff before but didn’t do it. Oh, I’m just going to get it over with an vote for Barnes. He’s the only one I know anything about.”

Me: “What about the rest of the races?”

Her: “I don’t know, but I saw this commercial with this woman talking about someone named Hodges not doing right by her son who got shot. I was going to remember his name so I make sure not to vote for him.”

Me: “Good plan.”

Her: “I don’t know. This isn’t the final thing is it? That’s November, right?”

Me: “Yes.”

Her: “Well, then I may vote or may not. I’ll make sure to vote in November.”

Me: (speechless)

Just a snapshot of the rest of Georgia. We’ll see how all this plays out tonight.


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39 responses to “Unscientific Exit Poll”

  1. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    No, because she’d already voted and I just wanted to see what her reaction was. However, I did give her the fuller backstory that I’d gleaned from the research I did last week.

  2. JMPrince Avatar

    At the moment it looks like we’ll likely be hearing more of them for a little while longer. JMP

  3. Rubyduby Avatar
    Rubyduby

    After this night, can the Hodges people please go crawl back under a rock and STFU? I’m sick to death of this crap. If I wanted to see this kind of behavior on a day in/day out basis, I’d get a teaching certificate and teach 6th grade. Although, now that I think about it, I think middle schoolers are probably a bit more sophisticated (and I know they know how to use spell check…”I AM ANGER”!!!)

  4. Jen B. Avatar
    Jen B.

    Ok, I was the 421st voter in Vinings and I bet I was the only one who pulled a Democratic ballot.

  5. JodiC Avatar
    JodiC

    My favorite “Why people vote” story:

    2006 Primary – TV Reporter interviewing voters as they leave the polls

    Reporter: “Excuse me sir, could you tell me who you voted for and why?”

    Voter after naming several votes: “And I voted for Greg Hecht for Lt. Governor”

    Reporter: “And why did you vote for Greg Hecht?”

    Voter: “Well my last name is Hector and his name sounded like mine”

    Nuff said

  6. JMPrince Avatar

    Yep, I rest my case. Not an uncommon thought at all. Most people are elsewhere doing other things. JMP

  7. PaulaG Avatar
    PaulaG

    Conversation #1, with my handyman: “There’s an election today? I totally would have voted if I’d known. I thought voting day was always in November!”

    Conversation #2, with my mother: “Oh, I only vote for the President.”

    Sigh.

  8. JMPrince Avatar

    More low information/disinterested/turned off voters= More low voter turnout. Count on it. JMP

  9. AmyMorton Avatar
    AmyMorton

    Let’s talk about the children that someone-I can’t imagine who, just sent over to Rob’s office to stage the
    fake protest for the camera. I am sure the Hodges
    Team had Nothing to do with that. I can
    tell by the content of their emails that I
    haven’t published.

  10. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    well, that article seems to counter Amy’s “unscientific exit poll.”

  11. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    Did you also tell her the ad was false?

  12. Geoff Edwards Avatar

    An AP article illustrating voter backlash to Tielhet’s misleading ad:

    Ga. statewide offices up for grabs

    One of the most heated battles of Georgia’s election season was the rivalry between Democratic state Rep. Rob Teilhet and former Dougherty County District Attorney Ken Hodges, who have been battling for the state’s first open attorney general’s seat in more than 60 years.

    During the campaign, Teilhet ran an emotional attack ad featuring the grieving mother of a Columbus man killed by a police officer that claimed Hodges made a series of mistakes in presenting the case to a grand jury. Hodges countered Teilhet was exploiting the victim’s family for political gain.

    The ad earned Teilhet plenty of free media attention, but some voters were unimpressed. Ward Bins, a 38-year-old who owns an Atlanta Web development company, said Tuesday he voted for Hodges because he thinks Hodges has more experience.

    “He can’t be held responsible for what a grand jury does,” Bins said. “I thought he was unfairly attacked.”

    http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/07/20/1200115/ga-statewide-offices-up-for-grabs.html#ixzz0uGJSOaSL

  13. UnionVoodoo Avatar
    UnionVoodoo

    I think Morbo watched the Republican Guv debate. I gotta agree with him on that one.

  14. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    I know what you are saying. My secretary voted this morning, for Hodges. She knew nothing about either candidate. I showed her the ad earlier just to see how a completely uninformed voter would react to it, and she wished she could change her vote. In that way, it can be very effective. However, she had not seen the ad so I’m not sure it was really seen by that many voters…so all of this may not even matter.

  15. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    I’m with ya, Amy! That was kinda what I was trying to say too, albeit inartfully. Average voter remembers grieving mama, voice cracking, saying, “Ken Hodges shouldn’t be our next atty general” and THAT is what sticks.

  16. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    GURRRL, I will 2nd that! I failed my first bar attempt in Virginia by FIVE points because I spent so much time on the state portion that I neglected that tricked bastard known as the MBE.

  17. Amy Morton Avatar

    OMG. I have been working, as in with pts, and you guys, you guys…

    Here’s the point – the real voter I quoted would get none of this, none of it. What she got is the emotion she saw from that mom. And she remembered Hodges names so that she WOULDN’T vote for him. Believe me, don’t believe me. I don’t care. But, I think there’s a lot of that going around today.

  18. Wanda Avatar
    Wanda

    Jason said: “I’m not convinced that the general voting public feels that Teilhet’s ad was horrible or deceitful…”

    Yeah, that’s the problem. Because the ad was all those things. Just because Jason isn’t convinced that people don’t feel that way does not make the ad any less false.

  19. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    Ha! 10 years ago I was cramming like a fiend because I stupidly decided to move on the 1st of July right in the middle of studying for the bar. And then 4 years ago I was cramming like a fiend because my job only gave me 2 weeks off to study and take the damn test.

    Never doing that shit again.

  20. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    Uh, hate to break this to you Jason, but the Taylor trolls are split up – with all the paid staffers moving on to the Teilhet campaign. I was just a volunteer for Taylor.

    And no, I would not go that far. I don’t lie about teilhet – I just call him out on his lies.

  21. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    The “Taylor Trolls” of 2006 live on! What is it about Albany that induces such frothing at the mouth loyalty? I’m not convinced that the general voting public feels that Teilhet’s ad was horrible or deceitful or indicative of some kind of child-raping-murderer, which I kind of expect melb to charge next.

    Anywho, the AG campaign has been the best fought, I think. Whomever wins the nomination will likely get my vote in November. I know Sam Olens isn’t as crazy as your normal Cobb Republican, but his ads about how he sued to allow Cobb Commissioners to praise Jesus before every meeting makes me nauseated.

    And who else is dreading 3 more weeks of “Who hates the gays more?” and “Obama IS THE ENEMY!” ads coming out of the GOP gubernatorial primary? *sigh*

  22. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    He meant out of the Democratic choice for AG.

  23. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    Look I am taking too many directions. I just went out and stood on the corner with Hodges signs to appease Catherine. Now, I have to do more MBE questions!! Alright, will do. See ya’ll later.

  24. Jen B. Avatar
    Jen B.

    BAR EXAM IS NEXT WEEK. This time five years ago, I was freaking the fuck out. Do more MBE questions and spend less time on BfD.

  25. Pappy Avatar
    Pappy

    Excellent point – MSNBC holds great sway over general election voters in GA, and I see no reason why that should change in November.

    And you have a point on Hodges. I guess an ethically-challenged Albany politician whose only name recognition comes from having been investigated and/or sued many times over REALLY DOES stand a better chance of being elected statewide than a former Governor with 100% name ID and millions in the bank.

  26. Chris Huttman Avatar
    Chris Huttman

    Honestly I’m surprised the Hodges camp wasn’t able to find someone who had been the victim of spam junk faxing to stick in their own ad as a contrast.

  27. Stefan Avatar
    Stefan

    Hey toasty,

    Just got another email originally from one of the fake names that has already linked back to the campaign ip.

    You might want to rethink the names you are calling people.

  28. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    Actually, I am multi-tasking – blogging, phone banking, and studying for the bar.

    As soon as he stops lying, I will be happy to stop making disrespectful references.

  29. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    +10

  30. CatherineAtlanta Avatar

    Melb, don’t you have something more constructive to do than sit around annoying people on this blog. Surely there is a corner out there that needs someone holding a “Hodges” sign; or a phone bank that needs someone making calls. Your sour tone is not welcome here.

    And, just a little reminder. Think what you like about Representative Teilhet, but he was elected four times by the voters of district 40. So, if you don’t mind, could you lay off the language and the disrespectful references.

  31. EGaluszka Avatar
    EGaluszka

    I’m pretty staked out in most of the races, but when it comes to labor commissioner, Morbo says it best.

    Morbo on the election

  32. Geoff Edwards Avatar

    Melb, I saw that MSNBC post. It damages Teilhet worse than just about anything else I’ve read on him. He won’t last too long in the General if he wins. A vote for him is a vote for the Republican in November.

    The only Democrat with a shot of winning a major statewide office in November is Ken Hodges.

  33. jim nichols Avatar

    Yeah most people I’ve spoken to have no clue its election day. But eventalking to voters way back in 2009 (geeez..long time…) id see
    them a few weeks later and they’d ask–“did you win? ” A lot of people say I’m running for congess… sigh…

    On a positive note–a voter just called me and said he was about to vote but didn’t know much about mr. Day or myself. We talked for over 20mins. There are people who want to learn more… there is hope–organize organize organize….

  34. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    I agree that teilhet has been trying to trick uneducated voters. The Hodges campaign has been working hard to show that to people and a lot of media has been given to the attention that it is a lie. I think that when people realize what teilhet is doing they are upset and think less of him personally for doing it.

  35. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    I also like to point out things like this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38327934/ns/politics-decision_2010/

    “Fact vs. Emotion
    An attorney general’s race doesn’t usually make headlines. But that changed last week when Democratic state Rep. Rob Teilhet began airing what may be the most controversial and emotional television ad this cycle.

    In that ad, a mother whose son was shot by police accuses candidate and prosecutor Ken Hodges (D) of not getting an indictment on the officer, because he “forgot to swear him in, tried to hide the video and then refused to reopen the case. I could never get an answer why.”

    The teary-eyed mom concludes, “Mr. Hodges should not be our next attorney general.”

    The ad has caused a shake-up in the race for the first open seat for attorney general in the state in 60 years — and has ignited racial tensions. Both Teilhet and Hodges are white; the mother is black. Race was a major issue when this trial was going on, and some observers see Teilhet as trying to make a play for the black vote with this ad.

    But Hodges, who has rounded up the support of prominent African Americans, has pushed back hard. An independent fact-checker called Teilhet’s claim that Hodges botched the case as “false,” said that the prosecutor was not required to swear in the officer, and noted that a jury saw the video, featured in the ad, multiple times.”

  36. JMPrince Avatar

    So Mel, how are you feeling about all that? But overall? ‘Low(er) information’ voters are always a larger share of the total. And there’s a myriad of reasons for this, not the least of which is the way mass media works today, the incredible costs of even ‘simple, local’ campaigns, and the fact that you’ve got to somehow reach 30-50K voters even in smallish districts. In a Depression too BTW. JMP

  37. Melb Avatar
    Melb

    That is what I was about to say. Every person I talk to knows that teilhet is a effin liar and a politicain who is so desperate to get elected that he refuses to talk about his record because he doesn’t have one and makes up lies to try and piss off black people – hoping they will overlook his incompetence and vote for him.

  38. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Good thing the Hodges camp has been working hard on educating the democrats out there and disproving the FALSE Teilhet ad..

    HODGES for AG!