Democrats say Taco bell poll is rigged (NOT A JOKE!)

San Mateo Daily Journal ^ | August 27, 2003 | Daily Journal wire report

[mabelkitty]

California Democratic Party leaders yesterday blasted the Taco Bell restaurant chain for a sales promotion that counts sales of different menu items as votes in a mock California recall election.

Last week the Mexican-style fast food chain launched the campaign, urging Californians to “put their vote where their mouth is.” Taco Bell restaurants statewide are tallying each purchase of a crunchy beef taco as a “vote” for Republican challenger Arnold Schwarzenegger and each purchase of a chicken soft taco as a “vote” for not recalling Gov. Gray Davis. In the first week of the unofficial poll, “votes” for any of the remaining 134 candidates could be cast by buying a Grilled Stuft Burrito.

Taco Bell announced the first installment of its Taco Poll results yesterday, in which 54 percent of the votes went to Schwarzenegger and his crunchy beef taco, and just three percent of the votes went to Davis and his chicken soft taco. All other candidates received 43 percent of votes through purchases of the chain’s Grilled Stuft Burrito.

Unhappy with the mock poll results, the chairman of the California Democratic Party, former state Sen. Art Torres said yesterday that “Taco Bell should stick to making tacos, not rigging elections.”

In a press statement released yesterday, Torres said beef tacos always outsell chicken tacos, which cost twice as much at the restaurant chain. In Sacramento, Torres said, Taco Bell sells beef tacos for 74 cents and chicken tacos for $1.50.

Bob Mulholland, campaign advisor for the California Democratic Party, says the Taco Poll is also “an investment scam to benefit Schwarzenegger.” He pointed to the actor’s ownership of about $1 million of stock in Pepsico Inc. The company is the former owner of Taco Bell and is still its exclusive soft drink supplier, Mulholland says.

Meanwhile, Taco Bell announced yesterday that after an overwhelming response from consumers to include Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante in the Taco Poll, patrons can now “vote” for Bustamante by purchasing a Chalupa.

Customers can “vote” as often as they like at more than 1,000 California Taco Bell restaurants until the day before the Oct. 7 special recall election. The results are tallied and released every Tuesday, and can be viewed at www.tacobell.com.

[martin_fierro]

Anybody who takes such a poll seriously is stupid, not only dems.

AGREED!

[Weimdog]

Pepsico, parent company of Taco Bell sponsored the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia to the tune of $500,000.00

http://www.commoncause.org/campaign2000/republicansponsors.htm

Taco Bell, Republican fast food!

[mabelkitty]

But who is going to count the "hanging chalupas" for Cruz?

[4mycountry]

[Lazamataz]

I still say "Pintos 'n Cheese" is a vote for Garry Coleman. Just a little fart.

LOL

[N3WBI3]

[4mycountry]

This could be a Just ____ article. Ping!

[Lazamataz]

Yes. If addressed at all, it should have been to note those basic reasons why the "poll" was silly. The idea of turning it into a conspiracy trail should make them look like nuts.

I want to see them send Union Thugs to smash windows a'la Krystalnacht, and send Trial Lawyers to sue in some big public PR fiasco.

[4mycountry]

See post #44. Great minds think alike, but I beat you to it. ;)

[N3WBI3]

Yea but mine is bigger ;)

[martin_fierro]

Unhappy with the mock poll results, the chairman of the California Democratic Party, former state Sen. Art Torres said yesterday that “Taco Bell should stick to making tacos, not rigging elections.”

Art, you're a GROWN MAN talking about THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF FAST FOOD.

Don't you feel just a liiiiitle ridiculous?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Taco Bell's numbers should be certified and Arnold should be declared the new governor. At least dead people don't vote in this "election".

(I did like the fact that they made Davis the Chicken Soft Taco and Bustamante the Chalupa [or beef stuffed burrito] depending on which story you read.)

[mhking]

Unhappy with the mock poll results, the chairman of the California Democratic Party, former state Sen. Art Torres said yesterday that “Taco Bell should stick to making tacos, not rigging elections.”

Torres is just plain stupid.

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[dogbyte12]

I am sure you would have felt the same if Tyson Chicken did a national ad campaign with chicken, making a vote for Bill Clinton, their cheapest price, highest selling item, and a vote for George H.W. Bush, a more expensive, lesser selling item, then running ads, with the results of the "people" speaking.

This is silliness. But it does break campaign finance laws I believe when it becomes a push poll for Arnold. McClintock is in double digits, but he is lumped in under the everybody else category. You have to spend more money for that. I know this is retarded, but it still is rigged.

You get 3 people with $10 each, the bad taste to like Taco Bell, and the willingness to go there, to "vote" for their guy. The arnold guy gets more pull. Taco Bell publishes this, and gives press and the feeling of inevitability of Arnold, without actually limiting themselves to the same campaign limits that McClintock and Bustamonte have to deal with in their campaigns. It is duplicitous.

It reminds me of the democratic union ads where they rip a new a-hole on the republican guy, but never mention the democrat they are pushing, and it is an issue ad, and not a campaign contribution.

Again, I realize how much of a joke this is, and all, but when the state contract for vending machines comes up during Arnold's watch, are the people going to be drinking coke or pepsi in their snack rooms?

[Corporate Law]

Good to see that Mulholland is being his normal jacka$$ self.

[martin_fierro]

I am sure you would have felt the same if....

Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do.

[socal_parrot]

If you want to cast a vote for porn star candidate Mary Carey, do you have to go to In and Out Burger?

[RS]

"McClintock is in double digits, but he is lumped in under the everybody else category. "

Remember the site that was setup gopstrawpoll.com

that only seemed to have a link from McClintock's campaign page and had him way ahead of everyone ? Now hovering at close to 90%..

Think that one might be somewhat biased ? HHmmmmm?

[Diddle E. Squat]

What annoys me is that I like soft chicken Taco's, and can't get one without voting for Davis.

In times like these, we are all called to make sacrifices...

[FourPeas]

That was my first thought, too. Of course the Gray Davis Chicken Taco costs more (another nice piece of symbolism there, doncha think?) than the Arnold Beef Taco (oh, the jokes to be found *there*), it's only fitting.