Posted on 01/07/2008 12:59:04 AM PST by MitchellC
I post this question not as sour grapes but just as an observation. It seems like every time I watch one of these debates and FoxNews has one of its focus groups, the room goes from all undecided to almost ALL Romney. And something about it doesn't pass the smell test.
The reason is because the voters go from apparently undecided to making very strong statements in favor of Romney. And that's not to say Romney hasn't done well in these formats, but if you look at neutral observers on the net, the results are much more balanced. It also doesn't stand to reason that a room of supposedly undecided voters would be making such strong statements, particularly statements that seem to go right in line with Romney's campaign themes -- business experience, leadership, etc. They rarely talk about flip flops or anything like that, and are almost always critical of the other people.
Also, I have read that those interested in signing up for Luntz's focus groups do so online at his website. Given Romney's on the ground organization in both Iowa and New Hampshire, it would make sense he would have some of his supporters signing up for Luntz's focus groups, pretending to be undecided.
A case in point, someone on Fred08.com pointed out a guy who was at both tonight's focus group and one four months ago -- apparently undecided:
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Comment by Christopher Fischahs (248)
2008-01-07 01:28:18
http://roobaroo.net/Images/Fox_Focus_Group.jpg
Just one of many examples of people making re-appearences in Frank’s ‘undecided voter’ focus groups. The fact of the matter is that to get in these groups you sign up through his website. Most real undecided voters would never be paying any attention to something like that. The fact is people sign up for these groups already backing a candidate, mostly hoping to influence the debate.
I’m not saying everybody there was corrupted or dishonest, but some of them must have been. I doubt it was coordinated or anything, and I agree that Romney came out on top tonight, but the focus group is bs.
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Finally, some of their anti-Fred answers seemed WAY too canned. "He needs to wake up". "He's an actor". Things like this. Remember the guy from Iowa who said "he looks tired" who was ALSO pro-Romney?
Maybe I'm just too pro-Fred but I think that Romney is stacking the focus groups.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Romney did well in yesterday’s debate, its not a ‘conspiracy’.
Out of our field of candidates, I am beginning to believe that Mitt may be the only one who can win. I'm not seeing Fred get any traction and he's not breaking out at these debates (with what little time he has to "shine").
I'm not saying I like all of Mitt's positions (let alone the fact that they change!), just being realistic in my analysis (FWIW) of the election at this point.
I don't think any of the other RINOs could beat Hillary or Obama.
Other then Bush 41, who was mainly considered a Texan, who was the last Republican President from the northeast?
These are the things you run into when you have the highest negatives of any Republican.
Once again, idle speculation which during the thread becomes hard fact here on FR. You think it might have happened, therefore it did. The word sleaze gets thrown around but the majority of what many Freepers regard as sleazy tactics are entirely based upon such speculation represented as fact. Until this campaign, I thought only the lib nutters were the only ones afflicted with this disease but I can see now it is spreading. That’s the real sleaze here.
“Past performance does not indicate future results”.
Or how about: when is the last time a Senator was elected President?
I thought that Romney and Rudy were 1&2 and Thompson was last, (which was disappointing because Fred's the best conservative.) My 'take' was pretty much mirrored by Luntz's group. And I'm not a Romney supporter (at least I wasn't prior to the debate).
I wish I could remember... perhaps the FReeper that was there will find this thread. It was in a live thread on an Iowa debate about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I had several exchanges in that thread with the FReeper I referenced.
LLS
NH is a yankee state: Mitt is a Yankee
Parroting Romney talking points.
Welcome to FR.
Posting history: "I liked McCain until I learned he was evil! Now I support Romney, he's great. I used to hate Romney because of his flip flops. Now I realize that I can truly believe in him! Go Mitt! I used to support Fred Thompson until his poll numbers were bad and he got old. Now I support Mitt, he's great!"
Yikes....
Any campaign [sleaze or not] that is worth their salt may try to get a few people in the focus group but I doubt they all did. Example would be Thompson’s and maybe Giuliani’s as they are concentrating on NH.
Conspiracies don’t lurk around every door. Sometimes things are just what they are.... Romney did well last night and that was his objective. I would have preferred to have seen Thompson shine better but he didn’t, imo. Some days you’re on and somedays you’re not.
In any case at midnight tonight Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location will begin the primary selection process in NH...
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/
Laissez les bons temps rouler
I'm not representing this as anything beyond speculation.
Let me speculate in a little more detail. What probably happened was, Luntz allows 'undecideds' to seek him out to get into the groups, someone in the Mitt camp knew about it and nudged some faithfuls in that direction, they got into the groups and swayed a number of others.
You're naive if you think Mitt's camp wouldn't involve themselves in something like that, given they're involved with the guy who did push polling against McCain in 2000 and that Bob Novak stated as a matter of fact that the 'Fred will drop out' lie was traced back to Mitt's camp.
Or maybe all of these things are part of a big conspiracy by every other candidate's campaign against Mitt. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Thank You, very disturbing.
Thank You, very disturbing.
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