push poll

See also: push-poll

English

Alternative forms

• push-poll

Etymology

From push (“to sell or promote”) +‎ poll (“survey”). Also references pull, the opposite of push.

Noun

push poll (plural push polls)

1. An opinion poll designed to produce specific results and promote a certain narrative by influencing the views of respondents.

   The local paper has just released the results of what can only be described as a push poll. The pollsters fed numerous cherry-picked data points and statistics to respondents before asking their opinions on newly proposed government policies. There can be no doubt that the results would have been different had those interviewed not been led to the conclusions the pollsters wanted.

Verb

push poll (third-person singular simple present push polls, present participle push polling, simple past and past participle push polled)

1. To conduct a push poll or make use of push polls as a campaign or marketing technique.
   • 2003, Chris Benson, Special Interest, →ISBN, page 15:

     He was push polling, shaping opinion, manipulating as much as measuring.

   • 2006, Deborah Phillips, Longman preparation course for the TOEFL test, →ISBN, page 578:

     The questions asked by a pollster who is push polling are designed more to implant negative information than to find out how the voter actually feels.

   • 2012, Michael A. Genovese, Matthew J. Streb, Polls and Politics: The Dilemmas of Democracy, →ISBN, page 105:

     First, whenever candidates are upset with the polling strategies of their opponents, they seem to immediately allege that their opponents are push polling, but do not seem to completely understand exactly what a push poll is.