McCain and Huckabee on Push Polling

In a recent AP article John McCain commented on recent push polling done by supporters, not the Huckabee campaign, in New Hampshire.

• McCain Calls for a Stop to Push Polling

• By JIM DAVENPORT – 12 hours ago
• NEWBERRY, S.C. (AP) — White House hopeful John McCain on Saturday called on Republican rival Mike Huckabee to end push polling in New Hampshire tied to his presidential campaign's supporters, but Huckabee denied any involvement.

• If an ally of his was doing that, "I would ask him to stop it immediately and take those things down. And I hope that Mike Huckabee will do the same," McCain said by phone as he traveled between campaign stops in South Carolina.

Mike Huckabee has already done that. More on that later.

• At an event in Littleton, N.H., Huckabee said he had great respect for McCain and found such criticisms despicable. "I would never be party to any kind of attack upon him," he said.

I truly believe Mike Huckabee to be honest in that. If you recall, both gentlemen did speak jointly at a Townhall meeting hosted by AARP back a while ago. It was supposed to be a debate, but all the other Republican candidates declined to show. Both men showed respect for each other at this event.

A McCain supporter talks about a call from so called "Huckabee supporters" were like.

• McCain supporter Bernie Campbell said he got a call from a Virginia number Friday night and was asked about his positions on gay marriage and abortion through an automated voice response system.
• When he said he supported McCain, "they continued to ask me a number of questions regarding negative aspects of my candidate and asked if they changed my opinion," Campbell said. "Things like, 'You know, Senator McCain's campaign finance reform limits the ability of right to life groups to get their message out. Does that change your opinion about Senator McCain?"
• Campbell said he was also asked whether he knew McCain didn't support a federal amendment to the Constitution banning same-sex marriages.
• At the end, Campbell said the message said it was paid for by "Common Sense something."

Read the rest here.

I have posted Mike Huckabee's response to the recent push polling.

• December 15, 2007 - 05:26 PM

• Stop The Push Polling

• by Team Huckabee

• News Release: Huckabee Campaign Denounces Push Polling -- Again
• Berlin , New Hampshire -- Republican Presidential Candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee today strongly denounced push polling activities in Iowa, New Hampshire, and any state in the country.
  
  "As I've said before, our campaign has nothing to do with push polling and I wish they would stop. We don't want this kind of campaigning because it violates the spirit of our campaign. I want to become President because I am the best candidate, not because I disabled the other candidates,"said Huckabee.
  
  National Campaign Manager Chip Saltsman agreed: "Anyone who has the slightest understanding of the race ahead and the mindset of voters would know this sort of activity is extremely counterproductive. It takes the campaign off message at a time when Governor Huckabee is resonating with voters as never before. It loses votes rather than gains them. It's an underhanded way of doing business that is not welcomed by the campaign and it flies in the face of what Governor Huckabee stands for: integrity and clean politics. On behalf of Governor Huckabee and his campaign, I ask once again that these calls be stopped immediately." [source]
  

What is Kathy's response? I have to say that I think this whole thing is really stupid. Currently I do not believe Mike Huckabee has any involvement whatsoever. Let's say that these people are really Huckabee supporters. They are doing a serious disservice to Mike Huckabee, the Republican candidates, the election process and democracy all together. If they really "Like Mike" this is the last thing they should be doing. Perhaps one does not need to strap a fake bomb on their chest and storm into a campaign office to be another Leland Eisenberg. If they are not Huckabee supporters they are not doing their candidate any good, once the truth is out.