Gilbert Campaign Statement On Texas Tribune/UT Poll Results

Campaign Reminds Media Gilbert Was Left Off Of Poll & Polling Methodology Is Unreliable

TYLER—Vince Leibowitz, Communications Director for the Hank Gilbert for Texas Governor Campaign released the following statement concerning the joint Texas Tribune/University of Texas poll results released earlier this morning:

“I cannot believe I waited up until 4:40 in the morning for this poll. It is a complete and total joke. In addition to Hank Gilbert having been left off part of the poll—a fact the Tribune fails to mention but which is clearly mentioned in a footnote of the poll—the company conducting the poll is one that conducts unreliable internet-based polls.

The results of this poll across the board are universally unreliable. Just looking at the alleged religious breakdown of polling participants should tell any Texan that.

The company conducting the poll operates the website YouGovPollingPoint at pollingpoint.com. In addition to allowing people to self-register to be polled, it allows people to earn points through its polls toward the ‘purchase’ of merchandise on their website, much of their polling pool comes from people who respond to online advertisements. People may complain about the reliability of telephone polls, but the reliability of this poll is so far from being beyond reproach I don’t even know what else to say.

By way of example, I actually get email from YouGovPollingPoint. I got one on October 29 and another on October 30. My spam filter caught them.

To say that our campaign doesn’t take this poll seriously is an understatement.”

I cannot imagine a larger universe of low-information voters than those who self-identify with a website to earn prizes and then are asked to take a poll about their choices for governor. This polling company polls on everything to what people think of movie trailers to whether or not Rush Limbaugh is the real leader of the Republican party. Any candidate who is disillusioned enough to think that this poll is a reliable indicator of anything other than how eager some people may be to get a tote bag should research the company.”

NOTE: Links to three emails received by Leibowitz from YouGovPollingPoint are available on the campaign website:

http://hankgilbert.com/downloads/103109YouGovPollingPoint.pdf
http://hankgilbert.com/downloads/102909YouGovPollingPoint.pdf
http://hankgilbert.com/downloads/102409YouGovPollingPoint.pdf