FF pair posed as undecided on TV

Heinrich

Who believes this one? Here we have a political program which seems to have a similar research team to the HSE. Is this a FF setup and is RTE a PR station for the FF party or has the research team been lax?

THERE were red faces in RTE yesterday as the station revealed political party members had taken part in a top profile TV show posing as "undecided" voters.

The much-promoted 'Week in Politics' programme, was hosted by celebrated US pollster Frank Luntz. But last night the station admitted that a Fianna Fail party member and ex-member featured in a group of what were supposed to be undecided voters.

Gerry O'Brien, a Fianna Fail member and co-op manager from Mitchelstown, Co Cork, was seen on the programme attacking a Fine Gael poster.

He also defended Health Minister Mary Harney.

He confirmed last night to the Irish Independent that he is a member of Fianna Fail.

Eoin Dawson, a self-confessed Fianna Fail supporter from Mitchelstown, also was selected for the focus group.

Week in Politics producer Angela Ryan confessed that if she had known the men were Fianna Fail members, they would not have been used.

peckerhead

I think it's just a Cork/FF thing...:p

mike65

Jasus they'll have to carry a sheet of mug-shots around when canvasing subjects!

Mike.

oscarBravo

Heinrich, you've been warned already. The next time you post an article without a link to the original or at the very least a credit to the source, you'll be banned for a week.

Heinrich

oscarBravo wrote:

Heinrich, you've been warned already. The next time you post an article without a link to the original or at the very least a credit to the source, you'll be banned for a week.

Apologies, I did not think as the article appears on the front page of the highest readership Irish Newspaper.

Here it is:

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/

The_Minister

Heinrich wrote:

Who believes this one? Here we have a political program which seems to have a similar research team to the HSE. Is this a FF setup and is RTE a PR station for the FF party or has the research team been lax?

Bollocks. Watching that programme, there are clearly people from all parties there. There is one who I would bet a grand is a Shinner, and another who I'm fairly sure about.
I think that the oldish-guy near the middle is a Labour voter, and there seemed to be one or two Fine Gael'rs. I seem to remember thinking that someone was a Green, but I can't remember who it was.
Basically, I watched both episodes, and I was able to stick most people who spoke in a certain party. I think the real questin is how many undecided voters there actually are in the group.

Jackie laughlin

This seems like gross incompetence. I thought I was watching a focus group not a group selected by the producer to achieve "balance" including "undecided". Surely a focus group would be selected by a research expert?

ballooba

I agree with The_Minister (I know, I'm as shocked as you are ) there were people from all parties there.

The whole thing was flawed from the start. The focus group was selected by Red C Research, their focus groups are obviously as flawed as their opinion polls.

The_Minister

ballooba wrote:

I agree with The_Minister (I know, I'm as shocked as you are )

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/382816558_01efbbf210_o.jpg


In fairness to the show, as soon as the word went out that they were looking for people to participate, I'm sure every party had oppurtunists that tried to get selected. I'd imagine that they were asked while the Red were doing their polls survey, when alot of people call themselves undecided, even when they aren't. (It's silly, but alot of people lie on those polls.)

lostexpectation

what defines and undecided?

the was one young guy who said he wanted to see SF in gov but he could have never voted before or be a member of SF and still seem shinner-esque and the FF guy might undecided as to whether to vote for the PDs instead?

cheap populatist crap from RTE, luntz is a snakeoil seller

Múinteoir

All seems a bit ridiculous really. How can you truly vertify if someone is a floating voter.

M&#250

M&#250 wrote: »

How can you truly vertify if someone is a floating voter.

They used to put them in ducking ponds. The ones who sank were rabid party hacks condemned to a lifetime of abuse on internet political sites, the ones who 'floated' (hence the name) were good people untainted by the plague of party politics.

Incidentally, I must admit to confusion. The OP is asking if RTE is showing bias towards FF, yet he sources the story in the Indo? I thought the paranoid were absolutely certain that the Indo was the front for FF PR? Is there a double agent somewhere? Exterminate, exterminate...

ballooba

Deleted User wrote:

Incidentally, I must admit to confusion. The OP is asking if RTE is showing bias towards FF, yet he sources the story in the Indo? I thought the paranoid were absolutely certain that the Indo was the front for FF PR? Is there a double agent somewhere? Exterminate, exterminate...

The story was actually broken by Barry Walsh of UL Young Fine Gael. Barry regularly writes letters to the Indo. Strange he sends them to the Indo. I presume because they print them. I have even been known to write letters to them myself on occasion.

I'd say Dr Luntz's analysis might be more effective in the US where you have a two party system. If people aren't a die hard either republican or democrat, then they are a floater.

Jackie laughlin

Can someone clarify for me? The focus group was selected by a polling company. Word went out that they were looking for participants. An RTE producer said that she would not have selected people had she known their political affiliation. Now, if the Producer is telling the truth, the polling company did not select the group. If word went out, either the polling company had nothing to do with selection or they have a very strange methodology.

ballooba

The group was selected by Red C Research, that was shown in the programme. One of the FFers claims he told the field worker that he was "a Fianna Fail" man.