A rough transcript of a poll call - from an actual human this time! - that I answered tonight. I fielded the call, and rather than hanging up (I really didn't have much else to do at the time) I decided to answer and see where this was heading. And so it began benignly with the first two questions:
PP: Using strongly favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, and strongly unfavorable, what is your opinion of [candidate for president]? And using the same grading, how about [candidate for president]?
and then
PP: If the election were held today, would you be voting for [candidate for president] or [candidate for president]
I answered these - they actually presented the choices evenly, and without bias in the presentation. But then it started
PP: I'd like to ask your opinion of several public policy issues. Are you in favor of or against privatizing Medicare.
Me: You're asking the wrong guy. I'm a doctor, and I'm well informed about the issues of Medicare. Neither side is proposing privatizing Medicare. Rather the ...
And then she cut me off and moved on to question two.
PP: Are your in favor of or against cuts to social security and Medicare?
Me: Again, that's a rather broad brush you're using. Are you referring to the money that was transferred from Medicare to Obamacare to try to make that solvent? Or is there another specific policy proposal that your referring to?
And so we moved on to question three, still with no answers for the first two policy questions. Funny, they seemed to want a dull "yes" or "no", and I wanted a policy discussion. And so we moved on.
PP: Are you in favor of or against tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans?
Me: You seem to be referring to the so-called "expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts." You should know, however, that the current rates have been in place for 9 years and "extending the tax cuts" is really preventing a tax rate increase ...
PP: Thank you very much. {click}
I knew with patience that I could get them to hang up on me. Unfortunately I didn't make note of the organization making the call. I wonder how they'll record my answers? This might dovetail nicely with this story, about the current affairs knowledge of Republicans vs. Democrats according to a Pew study.
