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Blackwell's CommonSense groups behind Push Polls in TN and other states

by luaptifer

Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:05:00 PM EST

by luaptifer, bronxdem and Intranets

Recent reports suggest that organizations operating in battleground states under the "Common Sense" banner are behind push-polls playing out with increasing frequency as Americans approach midterm election decisions coming in November. (Such "polls," of course, push an agenda through the wording and the questions asked.)

Yesterday's Nashville Post peeled back one layer of "Common Sense Tennessee" to find "CommonSenseOhio.com" under leadership of Procter & Gamble executive Nathan Estruth.

According to the Post, a recent Tennessee "push-poll" ad ( tries to influence respondents under the guise of polling) by implicitly criticizing Democratic Senate candidate, Harold Ford Jr. and his stance on terrorism and taxes. The link to CommonSenseOhio.com increases question of Common Sense's claims of independence since Estruth was already under fire as a a financial backer of the Republican candidate for Ohio Governnor, the current Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell.

That connection triggered our digging a little more deeply to answer these questions:

Does Common Sense have anything to do with a group known as Citizens for Community Values? What links Kenneth Blackwell to the Republican Party of Texas? And how is any of this related to pornography and Procter & Gamble?

Curious also? Look at what we found below the fold.

commentary :: :: :: buzz-it!

With prompting by kossack R o o k's diary, TN-Sen: CAUGHT ON TAPE - Push Poll with $$ pulled from Ohio!, reports by Justin Rood and a story on TalkingPointsMemo of similar push-polling in Maryland's campaign, we found Common Sense to be the common element among websites targeting push polling in several states.

In fact, the Maryland and Ohio Common Sense domains and the site of Common Sense 2006 all have the same IP address as does Commonsensetennessee.com, 68.178.194.35. Since he's featured prominently on commonsense2006.org, it's of little surprise to see the personal website of Nathan Estruth among the 29 websites, including that of GOPforce, assigned to the same IP address.:

commonsense2006.org
commonsensemaryland.com
commonsenseminnesota.com
commonsenseminnesota.org
commonsensemissouri.com
commonsensemissouri.org
commonsensemontana.com
commonsensemontana.org
commonsenseohio.com
commonsenseohio.net
commonsenseohio.org
commonsensesouthdakota.com
commonsensetennessee.com
commonsensetennessee.org
nathanestruth.com
ccvaction.org
christianbrain.com
clientdemos.biz
copiahbank.biz
florencechurchofgod.org
gopforce.com
homeschoolmentor.com
insuremycpc.com
konos.biz
maternitycardscam.com
maternitycardsucks.com
ohioelectioncentral.com
questcommunitychurch.net
wyattopia.com

Is it random?
Common Sense is just one link among about half of the domains bound to IP address 68.178.194.35. However, several others were not simply mapped to this same IP address randomly but linked in design and hosting by the same web technologist, Wyatt Roberts.

Domain Name: WYATTOPIA.COM
Wyatt Roberts
Richardson, Texas 75080
Created on: 27-Oct-05

The creative role of Wyatt Roberts is similarly recorded on pages of Common Sense Ohio (as well as on other common sense sites),

Common Sense Ohio, All Rights Reserved
Design and Search Engine Optimization Services by Wyattopia.Com

Wyattopia is also noted on GOPforce.com

Paid For by the Republican Party of Texas. Not Authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
Copyright © 2006, Republican Party of Texas, All Rights Reserved
Design and Search Engine Optimization Services by Wyattopia.Com

His service is also credited on the variety of public faces that Citizens for Community Values presents in websites such as its "Legislative Action Arm," CCVAction.org, OhioELectionCentral.com, and Christianbrain.com,

Citizens for Community Values(CCV), All Rights Reserved
Design and Search Engine Optimization Services by Wyattopia.Com

So what's special about Wyatt Roberts, besides the obvious that he's tech-savvy?

It's probably his political experience and the values a conservative Christian brings to web strategy and design. The motives behind Roberts' history of political action also drive Citizens for Community Values to restoration of those Judeo-Christian moral values that are clearly Estruth's message of Common Sense: research also shows Montanans overwhelmingly support Marriage as between one man and one woman.

President and CEO
As developers go, Wyatt Roberts is a rare breed: he's a political conservative, committed Christian, dedicated husband, father of five, musician and songwriter, graphic artist and computer programmer.
Small Town Roots
Hailing from the tech mecca of Florence, Mississippi, Roberts began honing his programming skills back in 1992, when he was hired by the American Family Association of Texas to help manage their fund-raising database.
Diamond Shamrock and Disney
Three years later, Roberts was promoted to the position of Executive Director of the Texas AFA, when he spearheaded a successful campaign to remove all pornographic magazines from 1,300+ Diamond Shamrock and Stop-N-Go convenience stores and persuaded the Texas Board of Education to divest itself of $47 million of Disney stock.
Political Consulting
Recognized by Texas Monthly as one of the most prominent conservatives in Texas politics in the mid-90s, Roberts joined Winning Strategies, a political consulting firm based in Canton, Texas in 1998 where he helped manage the company's database of 8 million registered voters, produced television and radio commercials, brochures and direct mail.

Such a resume makes Wyatt and his company Wyattopia attractive to not just the Common Sense state organizations but to Citizens for Community Values's political allies in the moral-values advocacy of OhioElectionCentral like Ohio Restoration Project, Family Research Council, and Center for Moral Clarity.

It's worth asking, however, do moral values that such organizations identify as their own really allow Christians the ambiguity that so often characterizes push-polling? After all, it's the cloudy nature of these approaches which makes them arguable and usually because they are designed to manipulate and deceive.

Wouldn't a good Christian's common sense see that the answer to this question is pretty obivous?

Blackwell's CommonSense groups behind Push Polls in TN and other states | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

Well done! Great work, guys. (5.00 / 1) (#2)

Now, if we can increase the # of eyes that see this...

by GreyHawk on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:26:29 PM EST

can we summarize the state aspect (5.00 / 3) (#4)

What is the significance of
TN, SD, MD, MN, MO, Missouri?

Did we just hit upon the O-T states, or are these key races? Also, might be good to list the domain registration dates and see when they planned to push un-CommonSense everywhere.

by intranets on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:33:18 PM EST

Significance of these states (5.00 / 2) (#9)

TN -- Ford (D) v. Corker (R)
(gas price one of lowest in country at $2.09/gal. Race is polling 52 to 44 for Corker Corker among likely voters, but only 47-45 for Corker among registered voters.)

=

SD -- abortion ballot initiative
(This is the BIG enchilada in this state, polling 52-42 in favor of choice.)

=

MD -- Cardin (D) v. Steele (R)
(known ballot box problems identified during primary; Steel trails Cardin by 5%, near MOE.)

=

MN -- Senate: Walz (D) v. Gutknecht (R)
(Repug is a known religious extremist voter, supporting ban on same-sex marriage, outlawing partial birth abortion, except when needed to save the mother's life, and prohibit the use of federal funds in embryonic stem cell research)

Governor: Hatch (D) v. Pawlenty (R)
(Race is polling 46 to 39 in favor of Hatch)

=

MO -- Macaskill (D) v. Talent (R)
(gas price one of lowest in country at $2.06/gal; battleground on stem cell research; known problems with minority vote suppression in St. Louis. Race is polling a dead heat among likely voters; 51 to 43 for Macaskill among registered voters.)

There's probably more to this, but at a 50,000 foot fly-over view, this is what I see. Looks like religion is a BIG component in each of these races, and each state could swing Dem.

It's as if Common Sense is to the Repugs what netroots-Blue America is to the Dems.

by RayneToday on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 08:23:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Rayne (none / 0) (#10)

I think you are on to something there -- the religious push (and push poll).

Any body got figures on new voter registration? I ask because the figures out of Connecticut are blowing the doors off the records -- 74,000 new voters registered this year. 34,000 of those before the Democratic Primary.

by Cho on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 08:32:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Ballot initiatives (5.00 / 1) (#11)

I don't recall seeing anything about voter registration figures, but I do know that Michigan has several ballot initiatives that are quite iffy.

One was paid for and driven by Ward Connerly (of California), to undermine affirmative action.

Another ballot initiative addresses the issue of eminent domain, and maybe driven by another out of state organization; this initiative may have been written and promoted by yet another out of state entity that also promoted similar ballot initiatives in 4 other states.

Yet another targets mourning dove hunting, which is not currently permitted in Michigan.

In each case, the ballot initiative motivates a select portion of the right-wing element. The first clearly targets racists; the second, libertarian-types; the third, those who lean towards gun-rights. None of these highly questionable ballot initiatives is directly related to religion.

But this state's governorship is contested by Dick DeVos, who with his family and company rank among the top 20 donors to the Bush/Cheney administration. DeVos is also a dominionist; his agenda is very much that which has driven the Bush administation towards theocracy. No ballot initiative required here; DeVos satisfies that component.

I suspect that each of the targeted states has a similar matrix balanced between ballot initiatives and candidates that will motivate the right-wing base and the religious extremists.

by RayneToday on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:42:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

: one of our favorite operators (5.00 / 1) (#13)

is responsible for DeVos' web presence, among others. a writeup on the larger set of issues would be worthwhile but some attention to DeVos would interest a few of us especially.
Nice birdseye view, thanks!

by luaptifer on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:50:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
: Rayne... (none / 0) (#12)

your comment above is worthy of a commentary. You should write it up. You are definitely onto something.
What a strategy! Use the initiatives to energize segments and get 'em to the polls.
Wonder how we could make the strategy backfire?

by Cho on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:17:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Might be good to add those in the comments (none / 0) (#5)

here, Nets???

by Cho on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:41:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

: domain names (5.00 / 3) (#7)

I found these domains registered to same guy as CommonSenseOhio. All registered and parked on same day.
Domain Name: COMMONSENSEARIZONA.COM (parked)
Domain Name: COMMONSENSECALIFORNIA.COM (parked)
Domain Name: COMMONSENSEIOWA.COM (parked)
Domain Name: COMMONSENSEPENNSYLVANIA.COM (parked)
Domain Name: COMMONSENSESOUTHCAROLINA.COM (parked)
Domain Name: COMMONSENSETEXAS.COM (parked)
Domain Name: commonsensemichigan.com (parked) (registered to privacy guard)
Created on..............: Sun, Aug 13, 2006
Domain Name: commonsensesouthdakota.com
Created on..............: Thu, Oct 26, 2006
Domain Name: commonsensemontana.com
Domain Name: commonsensemissouri.com
Domain Name: commonsenseminnesota.com
Domain Name: commonsensemaryland.com
Domain Name: commonsensetennessee.com
Created on..............: Tue, Oct 10, 2006

by intranets on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 04:33:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Available, (5.00 / 1) (#6)

as ClammyC has taught us to say, in

Orange.

by Cho on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 04:06:57 PM EST

As Cat Nappe says over on Kos (5.00 / 1) (#8)

This Wyatt Roberts?

Bill Crocker, vice chairman of administration for the Travis County Republican Party... greets Roberts warmly and introduces him to two other 50ish men in suits. "This," Crocker says, wrapping his arm around Roberts, "is the craziest man in downtown Austin." Everyone laughs.
Roberts, executive director of the American Family Association of Texas (AFA), has been called a lot worse. He is accustomed to a wide range of labels -- joking or otherwise: Radical right-winger. Homophobic. Nice guy. Computer whiz. Publicity hound. Skilled organizer.

Austin Chronicle:Anti-sex Crusader

by Cho on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 05:22:25 PM EST

I think you are on to something (5.00 / 1) (#14)

According to Mother Joes
http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/10/free_eats.html (via tpmuckraker)

Business has certainly been booming for FreeEats, which has deployed its technology on behalf of conservative candidates and causes ranging from the National Rifle Association and the anti-immigration Minutemen to Tom DeLay, who paid the firm $24,101 for telemarketing work between November 2005 and February 2006. DeLay's ally Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, has hired FreeEats to push his antitax agenda, including an unsuccessful effort to prevent a tax increase in Colorado.
FreeEats has also become the go-to firm for conservative groups fighting to restrict gay marriage and abortion, both issues that are dear to the company's chairman, Donald P. Hodel--a longtime Washington insider who served in two Cabinet posts (secretary of the interior and of energy) during the Reagan administration, then went on to become president of both the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family. (Mother Jones' calls to Hodel's home in Silverthorne, Colorado, went unanswered.) In 2004, FreeEats was commissioned by the Defense of Marriage Coalition to promote a referendum banning gay marriage in Oregon. During the company's telephone surveys, Oregon residents reported being told: "In Massachusetts, where court-ordered same-sex marriage is legal, they are now preparing materials to teach the gay lifestyle to children, beginning in kindergarten." The referendum passed by a 14-point margin.

In South Dakota the commonsense website is only about the Referred Law 6 referendum.

by bronxdem on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 08:24:27 AM EST

More first hand reports on the push polls (5.00 / 1) (#15)

in Tennessee: from KnoxViews

My wife answered the phone just now and it was a "poll". They asked these questions before she hung up:
Do you intend to vote for Bob Corker? "No"
Do you intend to vote for Harold Ford? "Yes"
Do you want your taxes raised? "What?"
Do you think that terrorists should have the same rights as the rest of us? "That makes no sense. What are you talking about?"
Paraphrasing because I didn't answer the phone. Wish I had.

by Cho on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 12:08:58 PM EST

Good stuff guys! (none / 0) (#1)

You gonna cross post this?

by Cho on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:23:03 PM EST

: will be doing so soon (5.00 / 2) (#3)

and would like some help in its promotion then

by luaptifer on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:29:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]