October 15

That tweet from Let’s Move Seattle was fluff not fact

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2  comments

Remember last week’s tweet from Let’s Move Seattle, supporters of the $930 million transportation levy?

Several readers wondered, “can this be true”?

In comments, Swede said: “Did they only doorbell Prius owners with Obama stickers? I would love to know what question they asked to garner 0% opposition – nearly statistically impossible.”

Swede – and several others – is correct.

The truth is this is an example of extreme – counterproductive? – spin, centering on the word “doorbelled.”

In politics, as in everyday life, “doorbelling” means going door-to-door, talking to people (and asking for their support). You find out what people (at least the ones who answer the door) think.

That’s the opposite of what Let’s Move Seattle did. We know this because of a series of tweets over the last few days, and because of @ButterflyForge, who kept at it.

If you haven’t followed this on Twitter, here’s a condensed sequence.

Original tweet from Let’s Move Seattle:”We doorbelled 600+ households in Maple Leaf this weekend. 74% support, 26% still deciding, 0% oppose.”

@ButterflyForge @LetsMoveSeattle @MapleLeafLife: “The person doing the polling talked my guy. He told her under no certain terms that he opposed it. 0%? Is that a rounding error or something like that? c’mon now, not true! Or doesn’t his opinion matter?”

@Let’s Move Seattle: @ButterflyForge @MapleLeafLife “What is this 0% poll message? Send us a message at brock@letsmoveseattle.com with more details.”

@ButterflyForge: @MapleLeafLife @LetsMoveSeattle “They explained in an email that it wasn’t a poll. It was visiting homes of people who were already supportg”

@Let’s Move Seattle: @MapleLeafLife @ButterflyForge “Never suggested it was a scientific poll, or even a poll. Just happy about a good day canvassing.”

@Maple Leaf Life: @ButterflyForge @LetsMoveSeattle “Visiting homes of identified supporters and advertising it as “0 percent no? That’s downright fraudulent”

@Maple Leaf Life: @BrockRides @ButterflyForge: “So, to be clear, you didn’t randomly doorbell homes in Maple Leaf. You canvassed known supporters.”

@Let’s Move Seattle: @MapleLeafLife @ButterflyForge “of course, we believe everyone in Seattle is a ‘likely supporter.’ 😉 But, yeah, we had slightly better data to think they’d be more likely than not to support the Levy. again, it was a canvass, not a poll. Standard campaogn stuff.”

Then don’t send it to us as news.

Ballots arrive this week.

Update:


About the author 

Sara W

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  1. AT- That is why I originally questioned the tweet. My guy also was pretty clear that he was voting no on it when he was asked that question. It didn’t seem to be correct and he couldn’t be the only person in a very large neighborhood that opposed it. @butterflyforge

  2. The Move Seattle guy came by my house and I told him in no uncertain terms that I was voting “NO”. In fact, most of my friends are voting “NO” as well.

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