DYM SUM

If you search around the internet, for even a couple of minutes, you’ll find them: people complaining about being robocalled from CAMPRES09 at 202-461-3460, asking questions about Miss California, whether or not they are pro-life, and most prominently, about same-sex marriage. This morning, the Concord Monitor (who, it should be noted, has endorsed same-sex marriage in the recent past) published a letter from a Bradford, NH resident named Sandra Willard, who received one such robocall. Here is her letter:

Last week, I received an automated call that identified its purpose as a survey and asked if I was a registered voter. The question: “Do you think it should be legal for one woman and one man to marry in New Hampshire. Answer yes or no.”

I did not answer because I was thinking that if I said “yes,” then this could be added to a poll of residents who support marriage only between one man and one woman while we have the present issue of same-sex marriage before our Legislature. As I hesitated, I was asked to say yes or no or repeat my answer and told the call would be disconnected otherwise. I responded “Please repeat the question.” The call was disconnected. I called the number and there was no answer.

I looked up the number on Google and found a posting by a person who had received the same call, answered yes and then found that the only following questions were to acquire demographic information without the option for any comment.

Residents should be aware of this. It seems designed to create a skewed poll showing a lack of support for same-sex marriage.

Others received similar calls, and were able to trace it back to an organization called Cornerstone Policy Research, a group that “lobbies legislators and influences public policy on issues that effect New Hampshire families.” This group is claiming to have reached every household – 432,298 of them – in a two-day period last week, and successfully polled all of them about their views on same-sex marriage. They claim that the question they asked was worded in this manner: “Do you agree that marriage between one man and one woman should be the only legal definition of marriage in NH?”

If you compare the two (see above), the question they claim to have asked in the robocall survey is very different from that which Sandra Willard was asked. It can be surmised that nobody is going to object to marriage between two parties of the opposite gender, which is, quite possibly, how they eventually tallied their results.

Now, Cornerstone Policy Research is claiming victory as a result of what is certainly a number of confused responses, and severely skewed results. On their website, they claim that “64% of the New Hampshire public said “YES”. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents have sent a clear message: do not re-define marriage in New Hampshire!”

While it is unknown if H.B. 436, passed by both House and Senate, and signed by the House Speaker and Senate President, has made it to Governor Lynch’s desk yet. Once it does, he has five days to either sign the bill, or veto it. He can also let the bill become law without his signature, if he opts not to take action after the five days are up. Hopefully, Gov. Lynch will see through these tactics, and wade through the propaganda, to make the best, and most appropriate decision.