Since we don't have landlines, we avoid most of the telemarketers and survey-takers, but this evening one of them found me. At first I thought it was just a conservative focus group out of Colorado, but then they started asking very specific question about my alma mater. Um, don't hate me, but I think James Dobson is still more influential than our college chancellor, and I've never heard of that other guy at all. (Is this a popularity contest?) If I gave them money, it would be because I know them and they're close to my heart. ...What do you mean, that's not specific enough? Yes, a Biblical worldview is very important to me. (At this point Meg started screaming in the background.) What do you care what I think their mission statement is?? Is this a quiz? I can't remember exactly. I can make up something close.
We also discussed my politics, not very helpfully. Oddly, the only three political people they brought up were Santorum, Bachmann, and Huckabee. Why them? Towards the end, there were a series of soundbites along the lines of "Liberal activists are pushing through judgments that would enforce international law on Americans. [That College] students are being trained to spot inaccurate legal arguments and fight for constitutional protections. Does this make you more or less likely to donate to that college?"
I'm not a fan of the whole "world is going to end if we don't get our people in power" fundraising method and I don't like being a target donor group. In any case, they ought to ask me as an alumna, and not as a random conservative - they should at least do that much homework. Also, I know more about my college than that woman does, so why would her soundbites make a difference?
Most importantly... why do surveys always ask the wrong questions?
Jonathan: "I'm afraid being trained in Christian classical education makes you a very bad target audience."
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I got that same survey. Since I like taking surveys more than most people--I get to give my opinions, then often have an opportunity to make fun of the survey afterwards--I'm familiar with how they usually go. This one was rather badly done, I thought.
A number of the questions had too many options or options that were too long and complicated to remember clearly when listening rather than reading. Surveys are not the place to require deep thought, since deep thought is practically impossible to quantify by empirical research. And calling Graham Walker well-known or influential is just funny. I like him, but no one outside of PHC knows who he is.
Regarding the particular politicians they mentioned, I wonder if Mike Farris was specifically involved in setting this survey up. I know that he rather likes Santorum and Huckabee, and I suspect he would like Bachmann. Regarding current presidential candidates, he told me last time around he would never vote for Romney, and I know he would never vote for Huntsman or Paul, either. I suspect he would not support Cain or Gingrich, though I can imagine him liking Perry. I don't remember everyone the survey mentioned, but a lot of them seem to be people Farris takes an interest in.
Assuming that this survey did in fact originate from PHC or something connected to them, I agree with you that they ought to address us as alumni--it's not like there are that many to go through. They could almost just ask us open-ended questions and write down the answers if their true interest is in finding out what we care about putting money behind.
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