The Daily Caller's Matthew Boyle is reporting that Gallup officials, whose names are being withheld to protect from possible retaliation by the Obama campaign, say the problem began with an April poll showing Romney ahead 48-43. Axelrod used Twitter to disparage the poll and said it was "saddled with some methodological problems" and later invited the pollster to come to the White House to explain themselves.
In one internal Gallup e-mail, a senior official said Axelrod's pressure “sounds a little like a Godfather situation. . . . Imagine Axel[rod] with Brando’s voice: ‘[Name redacted], I’d like you to come over and explain your methodology… You got a nice poll there… would be a shame if anything happened to it…’”
When Gallup refused to cave on their polling methods, Obama's Justice Department revived old allegations that the polling giant over-charged the federal government for its services and joined a lawsuit against the company.
The suit has yet to be served, however, and many Gallup officials believe this is because the president knows it could be politically damaging to do so before the election.
"The Axelrod vs. Gallup story is more evidence that Obama is losing and the campaign is desperate," writes Dan Spencer at Red State. "The Good news is that Gallup did not cave in to the attempted 'intimidation' and now the story is public. Does the Axelrod vs. Gallup story explain why we have seen so many skewed polls during this campaign?"
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