Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 28, 1994                   TAG: 9409280056
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VALID BIO OR POLITICAL DIRTY TRICK?

The campaign manager for Rep. L.F. Payne, the Democratic incumbent, says it was nothing more than biographical information.

The reason for the difference of opinion?

A pool of 250 registered voters was told in a recent telephone poll that Landrith is a Mormon. The random sample survey was conducted by Greenberg & Associates, a Washington, D.C., firm contracted by Payne's re-election team.

Linda Moore, Payne's campaign manager, said the 250 voters were told that, "George Landrith is a Mormon raised and educated in Northern Virginia who attended school in Utah, lived and practiced law in Los Angeles until 1990 and recently moved to this area."

Greg Mourad, Landrith's press secretary, said the tactic was nothing more than dirty polling.

"We found it very disturbing," Mourad said. "This race has nothing to do with religion. We're trying to run a campaign on the issues, and that's what our polls deal with."

Landrith's religious affiliation or the fact that he completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University is not included in any of his campaign literature.

Landrith, who was in Washington for a meeting with other Republican congressional candidates, could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but Mourad said the decision was made to leave religion out of the literature so it could be left out of the campaign.

Moore agreed Tuesday that religion is not an issue in the 5th District race.

"The intent of the poll was not to raise religion as an issue," she said. "His religious affiliation was part of an overall biographical sketch. We do feel Mr. Landrith's experiences and the fact that he's new to the Fifth District does speak to his ability to effectively represent the views of this district."

Asked if the poll would have included Landrith's religious affiliation if he were a member of another faith, Moore said, "I don't have any comment on that."

Both Landrith and Payne, a Presbyterian, have been Sunday school teachers.

Using a candidate's religious affiliation - and more controversial characteristics such as sexual orientation - are not an uncommon polling practice.

"We've asked similar things," said Del Ali, vice president with Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research Inc. - a Maryland-based polling company best known for the polls it conducts for media organizations across the South. "There's nothing unethical about it. Issues like religion have relevance to some voters."

Scott Keeter, who conducts political polls for Virginia Commonwealth University, said campaigns use polling information to gauge voter attitudes so direct appeals can be targeted.

"I think it's a perfectly legitimate tool," Keeter said of the use of religious affiliation. "The test is: Is it fair?"

Keeter said polling practices become controversial when details are left out and the whole story is not told.

"If the information is then used in a campaign ad, then it brings up the issue of appropriateness," he said.

And how does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feel about the issue?

"The church does not take stands on political issues," said Gerry Pond, a church spokesman in Salt Lake City, Utah. "The church does not endorse any one political candidate. ... We operate under the assumption that the best man will win."

Keywords:
POLITICS