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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Robocalls - Sal, take a hint?


    By geek49203, Section News
    Posted on Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 02:02:57 PM EST
    Tags: (all tags)

    Today I got the first robocall of the season.  You remember robocalls, right? -- those annoying pre-recorded phone calls that we all got last election?  I got an ear full of phone spam, from a company that hopes to get big contracts should the right guy be elected.  Their "Mr. Right"?  Well, it's "Mr. Conservative," Arkansas Mike.  

    Last year, the candidates (mostly GOP) who made the greatest use of phone spam finished last on election day.  Hey, Sal - do you suppose that there's a connection between bad election results and people angry about being pulled out of the shower for a robocall?  

    TAKE THE POLL (at right) and LET THE CANDIDATES KNOW how you feel about phone spam!

    Today I got the first robocall of the season.  Pretending to be a political poll, it turned out to be a hit job on the major GOP Presidential candidates with the exception of Huckabee. They said that they were "Common Sense Issues" and didn't represent any candidate (yea, sure).  

    A quick check of the caller id ("FEDR 07") and the number (703-263-0770) told me that the call came from Moore & Lee, LLP, which is a law firm specializing in construction law, commercial litigation and government contracts.  

    So there you have it - an earful of spam from an entity supporting a guy who's supposed to be Mr. Conservative, but is obviously hoping for big rewards should he be elected.  

    *****

    Last year, I told my local State Rep that if his campaign, or those who supported him, persisted in bombarding me with robocalls (you know, those automated annoying phone calls you get at supper time?) I would pull my vote for him.  

    His campaign, or at least those who supported him, kept bombarding me with robocalls, 3-4 times a day, with 8 on election day.  I "talked" to Laura Bush a few times, and maybe Dubya, and who knows, perhaps God Almighty.  However, I'm a man of my word, not one of threats, and I refused to vote for him.  He lost, in a supposedly "safe" GOP seat, in spite of spending a boatload money.  

    As I looked at the aftermath of the last election, it occurred to me that those who made the greatest use of robocalls lost their elections too.  

    Hey, Sal - do you suppose that robocalls are kinda like email SPAM, only more annoying?  Do you think that maybe there's a connection between low election totals and people angry about being pulled out of the shower for a robocall?

    < The Weekend in the Sphere | Merry Christmas to All >


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    Robocalls - Sal, take a hint? | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)
    Well (none / 0) (#1)
    by PRStoetzer on Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 10:51:42 PM EST
    Robocalls have been shown to be effective. People certainly bitch and moan about getting robocalls, but some very knowledgeable political professionals in this state have remarked to me that they drop a robocall and will hear people repeating some of the phrasing in normal conversation a day or two later.

    I despise Robocalls (none / 0) (#2)
    by Republican Michigander on Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 10:05:30 AM EST
    I just got about 5 of them from those pricks at "American Family Voices", a bunch of union leadership types from DC. They are after Mike Rogers again. I'd be in jail if I said what I'd like to do to their phone banking equipment. I'll just say it involves a sledgehammer.

    Robocalls are an issue that partially determine my vote. I hate getting political calls. I hate the RNC calling and asking me for money and am flat out insulted when they start with asking for $75. I didn't see them doing much here. Screw em.

    Some say that robocalls help and I think they once did, but now I think they hurt more than they help. People are so sick of them, and I know at least five less political people who refused to vote for DeVos and who also refused to vote for Mike Rogers's opponent because of the robocalls. They view it as an invasion of their castle.

    I'm still undecided for 08. It's probably best for some campaigns that I'm not in a PO'ed mood on January 15.

    Try this... (none / 0) (#3)
    by KG One on Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 10:20:35 AM EST
    What I found works great with robo-calls is to just drop a land line altogether and go strictly with a cell phone.

    I haven't received a robo-call in over five years.

    OABTW, Merry Christmas everyone!

    Invalid proof (none / 0) (#4)
    by John Galt on Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 11:29:02 AM EST
    "Every Republican who used robocalls finished last".

    So did candidates who didn't use robocalls.  What about Democrats who used robocalls?

    I'm also not seeing a more appropriate option in the "poll" - something like "I don't change my mind because I've already researched my choice."

    Ya know what's funny - I don't get robocalls, since I have a cell phone and no landline.  Just like spam, I install a spam blocker.  With junk snailmail, I have a trashcan at the door.  If you don't like nuisance phone calls, take the appropriate measures against them.

    And finally, why is your message directed at "Sal"?  I don't think he's the one that rang up your phone with the Huckster message.  

    • Why Sal? by geek49203, 12/23/2007 11:48:31 AM EST (none / 0)
    more on this story - DetNews (none / 0) (#6)
    by geek49203 on Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 01:34:18 PM EST
    http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071222/METRO/712220418

    Perhaps you mean "Saul"? (none / 0) (#7)
    by John Galt on Sun Dec 23, 2007 at 08:15:17 PM EST
    I was trying to figure out who "Sal" was.

    IMHO... (none / 0) (#8)
    by rdww on Mon Dec 24, 2007 at 08:54:36 AM EST
    ...the real evil is the loophole in the federal "Do Not Call" law that exempts political entities.  There's a great difference between political "freedom of speech" and "freedom from having to listen."

    Robocalls are Free Speech (none / 0) (#11)
    by educationmatters on Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 09:46:34 AM EST
    Robo calls are a matter of free speech.  They can be effectively used by grass roots organizations to get their message out even if they don't have access to large sums of money.  I have used them effectively in my local school districts to pressure them to abate 7 million dollars back to the taxpayers.  Penalize abuse if you want, but these are a great tool for free speech.

    Robocalls - Sal, take a hint? | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)
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    Poll

    When you get a robocall, are you:
    More likely to vote for a candidate, if you like the message
    Less likely to vote for a candidate, even if you like the message
    It doesn't matter one way or the other because I hang up immediately

    Votes: 38
    Results | Other Polls

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