How Many Political Calls ??????

**seagrovegirl** · 08-25-2008, 10:44 AM

I've had two political calls in a row this morning......Nelson and Don Brown...encouraging me to vote.....which I did last week. I detest those things and I don't need an impersonal robotic call to encourage anything!!! Actually, it does just the opposite!

**Smiling JOe** · 08-25-2008, 10:51 AM

Thankfully, I've yet to have any candidate call me. I think my saving grace was using information's phone number, 850-555-1212, when I registered. Don't give those guys free information. By the way, having a phone isn't required to register to vote. (wink, wink).

**Bob Wells** · 08-25-2008, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by seagrovegirl

i've had two political calls in a row this morning......nelson and don brown...encouraging me to vote.....which i did last week. I detest those things and i don't need an impersonal robotic call to encourage anything!!! Actually, it does just the opposite!

ditto

**Interested Girl** · 08-25-2008, 11:04 AM

Those calls are directed at what are called supervoters. If the are two registered voters in a household and 1 has voted and the other has not then you would be in the "universe" for receiving a call.

SJ is correct - you do not have to provide a phone number - why give a fake number ? Guess you would just be wanting to mess with them.

**seagrovegirl** · 08-25-2008, 11:11 AM

Thanks for the phone number tip.........I'll see if I can change my voter registration....which hasn't changed since 2000. Hubby voted Saturday........

Whatever happened to the "do not call list?".............................

**Interested Girl** · 08-25-2008, 11:14 AM

Political calls are specifically exempt from the do not call list. (currently)

**seagrovegirl** · 08-25-2008, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Interested Girl

Political calls are specifically exempt from the do not call list. (currently)

Ha! Go figure.................

**Smiling JOe** · 08-25-2008, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Interested Girl

SJ is correct - you do not have to provide a phone number - why give a fake number ? Guess you would just be wanting to mess with them.

Rather than argue with the lady behind the counter, who said I needed to give a phone number, I gave the number for information, which isn't a fake number. They can call that number and ask for my number.

**Interested Girl** · 08-25-2008, 12:00 PM

I can understand that - I choose to not provide what I am legally not required to provide. To much information is gleened fro public records in my opinion.

**Jdarg** · 08-25-2008, 12:44 PM

I am starting to see that the phone calls (and signs too) are a necessary part of a political campaign. If we are going to have elections (which we do want), the candidates that we support (and don't support) need ways to get their name out and message out. Phone calls and signs obviously work, or so much time and energy would not be spent using them.

The things that many people find intrusive and irritating are an integral part of every campaign in the US, until better ways are found. Like it or not, these methods get people to the polls, which is a great thing!

I am very thankful that are local candidates are not running awful homegrown TV ads- I don't miss those! Nothing worse than some guy's mama and daddy telling me why I should vote for their little boy.

Maybe somebody with good youtube skills can start a thread of bad political ads.

**scooterbug44** · 08-25-2008, 12:55 PM

One phone call per candidate is acceptable - more than 3 in a day from the same candidate is what frosts my cupcakes!

**seagrovegirl** · 08-25-2008, 12:59 PM

IMO...uninvited political calls in my home are intrusive and a waste of time. If a candidate wants my attention, call me personally.....I don't want your canned infomercial.

**InletBchDweller** · 08-25-2008, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by scooterbug44

One phone call per candidate is acceptable - more than 3 in a day from the same candidate is what frosts my cupcakes!

SB, love it, "frosts my cupcakes"~~~

My cupcakes were frosted this morning as well. 2 calls.

**Smiling JOe** · 08-25-2008, 01:20 PM

Jdarg, I disagree. The illegally placed signs, littering the roadways, are not necessary for informed voters to make a decision, nor are phone calls. If the candidates followed the rules, the only signs we would see would be the ones placed on private property, or the billboards. That is more than enough signs for the intentionally uninformed voters to be swayed into voting for a candidate.

As it is, any candidate can erect illegally-placed signs along the roadsides, but it takes real people to be swayed into placing election signs in their yards or own their property -- real people, real believers in their candidate(s).

**Bob Wells** · 08-25-2008, 01:25 PM

Signs are place for a constant visual reminder and hopefully to encourage the voter to become informed about the candidates. I have signs placed in my yard and I have placed signs along the roadway and Wednesday I will be picking those up.

**ckhagen** · 08-25-2008, 01:52 PM

The robo-calls are being made because of projected abysmally low turnout.
Many people do not realize that the election in question is actually tomorrow and not in November. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of volunteers (good luck finding those) and weeks to make the thousands of calls that the recorded systems can make in an hour. All just to remind people that *tomorrow* is the last day you can vote.

**seagrovegirl** · 08-25-2008, 01:54 PM

If someone does not realize tomorrow is vote day...then I would be afraid of them voting. If they are so uninformed.......I wish they would stay home. Another reason to hate robocalls.

**Jdarg** · 08-25-2008, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

Jdarg, I disagree. The illegally placed signs, littering the roadways, are not necessary for informed voters to make a decision, nor are phone calls. If the candidates followed the rules, the only signs we would see would be the ones placed on private property, or the billboards. That is more than enough signs for the intentionally uninformed voters to be swayed into voting for a candidate.

As it is, any candidate can erect illegally-placed signs along the roadsides, but it takes real people to be swayed into placing election signs in their yards or own their property -- real people, real believers in their candidate(s).

Whoa there-I am not talking about illegally placed signs - I agree that some candidates went waaay overboard. Of course these signs aren't for the totally informed- if everyone was as informed, candidates would not need signs. I am looking at the phone call/sign debate through different goggles. I used to feel the same way- it is really easy to complain about the signs and phone calls- but guess what? They are a big part of our American campaign process, and like it or not, every candidate has to do these things. I have no problem with the sign rules being enforced either- and I plan on calling candidates whose signs are not removed after a week (reasonable in my book). Placing signs on well-traveled areas where people will see them better than on a street with no traffic makes marketing sense, especially since billboards are beyond the financial reach for most small town politicians.

Yes, the campaign phone calls are intrusive, but helping the democratic election process by answering the phone and a few simple questions sure beats living in a dictatorship and never getting a phone call at all about your opinion. These calls serve several purposes- to identify supporters, to remind people to vote, to give information to uninformed and undecided voters, etc. It's a very scientific process, and effective for info gathering, or it wouldn't be used. Don't you want your candidates to have the same good info as the other candidates? As long as these methods are legal, it is political suicide for 1 candidate to say "Hey- not going to bug anybody this year!"

Originally Posted by FF 2

Signs are place for a constant visual reminder and hopefully to encourage the voter to become informed about the candidates. I have signs placed in my yard and I have placed signs along the roadway and Wednesday I will be picking those up.

Thank you- and I agree. I have seen a few names that I didn't recognize and looked them up later. I will purchasing several Obama signs at an Obama party this week, and will follow the rules about their placement.