Political phone calls

skijay · Oct 29, 2004, 3:48 PM

How many of you have received computer generated phone calls regarding political topics (national) and party endorsements. I get between 2 and 5 a day on my answering machine. The phone line has caller ID and the call is "unknown number".

What ticks me off is that:

1. I am on a state and federal Do Not Call list
2. There is no number to call back and thell them to stop
3. The phone line they call is "dedicated" to my PC. It does have an answering machine and a phone, but the phone is turned off. Basically any caller that leaves a message is either a telemarketer or wrong number.

MtnMagic · Oct 29, 2004, 7:16 PM

I'm online all day. That should tick off anyone that calls. Good luck to you if you can even ring my phone!
_______________
24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not-- H.L. Mencken

Charlie Schuessler · Oct 29, 2004, 8:15 PM

My wife is a registered independant voter...we get lots of calls...

riverc0il · Oct 30, 2004, 9:12 AM

doesn't the do not call list have exceptions for non-profit organizations and political organizations? something about freedom of speech iirc. regardless, i can see how that would become annoying. i think some of the tactics both political campaigns use turn off a lot of voters (such as negative campaign ads and telemarketing). but such things aren't done to make you vote for a certain party, they are used to make you NOT vote at all or not vote for the other party. with only about 50% of citizens voting, it certainly presents some interesting questions about how our election campaigns are run and it's influence on concerned citizens.

you gotta do what i did: get rid of your land line and go ADSL. if you don't have a mobile phone or need a line in the house, get voice over DSL which is fairly new but will shake the industry up i am sure.

teachski · Oct 30, 2004, 9:55 AM

I've decided that the candidate that calls me most does not get my vote.

Actually, They are usually recordings so I just hang up. I did get a live call from a local candidate (in person) a couple years ago. This year (knock on wood), I have't received any of these calls yet.

severine · Oct 30, 2004, 11:58 AM

What about all the political propaganda they mail you, too? I must have gotten a dozen mailers in the last 2 weeks from a local candidate that lives across the street from me! What a waste of paper and money!

I am peeved about the prerecorded political calls, too - but I knew that they were exempt from the do-not-call list. It really is becoming borderline harrassment at this point...

Alpinista · Oct 30, 2004, 1:32 PM

I don't think I've gotten any calls. I have caller ID and don't pick it up if I don't know the number -- and I think they end up hanging up and not leaving messages. But I was surprised to see my rep, the House Minority Leader in Massachusetts, send a flier when I'm a registered Democrat and he's a Republican. Guess I can't blame the guy for trying!

**Greg** · Oct 30, 2004, 8:26 PM

I got one today. A taped message from Rudy Giuliani.

MtnMagic · Oct 30, 2004, 8:38 PM

I'm soo glad that my phone doesn't ring as I'm always online. Four years ago I just about got calls every day. I even had a caller ask who I voted for. Some nerve!

pedxing · Oct 30, 2004, 10:03 PM

Years ago some columnist ran an article that said something along the lines of: imagine would happen to the airline industry if Delta ran ads saying: "Don't fly American Airlines, their planes are poorly maintained and bound to crash" while American said, "Don't fly Delta, because they never do maintenance checks, they have more faulty oxygen masks than any other airline and the bacteria counts in their foods are sky high and make most of their customers sick."

I really don't remember any of the details, but it sort of spelled out in a nutshell why so many people get turned off to politics.

Oct 29, 2004, 3:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
skijay Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: CT Avatar: T-bar @ Mont Shefford Posts: 686	Political phone calls How many of you have received computer generated phone calls regarding political topics (national) and party endorsements. I get between 2 and 5 a day on my answering machine. The phone line has caller ID and the call is "unknown number". What ticks me off is that: 1. I am on a state and federal Do Not Call list 2. There is no number to call back and thell them to stop 3. The phone line they call is "dedicated" to my PC. It does have an answering machine and a phone, but the phone is turned off. Basically any caller that leaves a message is either a telemarketer or wrong number.

Oct 29, 2004, 8:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Charlie Schuessler Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Mont Vernon NH Posts: 1,097	My wife is a registered independant voter...we get lots of calls... __________________ "Whenever our affairs go obviously wrong, the good sense of the people will interpose and set them to rights." - Thomas Jefferson

Oct 30, 2004, 9:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
riverc0il Ari Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ashland, NH Posts: 6,700	doesn't the do not call list have exceptions for non-profit organizations and political organizations? something about freedom of speech iirc. regardless, i can see how that would become annoying. i think some of the tactics both political campaigns use turn off a lot of voters (such as negative campaign ads and telemarketing). but such things aren't done to make you vote for a certain party, they are used to make you NOT vote at all or not vote for the other party. with only about 50% of citizens voting, it certainly presents some interesting questions about how our election campaigns are run and it's influence on concerned citizens. you gotta do what i did: get rid of your land line and go ADSL. if you don't have a mobile phone or need a line in the house, get voice over DSL which is fairly new but will shake the industry up i am sure. __________________ -Steve TheSnowWay.com featuring Big Jay Coverage "Skiing is not a sport, it is a way of life." - Otto Schniebs 52

Oct 30, 2004, 9:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
teachski Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Barre, MA Posts: 1,041	I've decided that the candidate that calls me most does not get my vote. Actually, They are usually recordings so I just hang up. I did get a live call from a local candidate (in person) a couple years ago. This year (knock on wood), I have't received any of these calls yet. __________________ Born to ski, forced to work. I\'ve used all of my sick days so I\'m calling in dead.

Oct 30, 2004, 11:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
severine Nassahegan 7/26/2008 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: CT Posts: 4,007	What about all the political propaganda they mail you, too? I must have gotten a dozen mailers in the last 2 weeks from a local candidate that lives across the street from me! What a waste of paper and money! I am peeved about the prerecorded political calls, too - but I knew that they were exempt from the do-not-call list. It really is becoming borderline harrassment at this point... __________________ Carrie 2007-2008 ~ 20 2005-2006 ~ 2 2004 ~ 17 It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. ~ Agnes Repplier Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. ~ Lance Armstrong

Oct 29, 2004, 7:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
MtnMagic Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lancaster, NH Posts: 892	I'm online all day. That should tick off anyone that calls. Good luck to you if you can even ring my phone! _______________ 24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not-- H.L. Mencken

Oct 30, 2004, 1:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
Alpinista Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 37	I don't think I've gotten any calls. I have caller ID and don't pick it up if I don't know the number -- and I think they end up hanging up and not leaving messages. But I was surprised to see my rep, the House Minority Leader in Massachusetts, send a flier when I'm a registered Democrat and he's a Republican. Guess I can't blame the guy for trying!

Oct 30, 2004, 8:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
Greg Nassahegan, CT: 8/14 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Thomaston, CT Posts: 20,286	I got one today. A taped message from Rudy Giuliani. __________________ Greg 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06, 2004-05 Life's too short for warm up runs.

Oct 30, 2004, 8:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
MtnMagic Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lancaster, NH Posts: 892	I'm soo glad that my phone doesn't ring as I'm always online. Four years ago I just about got calls every day. I even had a caller ask who I voted for. Some nerve!

Oct 30, 2004, 10:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
pedxing Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Eastern MA Posts: 409	Years ago some columnist ran an article that said something along the lines of: imagine would happen to the airline industry if Delta ran ads saying: "Don't fly American Airlines, their planes are poorly maintained and bound to crash" while American said, "Don't fly Delta, because they never do maintenance checks, they have more faulty oxygen masks than any other airline and the bacteria counts in their foods are sky high and make most of their customers sick." I really don't remember any of the details, but it sort of spelled out in a nutshell why so many people get turned off to politics.

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