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February 13, 2008

Breaking Campaign News at the Katz Household

Justin Katz

John McCain just became the first candidate of the season to turn me off with an automated political telemarketing call just as we were succeeding in getting all the children to bed. Couldn't McCain-Feingold at least have done the good deed of preventing that?

Comments

Called me during dinner. Is it me or did that call just go on and on and on and on?

Posted by: Greg at February 13, 2008 8:38 PM

Gee, as a politically involved person, I'm slightly offended that I wasn't also bothered by an untimely robocall during dinner. They must still have me on the Anti-RINO phone list. ;)

Was the content of the call related to the ad hoc McCain rally in Warwick tomorrow or just a generic support call?

PS In order to do anything about it, you would have to enact a blanket ban of the use of robocalls. Simply banning it for political purposes would almost certainly be unconstitutional, since it would be seen as restricting free speech, not just a mechanism.

Posted by: Will at February 13, 2008 9:17 PM

Regardless of the campaign, robocalls are quite annoying and, as of the last election, quite passe.

My very amateur opinion is that they do have a narrow role:

1.) A short message on the day before or the day (emphasize day) of an election;

2.) Ideally, reaching an answering machine;

3.) In order to remind a likely supporter to get out and vote.

Posted by: Monique at February 13, 2008 9:51 PM

Will.

Yeah, the message was (approximately):

"Good evening, yaddayaddayadda, John McCain yadda rally. Yaddayadda president yaddadda da da, keep your two-year old awake yadda yadda. Can still yadda for yadda Romney, yadda yadda."

Posted by: Justin Katz at February 13, 2008 10:06 PM

Looks like only the Chafee supporters are getting the calls.

Posted by: George at February 13, 2008 10:12 PM

Well, that most definitely does not include me.

Posted by: Justin Katz at February 13, 2008 10:14 PM

Well then, you sure had me fooled during the '06 Senate race.

Posted by: George at February 13, 2008 11:00 PM

I got one, too. It was an invitation to go to the McCain event tomorrow at the Crown Plaza in Warwick. If I weren't already busy at that time, it might have convinced me to check it out, so I guess it almost worked.

Posted by: Pseu at February 14, 2008 12:40 AM

George,

You mean the race in which I voted for Laffey in the primaries and then voted for Whitehouse just to get rid of Chafee?

You must be easily fooled.

Posted by: Justin Katz at February 14, 2008 6:12 AM

"Looks like only the Chafee supporters are getting the calls."

Certainly not me. I was near violently opposed to Chafee. Almost as opposed as I am to the crazy old coot getting elected to the White House.

Posted by: Greg at February 14, 2008 7:36 AM

Justin, I wouldn't know how you voted in the primary or the general. But, I'm glad to hear your votes were the same as mine.

But judging by the nature of your posts in '06 I would have thought you were, at the very least, rooting for the other team.

Posted by: George at February 14, 2008 8:26 AM

is this any worse than the remedies for diarrhea,constipation,gas,excess mucous,arthritis,and migraine headaches hawked non stop on tv/radio during the dinner hour?

Posted by: joe at February 14, 2008 9:08 AM

Joe, my recommendation for resolving that is to turn the damned TV off during dinner and pay attention to your family.

Posted by: Greg at February 14, 2008 9:16 AM

greg-my family is just my wife and myself-my "kids" are adults and long married and moved out-i have taken to turning off the tv during dinner,and not answering calls(that's what caller id is for)

Posted by: joe at February 14, 2008 11:24 AM

I've been fortunate enough not to get these calls (one reason why I'm nonaffiliated).
I have vowed never to vote for Patrick Kennedy again after the massive robocalls he put out for Ralph Mollis in the '06 primary.

Posted by: rhody at February 14, 2008 11:35 AM