We already voted. And yes, Republican Robocall, I have been on the lookout for last minute lies and distortions, like your presidential campaign has put out.
Geebus, could someone this session get a bill passed banning these infernal things already? The “but they are effective and cheap” argument kind of breaks down when they are calling households in a largely vote by mail state over the last weekend.
Everyone hates Robocall, (except the politicians on both sides who are too chicken to ban them.) It’s not a protected First Amendment right to use equipment and a service I’ve paid for to telephone spam our household. They serve little informational purpose, as non-inflammatory ones have little time for anything but broad brush strokes, and inflammatory ones serve no purpose but to um, inflame.
Die Robocall, die. I’ll get my movie listings from the Toobz.
Ylb, Michale and the rest of the left wing wackos
Hypocrites.
Jesus loves you, I will pray for you this morning.
God bless,
Ted
While all of the robocalls are irritating, if I answer the phone I just hang up as soon as I figure out who/what they are calling to shill for.
The ones that really piss me off are the ones that fill up the answering machine. Go away for a few days and you may just have to wade through a ton of crap. These should be made strictly illegal.
In 2004 I started keeping a list by the phone, of which campaigns were making the robocalls, and whether they left a message on the machine. By keeping track I was able to decide who NOT to vote for by the volume of the calling. I may not have voted for their opponent, but leaving a robocall message on my answering machine was a sure way to make sure I didn’t vote for that candidate.
If you don’t have enough respect for me to NOT leave a prerecorded message, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of having my vote.
“Both sides do it”. I haven’t had a land line for a while, which filters it out some, but in 2004 my worst offender was Chris Gregoire. At one point I sent an email to her campaign threatening not to vote for Chris if I kept getting robocalls. Fortunately the calls fell off after that, since that was one of those rare election where my vote sorta mattered. No robocalls from Chris this election, so kick Dino’s ass :)
I am currently working on a robo call bill for next session. Whether or not it can get traction, we will see. I started with the bill originally put together by Rep. Ross Hunter in 2007, and staff is currently looking at language that can pass with regards to our first amendment rights.
Rep. Mike Sells
Thanks, Mike! It’s refreshing to see a politician come to the people’s forum (HA) to find out what the people want.
Rep. Sells,
Thank you. Your efforts are much appreciated.
Might I also suggest some legislation to make it more difficult for Republicans to challenge legitimate voter registrations they way they did recently in Colorado?
If you were a jobseeker, would you brag to the interviewer that you have less experience than your rival? Yet, that’s exactly what Dino’s ads do. He arguest we should elect him because he has less experience in government than Gregoire. That wouldn’t make sense to a private company’s hiring manager, and it shouldn’t persuade voters either. What makes sense is to hire the experienced applicant, not the one who turns his lack of government managerial experience into a talking point.
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, who thinks Obama is way too far right. But it seems wrong to me to ban these. Then again, I don’t agree with the do not call list, either. Obviously the courts disagree with me.
I hate the damn robocalls, but it’s easy enough to hang up. I’m not willing to take away someone else’s freedom to make calls any more than I’m willing to give up my own freedom not to be tapped without a warrant (too late, I know). I hate reality TV too, but I don’t think that should be banned.
I understand there comes a time when compelling public interest trumps things in the Bill of Rights. I don’t happen to believe political robocalls come close to rising to that standard.
The latest RealClearPolitics electoral vote map shows more states moving away from McCain into the tossup category, with Arkansas and Georgia now in play. On the current map, McCain has only 132 EVs solid or leaning, his lowest point in the campaign so far. If there’s a McCain surge, you sure can’t see it on the EV map. All I see is a surge away from him.
I have Vonage voice over ip service and I’m able through the web administrative interface to reject calls that are “anonmyous”, i.e. no caller id.
That cuts down on junk calls A LOT. Nice feature.
But then there’s still a few outfits who slip through who are brave enough to identify themselves with caller id. I pull out my secret weapon for those.
With my Asterisk PBX software I’ve programmed a rejection recording that keys on the caller id. It immediately answers and plays an obnoxious recording of shrieking monkeys for their benefit. I don’t even hear the phone ring.
So when I answer a telemarketer that I don’t like, I just hit *32 after I’m done saying no to them and I’m never bothered by them again.
Better living through high tech. Life is good.
@8 There’s an old saying that your freedom to swing your fist stops where my nose starts. No one is entitled to “freedom” to disturb my private peace in my private home on my private phone line.
@10 I’m an old-fashioned rabbit who doesn’t understand all this hi-tech stuff. I prefer to let laws, the phone company, and AOL do it for me. But I admit your way sounds like more fun.
#11 Well, that is the Constitutional question. It’s the right to privacy versus freedom of speech/expression. You have your opinion about which trumps which in this situation. I have mine. As far as I know, the courts consider this to be one of the areas that is not cut and dried. That means they take into consideration a lot of factors – the devil is in the details.
We could go back and forth on this forever. I could argue that a phone is optional and that by having one, you have inherently agreed to receive calls. I could argue that caller ID is available to you if this is an issue. You could argue back that my first point is irrelevant and my second point places an undue burden on you,and you wouldn’t be totally off base.
Because this is an issue that is so questionable constitutionally, a lot of the viewpoints on both sides will have merit in the eyes of the court. I could make either argument effectively, I just happen to come down on one side.
Brings out the negativist in me – and the calls were promoting candidates I had already voted for. Next election, I’ll save my ballot so I can vote against the robocall candidates.
I spoke to my sister out in Pennsylvania yesterday. She said she received FIVE robocalls in the space of an hour. TV advertising is back-to-back political ads, mostly for the presidential campaign. Obviously, Pennsylvania is getting a lot more attention than we are.
Oh, and last week I mentioned my nephew’s wife, concerned that her new employer was scheduling a mandatory off-site “safety seminar” for Nov. 4th, which would prevent the workers from going to the polls. It seems that under pressure they have cancelled the seminar. Among the pressure was the threat of their entire work force not showing up, and daring them to fire them over it.
The seminar will be re-scheduled for some “date in the future” not yet determined, but it will probably take place in the plant instead of at an off-site location.
@ 4–
Thank you Rep. Sells.
To all–
Interesting discussion.
Not a lawyer, but if having a “Do Not Call” registry is Constitutional for commercial speech, why wouldn’t it be Constitutional for political speech? Even if I have Caller ID I still have to go check Caller ID, which granted is not a huge burden but still annoying when you think your spouse or child might be calling and you’re outside doing something.
Also, to argue from the absurd, would a candidate or PAC have the right to force me to print out their advertisements using my own ink and paper? One would think courts would factor in whose resources are being utilized. It’s one thing if I buy cable television packages that include a mix of commercial and commercial free stations. A reasonable person would expect to see advertisements.
Is it reasonable to expect a phone line to be used to advertise to me against my will? I think not. Consumers rebelled against commercial abuse of it, and now in my opinion it’s time to rebel against the political abuse of it.
While we always need to be very careful about First Amendment protections, I’m hard pressed to see computerized phone dialing and messages as enjoying some kind of blanket protection.
I’ve received only one robocall during the whole election season. And I got that one just a few minutes ago. The robo told me who I ought to vote for and then repeated the message all over again. Good grief.
Plus I mailed in my ballot last Thursday.
The funniest robocall is Michelle I like My Country Now That My Holes in My Soles (Ohhh.. Souls) are Fixed Obama supporting Queen Chrissie. Both of us cracked up on Michelle gushing over someone she doesn’t know.
@18
You prefer to vote for the incompetent liar Rossi?
the same guy who came out with his big transportation plan with holes the size of the 520 bridge?
the guy who claimed to be able to build an 8 lane bridge for less than a six lane bridge using construction estimates from 10 years ago?
Sorry – but I don’t reward incompetence and lying with a vote. I also don’t like to vote for people who may end up in jail for their illegal activities.
Haven’t we had enough of Ted Stevens types in office – those who think they are better than us?
The same goes for Duke Cunningham, Doolittle, DeLay and the rest of the corrupt bunch. anyone who was doing Abramoff’s favors needs to go also.
Democrats too: Rep. Jefferson – needs to be gone. As does Kwame Kilpatrick.
Norm Coleman – OUT.
Well, Puddy, considering that Governor Gregoire was an early supporter of Senator Obama, it’s not unreasonable to think that the two of them probably had more discussion than Senator McCain had with Governor Palin before nominating her as his running mate.
But the point that robocalls are not a terrific way of finding out about a candidate is a good one. Yes, I will concede that Mrs. Obama’s endorsement has less to do with their “long, close friendship” than it does with simple politics.
Perhaps the best answer is to extend the “do not call” list to political and charitible calls.
And even though I’m going to end up going through “poll withdrawl” after the election, I would extend it to pollsters as well.
Robocalls are annoying, and if they aren’t ineffective, I have to wonder about the folks that are swayed by them. (I also decline to use telephone solicitations as a way of choosing which charities to support.)
This isn’t a “freedom of speech” issue, but candidates demanding the right to come into my home and make my telephone ring. They are more intrusive than a person standing on the sidewalk with a bullhorn.
At least if someone insisted on standing in the street with a bullhorn, I could have the pleasure of squirting him with the hose.
John Barelli, political calls yes. I for one support the PBA and the WSP Officers killed or hurt in duty, the WA State Firefighters.
But with Obama’s latest rich threshold being $120,000 as headless lucy one said it’s a zero sum game. He’s raising yours and my taxes bud. Starting with the higher limit on Payroll SS and Medicare Payments. If you make more that $104,000 you are “rich”. The more I pay in taxes the less I have for the PBA and the WSP Officers killed or hurt in duty, the WA State Firefighters.
What say you Obama supporter?
Remember Obama lifted himself from the streets of Hawaii… What?
Now if you losers remember Obama’s grandmama throw her under the bus cuz she’s afraid of blackies Dunham was a vice-president of the Bank of Hawaii.
Yes, Barry had such a tough life. I’ll compare mine in Philly to his in Punahou any day of the week.
BTW I liked what Joe Scarborough said about Obama’s Iowa comments.
John Barelli: Just lookie here http://www.slate.com/id/2203151/pagenum/all/ 55:1 for Obama. Well what’s new? The libtard MSM has been shillin for Obama since January.
Remember this article in Slate?
“At this magazine, it’s Kerry by a landslide! – In 2000, 12 of the 13 in the top editorial positions voted for Gore” – Slate October 26, 2004
Could their losing streak continue?
Why is Dan The HorsesASS Savage publishing McCain supporters homes in photographs and making their addresses public for the loonies like Steve and RudeASS?
http://www.thestranger.com/sea.....oid=729360
“Cobwebs and witches are for children and morons.”
But as of 4:00 this afternoon Dan lost his balls.
Darryl, maybe you should ax your good friend Savage who sucked off his balls?
What I find interesting is that several of the Republican robocalls I’ve gotten have been from an Arizona area-code. It kinda chaps me that we’ve gotten to the point where we outsource even small local elections out of state. Just yesterday I got a call from an Arizona number “from” Tom Mielke, who’s running for Clark County commissioner. Seems like the least they could do would be to use an in-state call center.
I haven’t received any robocalls this election season from the candidates.
However, I get them all the time from companies all over the country. I totally support banning them; drives me crazy.
You want to exercise your freedom of speech over my phone? Hire some people to call me by actually pressing the buttons. make sure they are US citizens so they are making some money.
As far as the pols – Kerry was averaging about a -1 in the composite plls – you could find some with him ahead but most had him behind in the final polls.
Obama is closing at about 7 points ahead – way beyond what Kerry was at:
Link: http://yglesias.thinkprogress......_polls.php
In addition, the individual state numbers look much better for Obama. McCain has to sweep all the states he is behind in and take Pennsylvania – possible but very unlikely.
McCain’s organization is poor and the enthusiams is also lower. Palin has solidified the right wingnut base – but has driven many independents and moderates away.
Joe the plumber is not a plumber, not named Joe and is clearly promoting himself. McCain’s campaign has used that fake horse but there is no ride left in it.
I do note that the republican trolls are much more desperate than I have ever seen them. This alone says they are panicked that people are not buying their lies.