November Surprise: Harrassing "Robocalls"

**Lemur** · 11-06-2006, 15:35

A rather late-breaking story: Some Republican campaigns are engaging in a classic Rovian gambit, where their campaigns place thousands of "robocalls" to potential voters, harassing them, claiming to be from Democratic candidates. Some details here.

What we're seeing is an apparent coordinated effort from the NRCC -- the House GOP committee -- to place calls that appear to be from the local Democratic candidate and then automatically call the same number back as many as seven or eight times each time the caller hang-ups. If the caller listens to the whole message it goes on to bash the Democratic candidate. But if the caller hangs up prematurely, the computer calls right back. Hang-ups are the achilles heal of robo-calls. So this seems to be an attempt to cover for that weakness by making those who hang up think the Democratic candidate is basically harassing them with phone calls. The GOP wins either way.

Very similar to a tactic Rove used in another campaign.

Rove, dissatisfied with the campaign's progress, had flyers printed up—absent any trace of who was behind them—viciously attacking See and his family. "We were trying to craft a message to reach some of the blue-collar, lower-middle-class people," the staffer says. "You'd roll it up, put a rubber band around it, and paperboy it at houses late at night. I was told, 'Do not hand it to anybody, do not tell anybody who you're with, and if you can, borrow a car that doesn't have your tags.' So I borrowed a buddy's car [and drove] down the middle of the street … I had Hefty bags stuffed full of these rolled-up pamphlets, and I'd cruise the designated neighborhoods, throwing these things out with both hands and literally driving with my knees." The ploy left Rove's opponent at a loss. Ingram's staff realized that it would be fruitless to try to persuade the public that the See campaign was attacking its own candidate in order "to create a backlash against the Democrat," as Joe Perkins, who worked for Ingram, put it to me. Presumably the public would believe that Democrats were spreading terrible rumors about See and his family.

**Banquo's Ghost** · 11-06-2006, 16:50

If that's true, and it's legal, you have a deeply, deeply flawed democracy.

**Crazed Rabbit** · 11-06-2006, 17:40

The article on rove has no sources for anything and seemed to assume any rumor, no matter how big, was Rove's fault.

Of course, I suppose sources are old school and what is really important is that its 'fake but accurate' or whatever the dems said.

And both articles are from clearly biased sources. HAve any more reputable links for the robocall article?

BTW, this made me laugh:

Because as long as they're inside, the Republicans can still grab them with a mix of voter suppression, dirty tricks and election fraud.

Of course, I'm from Washington state, where it's basically proven that our current person residing in the governor's mansion won by illegal votes.

CR

**macsen rufus** · 11-06-2006, 18:05

If that's true, and it's legal, you have a deeply, deeply flawed democracy.

Quite agree -- I feel the same over the atrocious negative campaigning that the Parties DO put their names to, without this "knock-and-run" variant.

Admittedly over here we only see the ads that are SO bad they feature on the news, but I'm glad we still (just) have elections here where the issues are the issues. It's not to say there hasn't been bit of a trend towards negative campaigning, but nothing to match this sleazeball style.

**Lemur** · 11-06-2006, 18:17

Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

Of course, I suppose sources are old school and what is really important is that its 'fake but accurate' or whatever the dems said.

Are you contesting my truthiness?

I know the article about the robocalls is from a biased site. If I find anything better-sourced, I'll post it. I suppose today is the day for all sorts of dirty tricks, from both parties. Doesn't mean they shouldn't be called out on it, though.

[edit]

Account from a regional newspaper.

Purported recording of one of these calls.

NY Times takes notice.

Philadelphia Inquirer takes notice.

Local TV news picks up the story. Can't watch it right now, so I don't know what level of sourcing it has ...

Background detail from Nov. 1, G.O.P. folks commenting to AP about their use of robocalls ...

Oooh, Slashdot has picked up the story. Should be lots of impotent geek rage vented there.

**Goofball** · 11-07-2006, 00:20

Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

Of course, I'm from Washington state, where it's basically proven that our current person residing in the governor's mansion won by illegal votes.

CR

You also live in the U.S.A. where it's basically been proven that your President was elected due to election fraud.

Sorry. Couldn't resist that one.

I feel shame.

**BigTex** · 11-07-2006, 00:40

Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

If that's true, and it's legal, you have a deeply, deeply flawed democracy.

It's illegal the way their doing it. FCC mandates that any automated caller system mention who they are and give a phone number to contact them at within the first few seconds of the call.

The sights biased but its correct on this issue. I've had a couple of those cloaked attack phone calls the past week. I find it rude as hell that any politician uses a machine to make calls, they piss off more people then they get to your side. Recently a few days ago i had 3 politico calls within 5 minutes.

**Xiahou** · 11-07-2006, 00:49

Eh, I've gotten robocalls- I just sit the phone down and go on about my business. A minute or so later, I just hang it up again.

**Gregoshi** · 11-07-2006, 01:03

Today I got a robocall from John McCain (R). I hung up before he told me if I should support Santorum for Senate or Swan for governor.

Saturday it was Rick Santorum (R) himself.

Last week I field calls from my House incumbent Jim Gerlach (R) and challenger Lois Murphy (D). My daughter picked up a call last week but doesn't care so she didn't know who it was for.

These calls really tick me off and I honestly can't believe even 1% of the calls are even listened to to completion let alone have a chance at swaying a vote. I'm inclined to count such calls as a strike against the candidate.

There is still some time tonight and tomorrow so I can't wait to find out "who" is gonna call me next. [/sarcasm]

**Crazed Rabbit** · 11-07-2006, 02:11

Are you contesting my truthiness?

Actually, that quote o' mine was more in relation to that article supposedly detailing Rove's other campaigns, not the robocall article. It's interesting to note your sources say both dems and the GOP are doing this (though the GOP may be skirting more towards illegality.

You also live in the U.S.A. where it's basically been proven that your President was elected due to election fraud.

That's interesting, because all those liberal paper's study's showed Bush winning.

I am serious, you know. The ex-attorney general who inhabits the gov's mansion was behind 1000 some votes by the first count, then some hundreds less in the second, and 'won' by 126 votes after heavily liberal King County 'found' a whole bunch of ballots. It was determined after that that the number of definately illegal ballots was 10 times great than the final margin of victory. Even today, a majority of this Kerry voting state believes the current resident of the gov's mansion did not win.

CR