Who are they kidding? Do these politicians actually think that the people who pick up the phone are so stupid that they believe Jerry Kilgore, Tim Kaine, or Tom Davis is on the other end of the line? Is it some sort of pathetic attempt to make us think that they actually care about little 'ol me? I feel so special.
Ok, I can see it coming. The three (give or take two) people who support this foolishness are about to put fingers to keyboard and put me in my place. "No one thinks the voters are stupid. They aren't really supposed to think that [insert name here] is on the phone. These robocalls are painstakingly crafted to deliver an important message to the voters who..." Stop.
It's total BS. Phones are for talking. Two way communication between real people. Even in the glory days of telemarketing there was a real person on the other end. At least we had the satisfaction of slamming the receiver down on them (or cussing them out, then slamming).
Television, Radio, Mail Fliers, Billboards, Street Signs - these are mediums for one way communication. If politicians only want to enlighten voters with a message, and not engage in a meaningful conversation, then they should use one of these. And only one of these.
Do not call, email, or IM unless there is a real person on the other end who is willing to engage in a two-way conversation.
So what set me off today? The most annoying robocalls ever. And that's saying something. Both from Jim Hyland (R), bashing incumbent Steve Shannon. Instead of starting with "Hi, this is..." as most robocalls do, Jim's calls started with a loud car horn and a gun blast. Seriously. Jim, if you or your people are listening, please stop this immediately. And fire the moron who thinks the best way to get attention is to blast a jarring sound in someone's ear.
Does anyone like these things? I'm thinking, in these final heated days before the election, that we may have a issue that all of us can agree on.
Volunteers stutter, stammer, laugh, get interrupted, cough coke out their nose, crunch chips, and often times sound like recordings themselves. But at least they are real people.
For a robocall to be effective on an answering machine the message needs to sound like a non-professionally recorded volunteer.
Not from Kaine, not from Warner, it should be some schmoe that came in and offered his time.