From Pine View Farm

Tele Phony 2

From yesterday’s local rag. Jerry Dorchuck, quoted in this excerpt of Tom Ferrick’s column, runs a company that does automated telephone campaign calls:

The not-so-benign use of robo-calls is in doing anonymous hit pieces on candidates. Unlike TV and bulk mailings, campaigns are not required to list the sponsor of the call in non-federal races. Besides, there’s been a profusion of soft-money groups, who do robo-call campaigns. You know, a smear piece on Candidate A done by the Committee for Truth, Justice and the American Way. Say who?

You have no idea who’s paying the bill or where these things emanate from.

It can get rough. Dorchuck told me he has turned down business where a candidate’s campaign wanted calls made to voters between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. – and have the message tout his opponent.

I will be that there is somewhere someone who took that job.

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2 comments

  1. Opie

    October 20, 2006 at 5:25 pm

    Ah yes, the old Chicago campaign tactic of driving a truck through the neighborhoods at 3 AM, praising your opponent lavishly, over a loudspeaker.

     
  2. Frank

    October 25, 2006 at 7:43 pm

    With new technology.

    I prefer real live human being calls. Then they can hear me hang up.