GOP, McCain Appear To Dominate Robocall War

While Barack Obama may be drowning out his opposition on the airwaves, spending copious amounts of cash on television advertisements in key markets, evidence suggests that John McCain is well ahead in one form of political outreach.

There have been three times as many robocalls placed on behalf of McCain's candidacy as those placed on behalf of Obama, as reported to the National Political Do Not Contact Registry.

The outlets responsible for the 12 documented McCain-favorable calls include the RNC, the McCain campaign itself, and third party organizations. Their work, not surprisingly, is being done across a wide swath of swing states: Michigan, North Carolina, Minnesota, Missouri, Colorado, Wisconsin, Virginia and New Mexico.

On Thursday, Talking Points Memo posted one such RNC/McCain campaign call being made in Virginia, in which recipients are told that "Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats aren't who you think they are... They say they want to keep us safe, but Barack Obama said the threat we face now from terrorism is nowhere near as dire as it was in the end of the Cold War. And Congressional Democrats now want to give civil rights to terrorists."

Obama, by contrast, has had four documented robocalls made on his behalf, but only in two states: Kansas (kind of random) and Missouri.

The findings are a reflection of the financial straits in which the GOP finds itself. Robocalls, as Shaun Dakin, the CEO of the National Political Do Not Contact Registry describes it, "are the tool of the underfinanced campaign and the underdog."

They also tend to be politically ineffective, to the extent that recipients don't always pay attention, don't actually receive the call, or are turned off by the incendiary tones or messages. Occasionally, campaigns will run robocalls that seem to be coming from the opposition because they know voters hate being bothered and will blame the perceived caller.

But this could very well be the playing field that the McCain campaign and RNC have to deal with. And as the campaign winds down, it would not be terribly surprising to see the robocall disparity between Democrats and the GOP groww wide.

If you receive a call yourself, let us know.

Comments

[kasinca]

07:49 AM on 10/17/2008

When you have nothing to offer, make something up and lie. That is the RNC and McSame.

[meede]

10:44 PM on 10/16/2008

You can tell they don't think ideas out. My sister got a call but her 7 year old daughter answered the phone after 3 rings, so answering machine picked it up too fortunately..

Her daughter heard the word 'bombing' and let out a blood curdling scream. Everybody in house went running in panic. My niece was unconsolable. Almost half hour to settle her down to understand what she was trying to say. No one could figure out what she was talking about other than a prank. By fluke someone went to family room and saw light flashing on answering machine. Now we knew.

If that man wanted respect and votes -- he sure as h.e.l.l. has corrupt ways to do it.

We have hit our telephone numbers for friends, business associates, club members and between 8 of us, made about 400 calls so far.

Dear McCain -- we've cost you some votes. You want to play stupid -- step up as I'm more a pit-bull that that b.i.t.c.h. running with you.

When you said in debate you didn't care about Ayres -- seems that's added to your long running list of lies. Anticpate tomorrow to make another 1,000 calls as others helping us now. Combining our telephone lists. More calls we make, more people giving us their telephone lists or helping us. We'll keep this up to election day. Live all across the Country. 14 states & counting.

Karma's a b.i.t.c.h. isn't it

[naeldwyck]

06:47 AM on 10/17/2008

you're my hero

[naeldwyck]

01:01 PM on 10/17/2008

I heard you made it onto CNN? good work!

[protagonia]

09:16 PM on 10/16/2008

The right would not be where they are without using guile and fear. It is their only tool.

[Nia1999]

08:12 PM on 10/16/2008

RNC "The New KKK"

[vippy]

07:46 PM on 10/16/2008

everyone please dial this number 202 863 8500. This is the phone number at the end of this
silly message, tying Ayres to Obama. Is McCain stupid????

[evgolightly]

07:07 PM on 10/16/2008

Obama can neutralize these calls with one good ad:

Obama standing, Biden sitting. Obama hits the 'play' button. Out spews the garbage. A clip of McCain saying that he'll run a clean campaign.

Cut to Obama and Biden ... yadda yadda yadda.

Every network will air the ad. It's really simple, and will make a bigger fool of Mccain than he's made of himself.

[naeldwyck]

06:49 AM on 10/17/2008

Obama can neutralize these calls with one well timed smile. Honestly, the less attention paid by Obama, the better. Follow meede's lead on this one.

[MarieLA]

06:44 PM on 10/16/2008

People actually listen to Robocalls? Whenever I hear that it isn't a real person I always delete those things without listening to them. So from my perspective it sounds like John McCain & the Republicans have cornered the market on the most annoying form of advertising out there and are using it in the sleaziest way possible. What a lovely bunch they are...

[shimane]

08:07 PM on 10/16/2008

Both sides do it. Only the side with the least $ is more likely to do it as they are so cheap.

You are right, they are not effective.

Shaun Dakin
CEO
StopPoliticalCalls.org

[ChandraSF]

06:20 PM on 10/16/2008

McCain has taken his talking points - on Ayers, Acorn, Wright, Town Hall meetings - from Sean Hannity. The RNC and McCain are so bankrupt they cannot come up with anything on their own. We have to thank Hillary for bringing up the same cr** eight months earlier, giving the Obama campaign time to launch effective counter offensives. Shows McCain will likely appoint Hannity to a cabinet position if he wins, or at the very least make him the WH Press Secretary (a la Tony Snow).

[Mugzi]

06:42 PM on 10/16/2008

Desperate people do desperate things...who knows what he'll do the next couple of weeks..if it wasn't so serious, it would be funny. Does he know what a laughing stock he is???

[denisefox]

06:16 PM on 10/16/2008

Following the "politics" in this cycle has left me in utter and complete disgust. McCain's hypocrisy should be apparent to anyone with 1/8 of a brain, yet, the popular vote still remains close. It makes me so incredibly sad that the general population is either:

(1) So entrenched in their thinking that they vote like robots, or
(2) Are so intellectually lazy they don't both to do the work to decide who they want, or
(3) Are racist and are therefore completely ignorant, or
(4) Are fooled into thinking that McCain will save them money.

When will the US wise up?
"Country First" and he picks Palin?
He says he doesn't care about an old "washed up terrorist" then unleashes millions of phone calls and hundreds of ads about the so-called "washed up terrorist"?
His campaign rhetoric incites death threats against Obama and HE wants an apology???
He knows Obama is not a terrorist, they know each other, yet - has Palin say he "pals around with terrorists"?

This is just wrong - we wouldn't treat our worst enemy this way. Why does anyone still continue to support. him. Here's a situation where I JUST DON'T GET IT.

[Whinger]

06:07 PM on 10/16/2008

No morals, simply corrupt, the shame of America!

[Icantbelieveher]

05:50 PM on 10/16/2008

Why do they act like spreading the wealth around like it's the same as giving everyone herpes?

I would like McCain to give me a list of Americans that are good enough to have a piece of the wealth. Does he have names of the 5% that deserve all of the money?

[Icantbelieveher]

05:44 PM on 10/16/2008

How pathetic does his campaign look now? He keeps saying he doesn't care about Ayers, yet he keeps bringing him up!

Like when you say you're over a divorce, but you keep bringing up your ex 11 years later!

Get over it and move on, McCain!

[Brian187]

05:09 PM on 10/16/2008

Do these calls ever go to cell phones? I don't answer my cell unless it's a number that I recognize, and I don't have a land line. Get with the times McCain. Next he'll start a wide network of blanket faxes going to people since he doesn't use email.

[shimane]

08:08 PM on 10/16/2008

Yes, they do. Millions of people who registered to vote and included their cell phone number are now getting robo calls.

Make sure you do not register to vote with a phone number.

Shaun Dakin
CEO
StopPoliticalCalls.org

[ginxy]

05:09 PM on 10/16/2008

We get at least 6 robo calls a day from the local and national gop. Annoying!

Every once in a while we get a live person. And that's when we pretend to be "undecided voters"!

"Time wasting". It's such a fun game! (aka time wastin' for the more folksy players).

The longer you keep the gop'hers on the phone, the less time they have to bother other voters.

What's your best score?

[KenCarylDem]

05:27 PM on 10/16/2008

That's great.

We get robocalls, but I thought they were micro targeted for only gop?

[That Guy]

04:57 PM on 10/16/2008

He might as well campaign by telegraph. This is one more example of how technologically illiterate the entire right has become.

[applespider]

05:20 PM on 10/16/2008

The GOP: A 20th Century candidate using 20th Century technology to advance an 19th Century agenda.

[shimane]

08:09 PM on 10/16/2008

Both sides do them. Sorry to say.

We have our robo call hall of shame from the Primaries at our website. Check it out.

Shaun Dakin
CEO
StopPoliticalCalls.org