I have to second that. Robo calls are for shut ins who want somebody to talk to them...even if it's a voice in a can.

I'm not sure about this -- as many said few will sit through such calls (as for me, I check caller ID and don't pick up calls from unknown), people say it's not effective (any research?)... it could be counter-productive if people find robocalls annoying whoever the caller is.

But it's not a hate call (of course!) so I guess it won't hurt the campaign's credibility when attacking them for their robocalls (then again, stupid MSM may be dancing an equivalency dance yet again?)

Robocalls are the new Black.

guess all i can say is they've taken each step correctly so far. i wish they wouldn't do this, though -

maybe it's one of those deals where it's not really flood-the-telephone-lines, but rather more getting MSM to pick it up and play these calls against the others . . .

This sounds awfully close to Jeri "Watermelon," Is this a real name? This could become an unfortunate joke.

A robocall against robocalls. Works.

Here's my problem, and this is a start to its answer: McCain, Palin and the surrogates are chorusing that Obama, the media, the pollsters, and the thinktanks are telling Americans that the election is over, when it's voters that determine the outcome. Yet at the same time, the McCain camp tells Americans that they're not running sleaze, they're running truth, despite all the surveys of voters saying that they are in fact running sleaze, and that it's a disgrace. A high-profile name needs to make that point, and make it explicit.

If Obama does not counter the robocalls with Robocalls there could be the perception that if he doesn't rebut it something about it must be true or that he doesn't care what the voters think... I think that was Kerry's mistake vis a vis Swiftboating - that shit was so outrageous he figured no one would believe it!
As long as Obama only points out that McCain is being negative and he lies about me, I think it should be fine. Of course I dont know anyone who sits through a robo call :)

I sat through my first robocall in forever today (like everybody else, I usually hang up right away). But this time, the voice was so calm and pleasant-- it was Michelle Obama letting people know that they can vote early. That was it. Very upbeat and informative. Kind of refreshing...

I'm all for pushback but if they are not that effective in the first place, how are more of them more effective?

Frankly, I think Biden's line today, were it to get MSM traction (a big *if*), is more effective.

But, seriously, so far, whatever Obama touches pretty much turns to gold so...

Well, it gets a voter who switched 'because' of the 'sleazy' robocalls to provide testimony so I guess they are taking a chance that a few others who hated the nasty robocalls will agree.

Don't like them myself. I wonder if it is truly necessary.

Jeez guys - I don't like calls, but I also remember how much howling there has been for Obama be tough and I do think his tactic of answering every smear in some way - not leaving it hanging out there - has worked.

Remember Kerry? Remember he let all that shit hang out there and how devastating it was?

I have no idea what the effectiveness of these calls is but it is pushing back against McLame's calls in kind.

"0.3% more votes." Heavens to murgatroid, I'm losin' it.

Florida Go. Charlie Crist calls McLame-Palin's socialist accusation bullshit: "Crist was asked about the attacks from many McCain supporters that Obama is advancing a 'socialist' agenda.
" 'I imagine different people have different definitions. I don't think it looks that way to me,' he said" (Politico).
The point is Crist is somehow de-endorsing McLame. With that, McLame's Florida boat is sinking.

Early voting a boost for Dems

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-21-early-voting_N.htm

don't do it!

Al-Qaeda support McCain:

Sen. John McCain is the better choice because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said. "Then, al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."

Read the whole story here:

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1852749,00.html

The final nail in the coffin? We can hope....

You do know McCain sleeps in a coffin don't you..?

It's not the worst tactical move the Obama campaign could choose, I suppose, but doesn't something like this give rethugs more of an excuse to peddle the 'Both sides are guilty' meme. I mean, they were claiming a rough equality in negative campaigning when virtually all of it was coming from McLoony; now Obama is risking putting himself on that debased scoreboard. However righteous this particular robo-call may be, I don't quite see the point of giving even marginal support to the MSM 'Moral Equivalency' fantasy?

Yeah...at first, I was a bit ambivalent about Obama resorting to Rethug tactics...now, for purely pragmatic reasons,ie; they don't fucking work,
I'm against That One going down that route- especially at this stage of the end-game. McSlime is a dead duck, any way you look at it. I mean, folks in Penn. are scratching their heads in pure bafflement, wondering WTF McScum is doing there, (basically, he's conceding that his only chance is to win Penn, which he most certainly will not do)...I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I think this is going to be a landslide. About goddamn time, too...

Did anyone call that phone number yet? I will call it later (it's 5:38 am). At the end it states the call was paid for for by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. I think either it was a hoax or was some sort of cheap audio made by volunteers. At any rate, I detested it. I truly do not think Axelrod or Plouffe or anyone in the Chicago HQ would have paid for it.

what is up with drudge's picture today? less than two weeks left, gotta get out the race card out. i think it will only feed into palinblicans.

I wouldn't call it "blistering." Seems to me it stated the "facts" as perceived by one voter. Green Bay is a huge battleground area. If it's being broadcast, maybe it's up there. Lots of people mispronounce names. And maybe lots of people are "confused" about who to vote for at this point.

We right now have a chimney being worked on (tuck-pointing). The subcontractor doing the work, I swear to God looks just like Joe the Plumber. Kind of scary actually. My husband tried to convince him for Obama yesterday. He seems to believe mcShame will help him with health care - or something. But he admitted he's "confused." He works on his own, has no family, no health care. And for all I know a robo call like this might make a difference. Hard to say. It doesn't really give "info" except to take a stand against sleazy ads.

If it's genuine, I assume they must have tested it out on some people... some average uncommitted folks low info folks in WI. Truly, WI does not like negative campaigning. So it might work in WI. Many Germans here. The last name could be for real.

(I may try it out on the contractor later. But truly... he's a scary-looking guy.)

The call doesn't seem that effective. It does however seem like a message purely for McCain, just to get under his skin. I truly beleive deep down that it is killing McCain to be running this kind of campaign, considering himself so honorable and all.
Everytime somone asks him about his campaign you can see his blood boil. I think on the last day he will lose it if someone asks about the tone of his campaign. "Or do you regret....." This call gives the media just one more reason (among thousands) to ask himn about it.

I'm a registered, independent voter and not once in this whole election cycle have I received one smear email or robocall from the McCain campaign.

I guess John McCain really doesn't care about us regular people.

No more robo calls, please!!! Why not putting up ads. The Obama camp has money and, for the sake of our economy, they need to spend the money.

I actually think that we should outlaw robo calls of all kinds, political or commercial. They are too intrusive. Just imagine if you are a night-time worker who needs a good daytime sleep everyday in order to be able to work.

I, too, hangup on robo calls...all of them! For the McCain camp, far behind the Obama campaign in funds, robo calling is cheap. Of course the real attention getters are the insane claims made at Republican red-neck rallies. If the claims are absurd enough, MSM will repeatedly broadcast replays of the lies for days. Much less expensive than even robo calls. Only problem is: Most of McCain's fanatics are watching Dancing With the Stars or Bill Dance Bass Fishing Tips when the propaganda is replayed. We may hold particular demographics in contempt, but their vote as dictated by their bias and pastors negates ours.

How many folks actually welcome ROBOCALLS?

that's what I thought....

NONE of these clowns deserve the right or priveledge of representing American people and this democracy. They're scumbags...

How about everyone getting a kitty together and we can just mass Robocall both of these campaign leaders and employees....

We could just put the numbers on endless repeat and allow them to receive the same treatment that they're dishing out... unwanted and undeserved intrusion to our days and evenings...

Trouble is... these folk will NEVER actually represent our interests,,, they are opportunists who only do what furthers their OWN agenda...

Get RID of the republicans and democrats in office, folks, because BOTH MOBS are destroying this nation of ours,,, they are just destroying it from both ends at once... IMHO