Why are Republican campaign offices making harrasing phone calls to voters?

Question

In at least 53 competitive House races, the National Republican Campaign Committee has launched hundreds of thousands of automated telephone calls, known as "robocalls."
...
Each began, "Hello, I'm calling with information about Lois Murphy," the Democrat running against two-term incumbent Rep. Jim Gerlach in the Philadelphia-area district.

"Basically, they go on to slam Lois,"

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5625121&nav=1TjD

Is it bad enough that Republicans are not only going negative, but they have to make harrassing phone calls with misleading introductions and break the law to do it? Is their last-ditch winning strategy?

It's harrassing because if you hang up before the message is over, they call you back. They are using computers to do it, not just people at phone banks.

And they are fraudulent because they don't start by identifying who they are really from, instead they start with "I have information about so-and-so" who is the person they are actually against. So people would associate the democrat with the harrassing phone calls when it was really being sent by a republican-run computer.

not at all the same thing as regular phone canvassing, so the republican apologists here are wrong.

it's all moot now anyway.

Answer 1

Just more fraud.

I saw that report on the web tonight also. Very dirty tactics.

The saddest thing about this election is if you ask people the wildest thing you can think of, say "Have you heard that Bush raped both his daughters while Laura watched and bragged about being behind the 9/11 attacks?" There response is that they are not surprised.

How low can the nation fall that such wild rumors, and that's all they are, there is no proof, elicit no surprise?



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Answer 2

I don't know about what you are describing. I heard a report on NBC Nightly News about Republican phone campaigners making automated hang-up calls to Democrats' phone offices. The strategy was to tie up the lines so the Dems could not get their message out. A Republican leader acknowledged that they were violating the law by making harassing calls. I believe some kind of prosecution followed.

Answer 3

You have to be living in a cave or have one heck of a party life where you never see TV to not see the dirt the democrats are throwing as well. Democrats are calling my house with "Hello this is Bill Clinton and I would like a moment of your time....."

I go with the facts which are easy to check on the Internet at the House and Senate sites not campaign sites.

Personally I have been registered under 3 parties, democrat, independent and republican. So I know first hand - they all campaign but it is up to the individual to not run a dirty campaign.

Answer 4

the repubs have gotten into this style of campaigning because it works - althought the cost to thier credibility is suffering in the long run -
here in California, Tan Nguyen claims he didn't know his employee sent 14,000 some odd letters to warn Hispanic American citizens that they might be arrested for voting IF they are illegal - effect? to intimidate - not Tan's fault?
do you want people who claim they don't know what their workers are doing as thier excuses?
A convienient republican style little white lie to get 'em off the hook- so what else would a person like this do if elected?
"Oh - I didn't know my secretary took a Duke Cunningham sized bribe from a lobbyist! etc etc.."

dishonesty will bite them in the 4ss before they are ready for it -
it always does

the phone from any repub might even be to say to dems - "it's ok to vote on Wednesday - they will keep the polls open for you till then, so, no need to rush out on Tuesday"

WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS

Answer 5

I can't believe that no one is defending the supposed "negative" ads by saying IT IS NOT NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING WHEN YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH.

Negative campaigning should be reserved for outright lies (which admittedly there are a few).

Answer 6

The lunatic left is just as guilty, if not moreso. In fact, ultra-lib group moveon.org is planning (I BELIEVE either today or tomorrow. I'd have to recheck) a MASSIVE telephone campaign.

Answer 7

You ever see that little button on your phone that stops the dial tone, or ends a conversation? Just push it.

Answer 8

Just because you disagree with the message hardly means it's "harassing." Republicans are going after votes. Why does this shock you?

Answer 9

watch tv before making a claim like this..i see several commercials of democrats bashing republicans over issues...whether phone call or on tv..its all dirty politics and both parties are guilty

Answer 10

they certainly cant run on the issues. attacks and misdirection are all they have left.