Friendly advice
Friday, Oct 19, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Republicans have consistently bragged about the millions of phone calls they’re making on behalf of their candidates this year. But Will Caskey isn’t impressed.
Caskey owns an opposition research firm. He works for Democrats. He votes for Democrats. Yet, he was robocalled by Joe Walsh and then contacted by a GOP volunteer urging him to vote against state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, who doesn’t live anywhere close to him. Yesterday Caskey was robocalled by the Illinois Republican Party urging him to send in the absentee ballot application they mailed him, with some nasty stuff thrown in about President Obama.
Caskey’s lament…
I don’t know how I managed to get into your database of likely supporters for…well for whatever you Republicans get up to. The fact is, I don’t belong there. Ever. I don’t care how white and male I am or that I own a business or that I grew up in Louisiana or whatever other microdata you scrounge up (haha who am I kidding, you didn’t really do that! Nice one Pat).
I’m a Democrat. I’ve voted in four out of four Democratic primaries. My household is double 4/4 D. In layman’s terms (no offense, it just seems like you need this spelled out) it is likelier that I am going to spontaneously levitate and set people on fire with my mind than I am to vote GOP.
Not only that, I give Democrats money! I give them a LOT of money! They give me a lot of money too; the transactions are hardly unidirectional here. And on a final note: I didn’t get an absentee ballot. I didn’t request one. I’ve never, ever voted absentee. So that robocall you just sent me today urging me to remember to send in the absentee ballot you mailed me is, well, gibberish. All that nasty stuff you said about President Obama was also gibberish
Less focus on empty rhetoric and more focus on actually getting the job done right would probably be good advice here.
In other words, it’ll be tough to “Fire Mike Madigan” if you’re calling hard Democrats so many times and sending them absentee ballots.
- The Captain - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:43 am:
Friendly advice, this post should have been titled “Dear Oswego Willy …”
- Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:44 am:
Similar thing happened to me last night.
Dem in every primary, always vote dem, work for dems. Got a robocall from the Chicago Young Republicans about volunteering this weekend for Biggert…
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:44 am:
TC, I thought about that, but there’s really no need. I’m figuring he’s in danger of stroking out over this one as is, so why make it potentially fatal?
lol
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:46 am:
Woah … Is this post telling me that all those calls, to all thos voters, and all that bragging by the ILGOP might be … misguided?
Gotta vote YOUR “pluses” … Gotta be able to take all the good contacts, get return on all those “pluses” and have those calls be worth the time and energy that can be seen at the ballot box.
“I don’t get it … we all these calls … where are all our voters?”
I was waiting for this, kinda, to flesh out.
Way to go ILGOP, you are getting it done … for the Dems. Congratulations, your program of IDing “R”, and voting ‘em … is helping … MADIGAN … Oohh the irony is so tasty.
Thanks, Pat!
- Robert the Bruce - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:46 am:
Funny stuff. One hypothesis, but one that doesn’t fully excuse this - perhaps Caskey signed up for the Illinois Republican Party or Joe Walsh’s e-mail/mailing list, and they appended added their own list to the robocall list.
- Small Town Liberal - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:48 am:
Tom Cross: “Pat told me we were making lots of calls, you’re telling me we’re only supposed to be calling people that might actually vote for us? Shoot, oh well, watch this drive!”
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:48 am:
===TC, I thought about that, but there’s really no need. I’m figuring he’s in danger of stroking out over this one as is, so why make it potentially fatal?===
Family and friends have me on “Lifeline Medical Alert” till Election Day …the “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up,” people.
So, medically, I should be ok …but then you weigh Pat Brady and … Pat being Pat…
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:52 am:
I pulled GOP ballots in the 2012 and 2008 primaries and have not received a peep, not even a piece of lit.
Meanwhile, Harmon’s crew has knocked on my door twice.
- Greg Harris - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:56 am:
They robocall me too. They are particularly interesting in having me come on down to shake Mitt Romney’s hand when he is in the area. I just figured they had the HDems home phone list and were hoping for miraculous conversions.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:57 am:
As a GOP Township Chair in a township where we are a minority we are working to expand our base by calling and door knocking independents and (OMG) Democrats. We don’t expect Democrats to swoon with delight over our contacts nor do we sweep them off their feet in a single contact. But we are contacting them and if we don’t get hung up on, actually engage them and communicate. Some actually thank us for taking the time to call. Others will freely gripe about their party’s performance in governing and deficits. And the info we get about how committed or enthusiastic they are this year? Invaluable.
They discover Republicans wear no horns. And with technological improvements in call banking we do this without committing much in the way of resources or volunteers.
So yeah, Democrats, we want to talk to you. And we want to entice you to emerge from the darkness and see the light!
- soccermom - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:57 am:
I keep getting GOP calls and mailers. I love them. Way to waste your cash, guys — keep ‘em comin’!
- walkinfool - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 11:57 am:
Hear! Hear!
I might be as active and obvious a Dem as Will, and even held office as Democrat. Yet I have received at least 10 robocalls from Conservative PACS, GOP congressmen thanking me for my support (I am not in their districts), and various ILGOP candidates, for every one Dem campaign call.
My first thought was harassment, but it’s obviously just sloppiness.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:01 pm:
Representative …
You should send Pat Brady a note … you know, a real nice “Thank you!”
“Dear Chairman Brady, Thanks for the call. You list might need updating!”
- Will Caskey - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:03 pm:
To clarify here: My zip code is 60647, home phone area code 773. So this is some sort of massive data failure on geography as well as deciding for whatever reason that I’m an R prime instead of a D prime.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:05 pm:
===Some actually thank us for taking the time to call.===
Which Begat …
===keep getting GOP calls and mailers. I love them. Way to waste your cash, guys — keep ‘em comin’!===
Which leads to me looking for my “Lifeline”…
Shouldn’t the ILGOP be at the point now … of securing “pluses” if they are calling about RETURNING absentee ballots?
Yikes!
- Anonymice - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:10 pm:
I’m not so sure this is a bad strategy. You never know which robocall is going to cause Steve Brown to finally open his eyes and say, “They’re right! Madigan is the source of all evil in the world today!”
- Suburban Resident - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:12 pm:
“They give me a lot of money too; the transactions are hardly unidirectional here.”
Doesn’t this sound like an invitation to the GOP to outbid the democrats?
- billy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:12 pm:
In my state senate and representative distict, in Palos Hills, my only choice is a Democrat. No Republican, or anyone else is on the ballot, running for state senate, or rep. What choice do I as a voter have? No wonder Democrats run the state with Madigan in charge! Also the redistricting discouraged nondemocratic candidates from running in some districts! Democracy, not in Illinois!
- The Captain - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:14 pm:
Genuinely concerned for the health of Oswego Willy. Hurry up Obamacare!
- Esquire - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:15 pm:
This is a story?
It must be a really slow news day with reports that Jesse Jackson, Jr., may be going back to the hospital and Joe Berrios is supporting a local judge with mental health concerns and an upcoming trial for a misdemeanor arrest for judicial retention.
The subject of this post is no big deal to me. These things happen all of the time, especially with Robocalls. Unions typically share their membership lists with the Democratic Party and automatically assume that all union members always vote straight Democratic tickets. I have been invited to attend campaign rallies, to protest appearances by GOP candidates, and to contribute to candidates and campaigns that I oppose.
Over the years, I have received several letters from US Representative Schakowsky, who has never been my Congressional representative at any time, often seems unclear as to the boundary lines of her own district and sometimes sends mail into neighboring precincts. These letters went into the circular file. I also sometimes get political mailings addressed to family members who have died (it is still Cook County after all) or moved.
C’mon people. Sheesh.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:16 pm:
ILGOP CALLS RASIE PARTISAN VOTING - ILDEMS UP 3%
“And …’scene’ …”
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:16 pm:
Well it isn’t just a GOP thing…
Pct Committeeman, party official until not too long ago, wife is a election judge, early voting hard 4R household was getting mail daily from Linda Holmes… All the mail has been paid for by her committee, this isn’t some PAC screwing up.
Addressed to me, not my wife. So it isn’t a reaching out to women thing. Also not addressing the one issue I could have with the candidate running against her either.
A couple of phone calls too..
The really ironic thing is, she is literally the last Democrat I would ever consider voting for. I would vote for Bill Foster before her, heck I would vote for Derrick Smith before her.
Then again I have to say the picture of her in one of the mailers next to a small white board with the poorly drawn ABCs on it that has her holding a stack of notes while appearing to lecture a couple of kindergartners is one of my favorite mailer photos ever…
- ArchPundit - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:17 pm:
Oswego Willy–the ILGOP version of Chris Mathews.
- the Other Anonymous - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:18 pm:
A lot, I think, has to do with just how cheap robo calling has become. But even if it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s not a waste of money.
I’d be interested in hearing if the ILGOP targeting gets as screwed up with live calls or volunteer calls.
- Will Caskey - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
the Other Anonymous: the call I got from Nekritz’s R opponent was from a volunteer.
My verbatim response: “I live in Toni Berrios’ district. I think you need to tell your manager his call sheet is really really bad.”
- mokenavince - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
I wish Joe Walsh would robocall me,that way I could just vote against any one he recommends.
Joe Walsh could have found his niche in life.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
===Oswego Willy–the ILGOP version of Chris Mathews. ===
No Sanrk … but, how?
Medical Update …
My twitching right eye has stopped twitching …
My left eye is now twitching twice as fast the the right eye use to twitch, but the right eye twitch … gone.
That was your Oswego Willy … Medical Update
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
Well Will, the other option is someone decided to mess with you…
- anon - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
I live in the suburbs, am a Hard R, and I got a robocall from the Democrats for a candidate nowhere near me, so these data problems cut both ways. Maybe both parties should stop the calls.
- Skeeter - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:23 pm:
Let’s step back a second — two robocalls?
Is there anybody who really thinks that robocalls are effective? That they are good use of money?
On election day to GOTV, maybe.
Any other time? I’m not convinced. As soon as I realize it is a robocall, I hang up.
Seems like a lot of money wasted generally, before we get to the “calling into the wrong district” thing.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
====Well it isn’t just a GOP thing…
No, incompetence is everywhere, but I have noticed more Republican calls going to Dems this entire cycle. From the primary on, my wife has been on the Romney and R SuperPac call lists. She once pulled an R ballot like 8 years ago.
I don’t know that it’s enough to mean much and it may be it just makes throwing all this cash around hits a wall of effectiveness. I’m not sure. However, I have a hypothesis that the transfer of so many resources from the Republican Party nationally to SuperPacs has created a data mess.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:26 pm:
===No Sanrk … but, how?
After the first debate he about stroked out over how the President’s performance was so bad. I’m sure it’s on YouTube if you want a good laugh.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
Here’s a link. Give him a few seconds to get wound up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z303YXnQDKU
- just sayin' - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
Everyone knows Pat Brady and the IL GOP are making their phone call numbers up out of thin air. Lot’s of annoying robocalls. Live volunteer calls, not so much.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
===Well Will, the other option is someone decided to mess with you… ===
NO JOKE … Thought Rich made a side deal with Pat Brady, Cross, and Rutherford …
But I’d like to think Rich sees me like Sam Giancana saw Sinatra …”I don’t wanna kill ‘em, I like the way he sings ‘Chicago’…”
You aren’t looking to “ice” me, are ya Rich???
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
- ArchPundit -
Awesome! Got it!
Hilarious!
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:35 pm:
Actually Willy, that was directed at Will Caskey
Willy, someday I am going to get Tom Cross golf tees printed up and have a gross of them delivered to you.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
===Willy, someday I am going to get Tom Cross golf tees printed up and have a gross of them delivered to you.
===
Actually, I was thinking we could all pitch in and send him to a Cross golf outing. lol
- Wensicia - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
Robocalls are like someone throwing a barrage of darts, blindly, at a wall, hoping one or two will hit a target.
- Responsa - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:37 pm:
If this thread is to illuminate how utterly annoying to voters and how useless (if not outright detrimental) to campaigns most robocalls are, then hear hear! If, however, the thread is to laugh and point and suggest that most of the idiocy and inappropriate messages and geographic mismatches are coming from just one side, then it is a fail. I’ve been the recipient of bizarre robocalls in the last two weeks which suggest that my surname and/or (non political) contributions or perhaps something I haven’t figured out yet have gotten me on some very wrongheaded “lists” that make us laugh.
- Shore - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:39 pm:
This is one voter. files aren’t always accurate. I’m not a fan of springfield republicans but fire madigan is great stuff.
- CU Voter - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:41 pm:
Sure was better when Rodney Davis ran the effort!
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:42 pm:
===Actually, I was thinking we could all pitch in and send him to a Cross golf outing.===
The “Caption Contest” would be the stuff of folklore and legend …
- OneMan -
You know I like ya, but at times you give me the “Billy Batts” treatment… you give me the “nod” then you hit me with the peverbial “shine box” zinger following. You are a repubican and part of my party and I am glad we are both trying to make it better.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:44 pm:
“We at the ILGOP are systematically … randonly calling the 10 digit phone numbers that make the call go to a dial tone …”
Well, if they are going to waste money, at least you can break it all down to cost per call … which is nice …
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:45 pm:
Willy, us 308 Republicans have to stick together…
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:51 pm:
Amen, - OneMan -…
- Responsa -,
You are 100% correct, and in no way do I think goofy things like this ain’t happening to the Dems. My point … all I hear is this ILGOP Phone Banking / 2 million calls …how the outreach is beyond all … etc. Now, I have been questioning my ILGOP … How is that going to lead to votes … and this is the outside feedback I hear … specifically … about this subject.
So, I am responding to it as such, but that doesn’t mean I think it is only the ILGOP … but I am concerned that this is THE party’s Ace in the Hole …
Yikes!
- Joe Bidenopoulous - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:51 pm:
I too am a hard D, might’ve pulled an R ballot in ‘98 or something but that would’ve been the last time, and I’ve gotten quite a few robos from R’s as well.
But it’s not just the calls. Apparently they’re not so good with their Comcast microtargeting either - I’ve seen ads for several suburban-only R’s and I live in the city. But that could always be chalked up to Comcast’s incomeptence too
- Professor X - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 12:55 pm:
===Actually, I was thinking we could all pitch in and send him to a Cross golf outing. lol===
But what if Oswego Willy is busy on Election Day?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:01 pm:
=== ===Actually, I was thinking we could all pitch in and send him to a Cross golf outing. lol===
But what if Oswego Willy is busy on Election Day? ===
Winner.
Winner.
Chicken.
Dinner!
- Thomas Sanders - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:10 pm:
What ever happened to the bill to ban political robocalls?
- in the know - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:19 pm:
I have to say that the new GOP data center, seems pretty pathetic. I’m an elected GOP precinct committeeman and I ended up NOT being on the list at all, whereas a DEM friend, elected official and DEM precinct committeeman has been called and mailed repeatedly, a similar 4/4D. GOP has always lagged organizationally compared to the Dems who rely heavily on union sponsored people power, but we’ve always been comforted that we brought more technical competence to the dance. I see no evidence of the latter this cycle.
- TooManyJens - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:19 pm:
Archpundit:
=== However, I have a hypothesis that the transfer of so many resources from the Republican Party nationally to SuperPacs has created a data mess. ===
Not to mention straight-up grifting.
- Responsa - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:24 pm:
And you don’t suppose any of the list sellers or data compiling firms are dishonest and just out to make a buck from campaigns, do you?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:28 pm:
- in the know -,
I think the question is not the technical competence …of the ILGOP. The ILGOP has overall INcompetence … so take solace in that.
If we give the ILGOP the benefit of the doubt … how many calls of the millions called … are just a waste? Wonder how the ILGOP is going to measure this as a Victory in GOTV Outreach?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 1:30 pm:
===And you don’t suppose any of the list sellers or data compiling firms are dishonest and just out to make a buck from campaigns, do you?===
“That is outrageous!”, said Roger Stanley ….
- GOPJon - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 2:07 pm:
And I still cannot seem to unsubscribe from the DCCC emails. I receive a barrage of appeals. I’ve called, even spoken to a polite Dem staffer who promised to remove me.
I work for Republicans, vote Republican, and am a former Republican elected official.
Such is life.
- Lakewood-Balmoral - Friday, Oct 19, 12 @ 2:26 pm:
I’ve heard more and more of this coming out of the North Shore more than anywhere else. Hard Dems up there have been getting fundraising calls from Romney, Robos from Greenberg/Friedman, even yard signs put in their yard by Dold. Could it be an attempt to cast a really widenet in hopes of forcing ticket splits?