--- In [email protected], "jyouells2000" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > Here's wishing the U.S. well on election day. I have > > > no idea how this one is going to turn out, but hope > > > for the best, as I'm sure many here do. > > > > > > But just in case things don't turn out the way we > > > hope, I think it's about time to remember a wise > > > quote by Joseph Stalin, "Those who cast the votes > > > decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide > > > everything," and throw those Diebold machines back > > > into the swamp they emerged from. > > > > Actually, it's likely to be more "Those who decide > > who votes and who doesn't decide everything." > > > > Voter suppression of various kinds has been going on > > all across the U.S. > > > > One of the more egregious examples is the > > Republicans' massive "robocall" effort, in which > > voters are robodialed and hear a recorded message. > > The messages begin, in a very upbeat tone of voice, > > "I'm calling with information about [name of > > Democratic candidate]." Then there's a little pause, > > after which the message proceeds to say very > > negative, and frequently dishonest, things about the > > candidate. > > > > Many voters hang up after the first sentence. If > > they do, the robodialer immediately dials their > > number *again* with the same message, over and over, > > up to a dozen times in some cases, or until the > > voter listens through the message to the end (at > > which point it says it was paid for by the > > Republican National Congressional Committee). > > > > In some cases these calls come in in the middle > > of the night or the wee hours of the morning. > > > > But voters who hang up after the first sentence > > are very likely to think the message comes from > > the Democratic candidate; and when they're called > > over and over, one call right after the other, > > they'll assume the candidate is harassing them. > > > > If they don't hang up, of course, they hear the > > negative message about the candidate. > > > > So the robocallers win either way. > > > > Democratic candidates' campaign offices have been > > virtually swamped with complaints, with voters > > saying they aren't going to vote for the candidate > > because they've been so infuriated by the repeated > > calling. Some will vote for the Republican out of > > spite, others won't vote at all. > > > > This is going on all over the country in an > > obviously coordinated manner. > > > > Democratic candidates have been using robocalling > > as well, but they've been playing by the rules, > > calling voters only once with a given message, and > > announcing at the beginning who is responsible > > for it. There have been no reports that I've seen > > of Democrats doing it the way the Republicans are. > > > > Some of the newspapers have had articles on this, > > including the NYTimes and the Washington Post, but > > none of the network news broadcasts have covered > > it (cable channels CNN and MSNBC have, the latter at > > some length last night on Keith Olbermann's > > Countdown). > > > > There is no question that this is a massive vote- > > suppression tactic by the Republicans. But there > > are hundreds of others going on as well. > > > > And God only knows what's going on with the voting > > machines. But the voter suppression by itself is > > enough to swing the tight elections (of which there > > are many). > > "Democratic candidates have been using robocalling > as well, but they've been playing by the rules, > calling voters only once with a given message, and > announcing at the beginning who is responsible > for it. There have been no reports that I've seen > of Democrats doing it the way the Republicans are." > > I got the Democrat robo calls against Santorum and Sherwood at least > 20 times each on each of 2 phone lines. > > You got a report now.
That's against, rather than for, and at least they identified themselves at the start, or so I assume, since you obviously didn't wait til the end 40 times. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
