Here’s something new for me to be crotchety about:

We got another “Vote for Me for Governor” robo-call tonight (during dinner).

Our phone number is on the do-not-call list. Now, I know politicians saw fit to exempt themselves from having to honor do-not-call lists, but it seems to me that any political marketing consultant with half a brain would figure that, if someone has gone to the trouble to put themselves on the do-not-call list, they probably do not want any unsolicited calls, even if they are from a tape recording promoting someone who is running for office. Especially at dinner time.

In any case, we will never be moved to vote for someone because of a robo-call. On the other hand, it is very easy for us to decide to vote against someone because they spammed us with a robo-call. (If this is an example of their decision-making abilities, I don’t want to ever see them in a position that will allow them to make further decisions that will affect my life. Or dinner hour.)

Isn’t the first rule of running for office, “Don’t piss off a potential voter”?

On a related note: When will one of these candidates get a voice coach who will help them read a script so that...

• it doesn’t sound like they are reading a script,
• It doesn’t sound like the first time they ever saw or read the words, and
• they come across as having enough interest and energy in their subject that, if elected, they could verbally debate others on my behalf at some point in the future.

So anyway... is it just me who finds this sort of “campaigning” counter-productive? It must work, otherwise people running for office wouldn't waste their money on this service. Have any GEBBers ever decided to vote for someone because of a unsolicited pre-recorded robo-call?

End of current rant (for now).

I have yet to get one of these goofy calls. For this particular election season anyway. They are an intrusive pain and I usually just hang up on them.

I was on the Do Not Call list when I had a land line but I wonder. I retired my land line number and now have only cellular service.

Do these Robo-Calls land on cell phones too?

Most cell phones have unique area codes and/or exchanges that reveal that the number belongs to a cell phone, and telemarketers are not supposed to call cell phones. (At least that's the way it was several years ago.) When we had a 'real“ cell number, we never got any unwanted calls.)

However... a few years ago ”number portability” was introduced which allowed you to cancel your land line service and move its number to a cell phone. We did that with our old land line ”second line,“ so our cell phone now has the old 630-469- number. It gets lots of unwanted calls, even though its on the do not call list.

The cell phone is rarely on though, so all I see is a list of missed calls and voicemail messages which I neither recognize, listen to or return. Not a bother.

We get at least a couple of these a day. You wonder what kind of person's vote would be swayed (favorably) by one of these calls. And is depressing to think that such a person's vote counts for as much as yours.

I have noticed that we have been receiving a lot of calls in which the caller ID lists the caller as "Illinois caller." I have not been answering them, and no message is left. I'm hoping these die down after the elections.

Ted - I did the exact same thing. Transferred my long-time land line number to a cell phone.

Just recently, when the contract ran out on the old thing, I retired the number.

But you're correct. While that number was landing on a cell phone, just about ALL of the calls were junk calls.