Somehow I got on the WRONG phone list.

[ShazzieB]

Last edited Sat Jul 16, 2022, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)

I just got the funniest phone call from someone raising money for Harriet Hageman, Cheney's (Trump endorsed) primary opponent! I have no idea where they got my name and number, but they asked for me by name, so it wasn't just some random thing.

When I confirmed that I was indeed the person he was asking for, he launched right into his spiel (as they always do, talking a mile a minute, so that you have to decide whether to rudely interrupt, hang up on them (which also feels rude) or hang around and wait for them to finish. When the first few sentences made it clear that he was representing a GOP candidate, I was so highly amused that I decided to stick around.

I was treated to a nice little speech about how wonderful Hageman (supposedly) is and how Cheney is a "problem for the whole country," concluding with "We are asking Repulicans to donate...will you help?"

By the time he got done, I was stifling giggles, and when he asked if I would donate, I was ready with my reply, which went something like this (said in the friendliest, most pleasant tone I could muster):

"No, I will not help. I don't know how you got my number, but I am not a Republican. I'm a Democrat, one of those evil liberal socialist Democrats that you guys (i.e., Republicans) like to dump on. And I think Liz Cheney is doing a great job with the January 6th Committee. So please take me off your calling list."

I must say he reacted very nicely. I'm pretty sure he was a professional fund raiser rather than a Republican operative, and my thinly veiled sarcasm didn't seem to bother him in the least. He promised to take me off the list, and we concluded the call on a cordial note.

I would love to know how I got on that call list, but I expect that to remain an unsolved mystery. I live in a state where you do not declare a party affiliation when you register to vote, which means there's no central registry of who's in which party, but I don't know if that had anything to do with my being called and asked to donate to a Republican candidate. But I'm not sorry it happened. I found it quite entertaining, which is why I'm sharing this story.

Sincerely,
ShazzieB ⬅️ NOT a Republican, now or ever!

[relayerbob]

1. Maybe you did a survey at NewsMax or some other RW operation?

They've done that here, but I just assume they look for white men over 60 to call, as a fishing expedition.

[ShazzieB]

5. Hmm..

Never been to Newsmax and I usually avoid RW sites like the plague. But I have done surveys on some "vanilla" websites. I suppose that's a possibility!

[relayerbob]

7. Yeah, they sneak polls in all over

I’ve done them on occasion, when I suspect they are rw, just to mess with their data

[Abnredleg]

2. I got the very same call!

And I’m a registered Dem in NC. I have gotten on some Repub mailing lists over the years and I suspect it’s because I’m a veteran.

[questionseverything]

3. They buy the voters list, it doesn't know if you are a d or r

[barbtries]

4. you're too polite.

consider how rude it is for some stranger to barge into your time and prattle off a bunch of bullshit into your ear. but i'm glad that in the final analysis you got a kick out of it.

i don't answer calls if i don't know the caller, and don't even have voice mail on my landline. i like it this way.

[ShazzieB]

6. I usually don't answer those kinds of calls, either.

For some reason, I just happened to pick this one up, and I'm not at all sorry I did.