Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

Showing Original Post only (View all)

mcar

(46,062 posts)
Mon Oct 19, 2020, 06:58 PM Oct 2020

My Florida Text Banking shift: well, that was depressing [View all]

I do regular text banking in FL for Team Biden. Until today, we were focusing on vote by mail ballots, encouraging people to return them ASAP. The response was wonderful.

Today, we shifted to encouraging early voting, makes sense since it started today here. However, the text bank was open to all voters.

The whole thing is automated, with scripts to respond to the textees responses.

I did 600 texts. Fully 90% of them ranged from "hell, no, I'm voting for Trump" to "Fck you, socialist. Biden is a pedophile and Harris is a ho."

I responded with the standard responses, one of which is "Sorry, I'm just a volunteer." That elicited one, "sorry, I shouldn't have responded like that," but several others "fck you socialist" and worse.

The other texters, from all over the country, were getting similar replies. I stopped after an hour. I didn't need another hour of that abuse. The contact person expressed sympathy but added that some Rs are voting for Biden. I didn't see that at all.

I'll be back at it again tomorrow and hope for a better response.

65 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Why do they have you encourage Republicans to do early voting? LisaL Oct 2020 #1
Good question. cwydro Oct 2020 #13
I asked that mcar Oct 2020 #33
Don't they normally utilize phone #s of potential Biden voters - not just random voters? Drunken Irishman Oct 2020 #2
Even if those are just random numbers, 90% of them shouldn't be Trump voters. LisaL Oct 2020 #5
When we do this locally, we use VAN, which directs us to mcar Oct 2020 #34
That would depress anyone having that kind of vitriol thrown their way. chowder66 Oct 2020 #3
The scary thing was the uniformity of it mcar Oct 2020 #35
That's creepy. Everything regarding Trump is creepy. chowder66 Oct 2020 #56
Why are you encouraging Republicans to vote at all? PTWB Oct 2020 #4
The theory, from what I was told when I complained, mcar Oct 2020 #36
That's a reason I didn't phone bank vercetti2021 Oct 2020 #6
It's why I don't phone bank either mcar Oct 2020 #37
Your team should be calling only Dems. marybourg Oct 2020 #7
And for what purpose are they encouraging Republicans to do early voting? LisaL Oct 2020 #8
Seems ridiculous. And it also seems like marybourg Oct 2020 #10
Exactly. LisaL Oct 2020 #11
Agree. marybourg Oct 2020 #12
I see pics of trumps airport rallies and have to wonder about the polls also. riversedge Oct 2020 #53
In theory, they should have identified friendlies long ago. Renew Deal Oct 2020 #25
Yup. This sounds very strange to me. marybourg Oct 2020 #28
I'm not assuming the worst Renew Deal Oct 2020 #29
Dems and NPAs - that's what I said mcar Oct 2020 #38
No way I can handle calling these people if they're targeting the same group with phone banking Native Oct 2020 #58
If this keeps up, I'll go to some of the other text banking options mcar Oct 2020 #59
Bad decision on their part. If team gets demoralized that marybourg Oct 2020 #60
Yes, exactly! mcar Oct 2020 #62
That's discouraging Ananda62 Oct 2020 #9
Thanks. I'm hoping they'll adjust the system. mcar Oct 2020 #41
Thank you for fighting the good fight. Laelth Oct 2020 #14
I am so sorry UpInArms Oct 2020 #15
How many texts did you actually get back? Music Man Oct 2020 #16
That's a good question mcar Oct 2020 #42
90% of all voters were like that? Wow. I'm so sorry. mucifer Oct 2020 #17
90% of the replies mcar Oct 2020 #43
Ohhhh that makes me feel better. So dems might have ignored the text THANKS! mucifer Oct 2020 #47
I ignore these kinds of texts all the time mcar Oct 2020 #52
I text a "thank you for volunteering but Unsubscribe" and the texts stop Until I donate mucifer Oct 2020 #54
That's a good reply mcar Oct 2020 #55
Sounds like they gave you the prospect list, and not the hot list. Baitball Blogger Oct 2020 #18
I assume that you did not get 540 texts back? MaryMagdaline Oct 2020 #19
We don't get independents and those we text can't text us back. They text to a number which is the Demsrule86 Oct 2020 #22
Uggh. MaryMagdaline Oct 2020 #23
This message was self-deleted by its author Music Man Oct 2020 #40
No, sorry, I wasn't specific mcar Oct 2020 #44
What part of Florida? marmar Oct 2020 #20
All of Florida. mcar Oct 2020 #45
I do texting in Ohio. We send texts to Democrats only. Demsrule86 Oct 2020 #21
This is what I asked mcar Oct 2020 #46
Sounds to me like posting a phone number asking for obscene phone calls. rzemanfl Oct 2020 #24
I do not understand UCmeNdc Oct 2020 #26
Yep. mcar Oct 2020 #48
Poor organization. Phone banking/text banking should target... brush Oct 2020 #27
That's what we were doing with the mail in ballots mcar Oct 2020 #49
Instead of "I'm a volunteer", maybe try "I'm sorry I thought you were an American" lostnfound Oct 2020 #30
Republicans for Biden is the most overrated theme of this cycle Awsi Dooger Oct 2020 #31
Please join a different text banking operation if you can. Here are some links: diva77 Oct 2020 #32
Thanks for this mcar Oct 2020 #50
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the devoted work and for the crap you've a kennedy Oct 2020 #39
Aw, shucks, a kennedy mcar Oct 2020 #51
Cook has Florida in the toss-up column at the moment. shrike3 Oct 2020 #57
I honestly have had it with the text messages Trenzalore Oct 2020 #61
I would think the campaign would have clean voter lists by now. brooklynite Oct 2020 #63
The state and county Dems certainly do mcar Oct 2020 #64
Sound like you had an R list JCMach1 Oct 2020 #65
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»My Florida Text Banking s...