GOP 'volunteer' calls my house - how to handle in future?

[KidneyStoner]

We got a call tonight from a GOP volunteer. I let the machine pick up the call since we're unlisted and I wasn't in the mood for chit-chat.

But we heard a person identifying themselves as "Kathy" extolling the virtues bush/cheney ticket and I couldn't resist. Like a moth to a flame. Guess the opportunity to converse with a breathing wingnazi was just a little too much.

She asked me if I was voting for her boys and I said nope and then she asked if I considered myself pro-life or pro-choice which is a damn silly question to ask a man but hey, that's just me. Kathy then asked if I was concerned that the Democrats would raise my taxes and I thought that was a damn silly question to ask a man still recovering from four years of unemployment and medical nightmares (always a potent combination).

So my two answers quickly ended Kathy's questions. Must have a little tree that they look at. No to the first two and you can move on. Interesting that they're filtering on abortion and taxes.

How would you handle this kind of call?

[gratuitous]

1. Maniacal laughter

Then I'd give 'em Matcom's home number.

[faithnotgreed]

2. sounds like you did great to me! welcome to du kidney

just counter them with cool and with facts

its a lethal combination

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Waste as much of their time as you can.....

Before dropping the bomb on them.

[DrMath]

4. hahah, exactly

that's what I do to the mormons in the van who come to my door. one of these days I'm going to end up in the back of the van, if you know what I mean.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Hmmm. Maybe if you weren't a man, they wouldnt have said the 'A' Word...

How to handle? Hmmmm. You could pretend to be insane, that's always fun... or act interested long enough to let her spiel on and on (maybe holding the phone at arm's length while you fix some pasta or somethin'...) Ask her for really obscure, specific information and tell her it might be crucial to your making up your mind.. then enjoy the fun as you listen to her frantically try to find the answer.. "Why, yes, I'm an undecided voter. And I've got family from Equitorial Guinea. Can you please tell me what Bush's exact policy is regarding that nation's trade deficit? I need hard numbers."

The more time of hers you waste, the better.

[kwolf68]

6. Hmm

As far as the tax question I would go

"Well, they may raise my taxes...how the hell else are they to finance the war?"

[wyethwire]

7. Kidney Stoner - what is your voting history

Most campaigns have sophisticated means to sift through voting history - people who voted in past Republican or Democratic primaries.

I find it interesting that Republicans are phone banking someone like yourself who is a strong Dem. The must be doing a bad job of screening their voters

[KidneyStoner]

17. I'm registered as an independent but ...

I've voted Dem for the last 20 years.

I've worked with registered voter databases in Ohio - seem to remember that party affiliation was listed on primary elections. So you could find registered GOPs that voted Dem and so on ...

Guess in my ramble-about way I'm wondering why they called. Since I'm unlisted they must be casting a wide net.

[beyurslf]

8. Keep them on the phone for as long as possible

ask as many questions as possible
request follow up calls
request they mail you information

get them to spend as much time and money on you as possible.

[tedoll78]

10. BINGO.

If we tie them up, that's fewer people that they reach. If we get them to mail us things, that's less money that they have to spend on other, more variable voters.

[Joe Turner]

14. Great Idea n/t

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

9. You got push polled dude

Yeppers.

[LiberalFighter]

15. Yes it was a push poll... surprise it started so early

[FloridaPat]

11. I got the same call and gave pretty much the same answers!

[comradebillyboy]

12. hang up

you don't need to be polite to people who intrude on your privacy

[iwantmycountryback]

13. I always think of this

When somebody asks me if I would vote for Bush, for some reason this always pops into my head:I'd rather put my dick in a blender!

[LiberalFighter]

16. Do you have Caller ID?

If so report it to your local and state Democratic Party... even if there is no phone number report it to the Party so they know it is happening.

[KidneyStoner]

18. Came up "Blocked Call" but I emailed our county Dems n/t