Earlier this week, I received an automated phone call to my home from Michael Carter, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor in Missouri. His pitch:
“If you would like to stop other politicians from calling you, visit my web site and add your name to the National Political Do Not Call Registry.”
His call piqued my interest for several reasons:
- As an ordinary citizen, I like the idea of being able to register my name and phone number on a list as a means of preventing politicians like Carter from calling me;
- As a political junkie and former campaign manager, I appreciate the simplicity of his approach in that it uses a seemingly-legitimate premise as a platform upon which he can build his campaign database of likely voters; and
- As a sane human being who thinks it’s way to early for a lieutenant governor candidate to be calling, I especially liked the part of the message in which he included a promise that he would not contact me again on this matter.
Remember, Carter’s call came several days ago.
Today, I received another automated phone call. From Carter. His prerecorded message was identical to the one I had heard days earlier. Same offer, same promise. Apparently, the Democrat will live up to his telephonic promise not to call me again ONLY IF I register my name, phone number and e-mail address on his web site. In other words, his do-not-call ploy is merely an offer to trade phone calls for e-mails and snail mail.
While the National Political Do Not Call Registry web site lists Carter as one of only four candidates nationwide who has taken the Do Not Call Pledge, I list him as the first politician to violate a campaign promise made to me this year.
Result: I won’t be voting for Michael Carter, the Democrat whose web site proudly proclaims the following in a front page-topping headline:
Carter takes stance on robo-dialing — interviewed in Kansas City on Channel 9 ABC affiliate.
Click here to view the full 10-minute television interview of the so-called ANTI-ROBO-DIALING CANDIDATE who has twice ROBO-DIALED my number to tell me about his position on the matter.
20 responses so far ↓
1 Always On Watch // Apr 19, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I get such phone calls all the time, no matter that I’m registered with “Do Not Call” and am far, far away from Missouri.
Thank goodness for Caller ID!
2 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 19, 2008 at 12:33 pm
AOW — The truth is that politicians are exempt from the no-call laws; hence, the paper tiger that is the NPNCL has no “teeth” for enforcement.
3 Chad Carter // Apr 19, 2008 at 3:52 pm
The above story is slightly off. Mike Carter’s MISSOURI POLITICAL DO NOT CALL LIST is separate from the NATIONAL POLITICAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY — We provides a link to the National list as a courtesy.
Signing up for CARTER’s is painless and is a simple form at the bottom of his DO NOT CALL PAGE — We DO NOT require any address, e-mail or anything aside from the registrant. We only need the phone number.
http://www.michaelecarter.com/Do%20NOT%20CALL%20form.html
Chad Carter
chad@vote4carter.com
314-591-0169
4 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 19, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Chad — The fact remains that Michael Carter is using this ploy to collect info. Even if a person gives only a phone number, the campaign can do a reverse look-up by number and, in most cases, obtain a name and address to add to the campaign mailing lists. Unlike the do-not-call law, the National Political Do Not Call Registry has no “teeth” in the form of a law to back it up. It’s being operated by a non-profit. By hooking it into a campaign, it exploits what most people count as a positive (the do-not-call concept) for personal political gain.
5 Chad Carter // Apr 19, 2008 at 4:37 pm
We obviously have the call-recipient’s number already. And, we most certainly have the recipient’s address and more — as do most all campaigns.
My position is — other candidates WILL be calling you (much later in the 2008 cycle) and WILL NOT offer you a way to tell them to stop.
It may seem like a ploy (or be one), but we will do what we say and honor a Political Do Not Call request. We truly hope other candidates will honor the list as well.
Respectfully,
Chad Carter
chad@vote4carter.c314-591-0169
6 » Missouri Politician Exploits Do-Not-Call Registry NoisyRoom.net: Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace. Amelia Earhart // Apr 19, 2008 at 5:15 pm
[...] From Bob McCarty Writes: [...]
7 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 19, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Chad,
You don’t have the numbers of everyone who stumbles upon your site, do you? And you’ve already broken the promise you mention in the last paragraph of your comment above — you’ve called me TWICE!
8 Chad Carter // Apr 19, 2008 at 7:30 pm
It cannot be the case that you registered your phone number. We “scrubbed” our list against all of the registrants as late as 2 p.m. Friday (yesterday) the 18th.
If you registered with Mike Carter’s MISSOURI POLITICAL DO NOT CALL list before then, you could not haver received a call.
And, most everyone visiting the site would be those who were prompted by a phone call.
Again, please visit http://www.vote4carter.com; click on “DO NOT CALL INFO;” then go to the bottom of the page and enter your number.
Respectfully,
Chad Carter
chad@vote4carter.com
314-591-0169
9 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 19, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Chad — If you run your campaign like you argue your case, you’re gonna lose. I never said that I registered my phone number. I simply trusted what Michael Carter said in his recorded message the first time he called: “This will be the only time I contact you.” (paraphrased). When he called me the second time, he violated that promise.
10 Chad Carter // Apr 20, 2008 at 7:10 pm
In the most sincere way, I would like to know why you wouldn’t allow my last two entries.
Chad Carter
314-591-0169
chad@vote4carter.com
11 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 20, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Chad — You’re on the verge of being comment spam. Give it up and go away.
12 Shaun Dakin // Apr 20, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Hi,
I run the National Political Do Not Contact Registry and have testified in front of the US Senate regarding robo calls and their impact on voter’s lives.
The bottom line is this:
Politicians have no regulation in the nation (well there are a few at the state level but they are rarely enforced) that forces them to stop calling you, anytime, anywhere.
Mike Carter is calling you. It is his right, as a politician. The first amendment allows him to do that.
However, Mike Carter is going above and beyond most every other politician in the nation.
He has created his own Do Not Call list and is pledging not to call voters who register at his DNC list.
This is something that I do not believe ANY OTHER politician in MO is doing, let alone any other politician in the nation.
Is it perfect? No. Would it be best if politicians stopped calling altogether? Probably.
But, in a campaign where some candidates have all the “big money” locked up, robo calls are often the only way that a candidate with little name recognition and resources can get the word out about who they are.
Mike Carter is making the calls AND then giving voters a way not to get called again.
I call that progress and I call that a courtesy that, frankly, he does not have to honor.
But he is.
Regards,
Shaun Dakin
CEO and Founder
StopPoliticalCalls.org
13 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 21, 2008 at 5:41 am
Shaun — It appears, however, that he’ll keep calling me until I finally succumb to his pressure and register. Kinda defeats the purpose, huh?
14 Shaun Dakin // Apr 21, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Yes, he is unlike any other MO politician and giving you a way to opt out of his calls.
Go to any other politician’s website and try to find a “do not call” option.
They will not have them.
Why? Because politicians are exempt from every do not call list in the country, mostly because of first amendment issues.
So, again, while it would be ideal for politicians to stop calling altogether, that will not occur (at least in 2008).
Mike Carter (whom we do NOT endorse as a candidate) has given voters a way OUT.
For that he should be commended.
Regards,
Shaun Dakin
CEO and Founder
StopPoliticalCalls.org
15 hotoffthepress2 // Apr 21, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Shaun — If he truly wanted to be a “saint” of a politician, he should call once and be done with it. Better yet, maybe he shouldn’t call at all. Yeah, I like the sound of that.
16 Shaun Dakin // Apr 21, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for the chance to comment.
All the best,
Shaun
17 Stuart Kahler // May 10, 2008 at 10:14 am
This tactic seems like a tricky way of getting people to visit his website. He’s going to continue robo-calling me until I go visit his biggest advertisement and give up my personal information. The only thing it’s done is convince me to vote for whomever is above or beloaw him.
18 scott stevens // Jun 15, 2008 at 8:37 am
so far, this jeark has left 3 messages on my machine, starting , I believe in april ?
at this point i definitely dont want to vote for him.
19 Chad Carter // Jun 20, 2008 at 3:53 pm
He’s the only candidate that doesn’t lie and doesn’t answer to special interests or corporate America. He makes robo calls for free and, at least, thought to offer voters an opt out.
Chad
20 hotoffthepress2 // Jun 20, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Hey everybody, Chad’s back.
Leave a Comment