# GOP Dirty Tricks: Harassing "False-flag" Robo-calling
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [November 7, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369 "2006-11-07T00:04:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/1 "2006-11-07T00:04:07Z")
The Republican election committees are apparently engaging in a multitude of vote supression tactics [involving robo-calling](http://www.wmur.com/news/10239713/detail.html) that starts out purporting to be giving information about the Democratic candidate(s) in a given district’s race. They start out like that, then become negative phone ads about that candidate. The problem being, the calls are often deliberately made at inconvenient or infuriating times, and most people don’t listen long enough to be told that the calls are being made by the Republicans. People are left with the impression that the Democratic candidate is calling at 4AM. Multiple times…the robo-caller often calls the number that just hung up on it immediately.
[Daily Kos](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/6/1717/68014) also has an entry about Democratic voters receiving calls that threaten them with arrest if they arrive at a polling place to vote, Democratic voters receiving calls purportedly informing them of the proper polling place to use (but turn out to be false), and fliers distributed in majority African-American neighborhoods that say “Skip This Election”, causing some voters to call their Board of Elections to verify that the election will still be happening.
I’m seeing NOTHING about similar tricks from Democrats, even in right-wing blogs (where you’d think that, as per usual, they’d just make crap up about it). Can any of our right-wingers here defend this kind of activity, some of which is being done with little apology or shame by the official Republican election committees?
---
### Author:  [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/2 "2006-11-07T00:16:00Z")
My understanding is that the FCC regulations on this sort of thing require that the caller identify who is paying for the ad at the beginning of the call. For that matter, placing any robocalls at all to people on the Do Not Call list is illegal in New Hampshire, and the GOP placed a ton of the misleading robo-calls up there.
I guess the plan is to win the election now and pay the fines and/or fight the lawsuits later. Excellent leadership there.
The real question is why the major media outlets haven’t picked up on the misleading robo calls yet. My guess is that they’re waiting for something vaguely comparable to show up on the Democratic side so they can write a “Both sides resort to dirty tricks in heated election” story, and avoid the usual squawking about the Liberal Media.
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### Author:  [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/3 "2006-11-07T00:24:53Z")
Here’s a relevant story about outright election fraud.
> **[Examiner is back - Examiner.com](https://examiner.com)**
>
> Examiner.com is the go-to source for millions of people who want to know what's happening in their city. And we're still growing!
---
### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/4 "2006-11-07T00:34:56Z")
[QUOTE=DoctorJ]
My understanding is that the FCC regulations on this sort of thing require that the caller identify who is paying for the ad at the beginning of the call.
[/QUOTE]
I’m going to need a cite for that because that’s the first I’ve heard of it (though it has been common for these long robo-calls to have the funders listed at the end, presumably after any reasonable person has already hung up).
[This cite](http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/009152.php) mentions the tactic being used in 53 races across the country, including New Hampshire, New Jersey, Montana, Maryland, Ohio, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Washington.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/5 "2006-11-07T00:36:17Z")
[Misleading campaign flier](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/6/192457/153) in Maryland. Steele and Ehrlich are now claiming to be Democrats!
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/6 "2006-11-07T00:40:20Z")
Oh yeah? Well, Al Gore once made a fundraising call from the White House! And, and, and, Hillary Clinton, uh, has a big ass! Where’s your outrage at that! Huh! Huh!
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/7 "2006-11-07T00:48:34Z")
[Here](http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/11/06/arizona_voters/)’s a story on Republican-sponsored voting regulations that demand restrictive ID protocols more likely “to disenfranchise members of Democratic-skewing groups – blacks, Latinos, the poor and college students.”
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### Author:  [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/8 "2006-11-07T00:50:44Z")
Ah yes- Republicans, the “whatever it takes” party.
Every day, it seems, I’m just amazed at how much they can get away with.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/9 "2006-11-07T01:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=Plan B]
Here’s a relevant story about outright election fraud.
> **[Examiner is back - Examiner.com](https://examiner.com)**
>
> At Examiner.com we help you excel personal finance, boost income, invest wisely, travel smart, reach financial freedom faster, and enjoy life on a budget.
[/QUOTE]
That is not actually relevant to the OP.
But, you knew that.
---
### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/10 "2006-11-07T01:40:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Daily Kos also has an entry about Democratic voters receiving calls that threaten them with arrest if they arrive at a polling place to vote, Democratic voters receiving calls purportedly informing them of the proper polling place to use (but turn out to be false), and fliers distributed in majority African-American neighborhoods that say “Skip This Election”, causing some voters to call their Board of Elections to verify that the election will still be happening.
Ah, yes, the Republican old reliable…racist intimidation. Why is it that you never seem to see this kind of criminal scumbaggery from the Democrats? The Pubbies really are getting desperate. We really need to put some teeth into the penalties for this kind of thing. The GOP just sees paying fines as a business expense.
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### Author:  [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/11 "2006-11-07T01:47:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The GOP just sees paying fines as a business expense.
With fines of up to $500 _per call_, the business could be going bankrupt soon.
---
### Author:  [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/12 "2006-11-07T02:19:27Z")
An acquaintance reported a relative receiving VOTE DEMOCRAT flyers with the names of republican candidates on them. I don’t know if they are in Maryland.
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### Author:  [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/13 "2006-11-07T02:33:21Z")
What does it tell you about the Republican Party that they promote democracy abroad while at the same time systematically disenfranchising US citizens at home? The word “hypocrite” needs to be retired in favor of something more descriptive.
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### Author:  [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/14 "2006-11-07T02:47:46Z")
[QUOTE=Plan B]
Here’s a relevant story about outright election fraud.
> **[Examiner is back - Examiner.com](https://examiner.com)**
>
> At Examiner.com we help you excel personal finance, boost income, invest wisely, travel smart, reach financial freedom faster, and enjoy life on a budget.
[/QUOTE]
While I’m sure that ACORN are bad bad people, and I will happily thrash them soundly once actual evidence is provided, would you perhaps humor me and provide a cite that isn’t an opinion piece from the pres of the Capital Research Center? Maybe someone with more than 1 degree of separation from Scaife? It can be difficult separating the fact from the fiction from such sources (or sometimes finding any actual facts at all).
---
### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/15 "2006-11-07T03:12:51Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay]
The Republican election committees are apparently engaging in a multitude of vote supression tactics [involving robo-calling](http://www.wmur.com/news/10239713/detail.html) that starts out purporting to be giving information about the Democratic candidate(s) in a given district’s race. They start out like that, then become negative phone ads about that candidate. The problem being, the calls are often deliberately made at inconvenient or infuriating times, and most people don’t listen long enough to be told that the calls are being made by the Republicans. People are left with the impression that the Democratic candidate is calling at 4AM. Multiple times…the robo-caller often calls the number that just hung up on it immediately.
[/quote]
That is just so incredibly sneaky and underhanded. I have to admit, I kind of like it.
> [@](#):
>
> [Daily Kos](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/6/1717/68014) also has an entry about Democratic voters receiving calls that threaten them with arrest if they arrive at a polling place to vote, Democratic voters receiving calls purportedly informing them of the proper polling place to use (but turn out to be false), and fliers distributed in majority African-American neighborhoods that say “Skip This Election”, causing some voters to call their Board of Elections to verify that the election will still be happening.
>
> I’m seeing NOTHING about similar tricks from Democrats, even in right-wing blogs (where you’d think that, as per usual, they’d just make crap up about it). Can any of our right-wingers here defend this kind of activity, some of which is being done with little apology or shame by the official Republican election committees?
Maybe if we sent Rove to Iraq and appllied this kind of Machiavellian guile to the mideast things would be going much better.
On the other hand, maybe the Republicans really **aren’t** doing any of these and it’s really a double blind where the Democrats are just making the accusation before the election to make the Republicans look bad and to energize their base.
In which case I kind of have to admire that and wonder if maybe we shouldn’t let the Democrats win so they can apply these sneaky underhanded machiavellian manipulations to the Middle East, bringing us peace and prosperity through perfidy.
Hmmm. Only one more day till elections are over. Thank God.
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/16 "2006-11-07T03:14:52Z")
It is bracing to have a cold splash of cynicism, lest our ideals become worn by use.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/17 "2006-11-07T03:37:20Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator]
It is bracing to have a cold splash of cynicism, lest our ideals become worn by use.
[/QUOTE]
We can get plenty of ideals from the Republicans. Hardly used, at that!
**Scylla** , these reports are coming in from over 20 districts. The NRCC(?), I believe, has admitted they’re doing this. I have no idea how you can continue to support and defend the idiots in the Republican party who have completely given up any semblance of ethics or morals in favor of attempting to continue their hold on power at any cost. I _used_ to respect you. I _used_ to like you, although that was more for your non-political writing than your conservative viewpoint. You’ve followed the Republican party down into the cesspit, and in a way I’m sorry and disappointed at that.
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### Author:  [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/18 "2006-11-07T03:50:02Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay]
**Scylla** , these reports are coming in from over 20 districts. The NRCC(?), I believe, has admitted they’re doing this. I have no idea how you can continue to support and defend the idiots in the Republican party who have completely given up any semblance of ethics or morals in favor of attempting to continue their hold on power at any cost. I _used_ to respect you. I _used_ to like you, although that was more for your non-political writing than your conservative viewpoint. You’ve followed the Republican party down into the cesspit, and in a way I’m sorry and disappointed at that.
[/QUOTE]
Jayjay, my friend, perhaps this political season is leaving us all a little testy. I had hoped to interject some humor by posting my admiration facetiously.
With all true sincerity, I find the tactics you have described to be morally despicable an unworthy of any honest man, patriot, leader, or human being, regardless of political affiliation.
I also hope sincerely that the Democrats win the House, though I confess I find it unlikely and only give them about a 1-4 shot. Nevertheless, I will be voting to to move Democrats into power.
The last six years have shown me that control of all three branches by a single party is, IMO, undesirable. I beleive split control will lower the acrimony and level of polarization between the parties by making them need each other. They will be forced to work with each other and treat each other with a modicum of respect. More, split control will temper extremism.
Those are my sincere feelings on the issue.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/19 "2006-11-07T03:54:35Z")
[QUOTE=Scylla]
Jayjay, my friend, perhaps this political season is leaving us all a little testy. I had hoped to interject some humor by posting my admiration facetiously.
With all true sincerity, I find the tactics you have described to be morally despicable an unworthy of any honest man, patriot, leader, or human being, regardless of political affiliation.
I also hope sincerely that the Democrats win the House, though I confess I find it unlikely and only give them about a 1-4 shot. Nevertheless, I will be voting to to move Democrats into power.
The last six years have shown me that control of all three branches by a single party is, IMO, undesirable. I beleive split control will lower the acrimony and level of polarization between the parties by making them need each other. They will be forced to work with each other and treat each other with a modicum of respect. More, split control will temper extremism.
Those are my sincere feelings on the issue.
[/QUOTE]
Then you have my apology. I missed the irony, and I’ll admit the fault was most likely on my part. It’s been a really unpleasant six years.
---
### Author:  [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-dirty-tricks-harassing-false-flag-robo-calling/379369/20 "2006-11-07T04:00:29Z")
[QUOTE=Scylla]
I also hope sincerely that the Democrats win the House, though I confess I find it unlikely and only give them about a 1-4 shot.
[/QUOTE]
Really? I’m kind of surprised – I’d thought most people, Republican and Democrat alike, had come to the conclusion that the House was pretty much a lock for the Democrats at this point. I have great faith in the Democrats’ ability to drop the ball horribly, as they frequently do, but it would really take a spectacular Chicago Cubs style fuckup at this stage. Wouldn’t it?
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