# I just got a phone call from John McCain **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 2, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439 "2000-11-02T20:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/1 "2000-11-02T20:05:38Z")
It was on my answering machine, and I’m sure it was just a _recording_ of John McCain, but there it was. A phone call from John McCain. He was telling me all the reasons I ought to vote for George W. Bush. This is the first time I’d heard of presidential campaigning being done through telemarketing. Did anybody else get a telemarketing vote-for-Bush or vote-for-Gore phone call? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/2 "2000-11-02T20:36:37Z")
I got a telemarketing call on my voice mail telling me to vote for Bush. Christ, at least the Gore people aren’t calling my fucking house. If I were an undecided voter, this might have caused me to NOT vote for Bush. As is, I wasn’t planning on it anyway, and kinda wish I was at home so I could tell the woman that I voted for McCain in the primaries precisely because I hate her candidate so damned much. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/3 "2000-11-02T20:39:25Z")
Aw shit, I live in a swing state . . . No, I think this kind of campaigning is entirely inappropriate and should be banned as part and parcel of any campaign reform law. If McCain wants to call you himself, in person, and talk to you, fine. But a recording? Nope, nope, nope. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/4 "2000-11-02T20:56:02Z")
Libby Dole left a message on our answering machine. I dunno, I thought it was kinda cute. > [@](#): > > Christ, at least the Gore people aren’t calling my fucking house. I thought Ed Asner was calling people for Gore? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/5 "2000-11-02T21:22:47Z")
I thought it was kinda cute how McCain’s recorded voice told me about Bush’s “plan” for reform versus Gore’s “agenda” regarding reform. “Agenda” has that nice, sinister feel to it that you just don’t get from a boring word like “plan”. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/6 "2000-11-02T21:28:40Z")
I get calls roughly twice a week from both the Repubs and the Greens. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/7 "2000-11-02T23:06:16Z")
Are they from real people, **stuffinb** , or pre-recorded? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/8 "2000-11-03T13:15:58Z")
Rats! I’ve never gotten a phone call from anyone famous! I’m with you, though. I can’t STAND telemarketers! And aren’t the Republicans the ones who want to ban unsolicited phone calls from marketers??? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/9 "2000-11-03T14:28:24Z")
During the primaries I had a message left on my machine by a recording of Alan Keyes, and a recording of one of our Senators. At my house whe have been push polled once and legit polled twice. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/10 "2000-11-03T14:34:28Z")
Ed Asner called me! It started out as something for seniors, so I hung up, all the time thinking of sqrlcub. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/11 "2000-11-03T17:28:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*Ed Asner called me! It started out as something for seniors, so I hung up, all the time thinking of sqrlcub. \*\* But was he calling for Gore or Bush? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/12 "2000-11-03T23:28:36Z")
My history professor got a letter in the mail from Barbara Bush saying that he should vote for her son because “I’m his Mama and I know what a nice boy he is.” ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/13 "2000-11-04T03:53:54Z")
I got one too. A recorded message from a local politico saying to support him and his good buddy Bush. It included a soudbite about how they want less government and the Dems do not. I wish I got that call and it was a real person. I would ask why they want less government, but not in a uterus? * * * Yer pal, [Satan](http://www.members.tripod.com/jmspoofe/sdmb/satan.jpg) \*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING: Six months, three weeks, five days, 1 hour, 55 minutes and 20 seconds. 8363 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,045.40. Extra time with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 1 day, 55 minutes. **David B used me as a cite!** \* ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/14 "2000-11-04T06:04:46Z")
I got three today, one on my answering machine at home and two on my voice-mail at _work_. The two at work were urging me to vote for Rick Lazio, one from his mother-in-law and the other from a local semi-political big shot. At home I got Ed Koch telling me that the Republican phone messages that were going around were all lies, and that I should vote for Hilary Clinton. At least that’s what I think they were saying in the few seconds before I could jab my finger on the delete button after hearing those metallic voices start speaking. It really pisses me off that the candidates and their surrogates are wasting _my_ electrons (not to mention my time) with this crap. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/15 "2000-11-05T01:15:22Z")
In the course of my business day I sometimes talk to people who have been hit up for campaign contributions. I haven’t heard of actual campaigning calls, though. The Republicans want to outlaw telemarketing? Guess I should vote for Gore, then… a vote for Nader could turn into a vote to put Mr2001 out on the street. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![murano13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dec6dc/32.png) [@murano13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murano13)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/16 "2000-11-05T01:48:18Z")
I’ve recieved calls from both the Democrats and the Republicans. The Republican caller wanted me to vote for Bush, and chattered for a while about how he was so great, while the Democratic caller just asked me to vote Democrat. As far as I could tell, they were both live people talking. I live in Michigan, a big swing state, and have gotten tons of campaign telemarketing, ever since the primaries. I always listen all the way through; because they really tick me off, and I like thinking that they’re wasting time on someone who’s not of voting age. It’s the small victories. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/17 "2000-11-05T12:15:27Z")
Got a telemarketing recording of Carl McCall’s voice advocating Ms. Clinton for senate. Keeping up with my policy of being rude to telemarketers, I hung up immediately (though I will vote for McCall for governor of NY). ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/18 "2000-11-05T15:46:41Z")
Got two more yesterday, one from McCain and one from Laura Bush, who sounds about as mentally deficient as her husband. If I get one more, I’m calling the number they leave and telling them that they just lost my vote, even though I have been planning to vote for Gore the entire time. I feel bad that McCain is doing this. I can’t see it being something he’d actually WANT to inflict on people–he’s just kissing the Party ass so that he can gain favor. This whole thing is sad, because I probably would have voted for McCain if it were him running instead of Dubya. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/19 "2000-11-05T21:06:32Z")
I just came from the [IWON]([http://boards.iwon.com/eshare/server?action=190&PAGE=16&BOARD=54&ARTICLE=500257721&START=0&RANGE=15&](http://boards.iwon.com/eshare/server?action=190&PAGE=16&BOARD=54&ARTICLE=500257721&START=0&RANGE=15&) EXPANDFULLY=0&EXPANDBRANCH=0&ASORT=65541&BSORT=4) message boards where people are rather disgruntled (yes, they’ve all had their gruntles removed) about Ma Bush making telemarketing-style phone calls to peoples’ homes in the evening. They all seem pretty irritated that Ma Bush needs to stoop to that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439/20 "2000-11-05T23:57:08Z")
Aren’t telemarketing calls using recordings illegal? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-got-a-phone-call-from-john-mccain/39439.md?page=2)