# Why don't the Democrats call or send me mail?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [September 20, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233 "2012-09-20T03:05:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/1 "2012-09-20T03:05:35Z")
I am NOT complaining. I hate coming home to 4 messages (I don’t get expected calls on my line) or getting 4 identical dead tree mailings from the Republicans. I don’t need double. And I would understand if Obama were operating on people knowing his name, and so sent out 10% the mail. No, the ratio is like 10-15 mailings a week to 0, and 2-3 calls a day to 0.
I also would understand if I live in a state that the Democrats have given up for dead, or are so sure of victory they don’t need to advertise. But no, I am in a “battleground” state (NV). Obama one by a little bit in 2008. 538 has us blue, but not to an extent that it’s a sure thing.
The same goes for non-Presidential elections. I think I’ve gotten one piece of mail from the (D) Senate candidate, and mostly calls from her rival. Also a state Senator candidate sends stuff, but his party is not listed by choice or law, the only clue is that he is endorsed by the Republican Governor.
So anyway, what’s the deal? Do the Democrats use different media that I’m missing. I don’t watch TV but that’s maybe more equal.
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### Author:  [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/2 "2012-09-20T04:04:55Z")
You or someone in your household got on a GOP list. Donate to Obama and you will get all of the mail and phone calls you could want.
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### Author:  [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/3 "2012-09-20T04:13:21Z")
Did you register to vote as a Democrat?
I’ll gladly send you all my calls/mail if you want. But be careful what you wish for, because I’m pretty much in _the_ most saturated campaign area possible. You might’ve heard of us…
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/4 "2012-09-20T04:24:18Z")
Sounds like a challenge. Iowa?
I have been registered “Decline to State” or whatever it’s called here for my entire life. Independent. I am the politician bait (“let’s get the undecideds!”)
Obama’s warchest is huge though. Couldn’t he afford, just in case, to send it to Republican registered house once per month? RINO hunting, if you will.
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### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/5 "2012-09-20T05:12:58Z")
You would think that both sides would be especially bad about this, but the Republicans seem especially tenacious at fund raising. The former owner of my house has been very dead for around a dozen years. He still reliably gets fund raising mail from various Republican groups. In contrast, my wife gave to Obama’s campaign, and we haven’t received any fund raising mail from the Democratic side at all. Maybe he was just a perennial donor, and they’re wondering why he never writes any more, but they should probably let it go.
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### Author:  [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/6 "2012-09-20T05:26:09Z")
I was registered Democrat in Nevada in 2008, and got very few emails or phone calls until after I donated to Obama in 2012. Now I get 5 or 6 a day from various Democrat campaigns.
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### Author:  [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/7 "2012-09-20T07:02:26Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> Sounds like a challenge. Iowa?
No, my vote counts more than that. Think _Bush v. Gore_ and the tri-county area it focused on. Yeah, sorry 'bout that…
But hey, we were still the most reliably blue county in the most reliably blue area in the state, so _we_ weren’t the ones responsible for electing Bush. We only got all the attention because we were the most important electoral area in the most significant swing state. [/defensive]
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/8 "2012-09-20T07:33:40Z")
Besides the emails I get from Obama, Biden, Michelle Obama, the ghost of Ted Kennedy, etc., etc., I donated to Elizabeth Warren and I get mail from her too.
In fact I donate twice as much if they’d promise that the calls would drop in half.
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### Author:  [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/9 "2012-09-20T11:05:29Z")
I don’t get phone calls, but I do get a lot of emails, most likely because I donate occasionally. By a lot, I mean at least 10 a day.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/10 "2012-09-20T13:24:01Z")
I don’t get any phone calls either. But I don’t have a land line anymore.
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### Author:  [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/11 "2012-09-20T14:50:20Z")
You apparently don’t live in Connecticut. Every election I get an automated phone calls reminding me how I must vote Democrat, as a Republican victory will surely mean utter destruction of everything that families are working for. I always get one the day before, and two on the day of the election. I might have gotten a Republican phone call, and simply tuned it out, but I don’t think so. I deliberately register as unaffiliated so that I wouldn’t get any messages from either side – but it hasn’t worked. And yes, I’m well aware that the do not call list doesn’t help – political messages are too important for us to miss. But I’m kinda right wing, and don’t really appreciate the 3 times an election Democratic party cramming its message down my throat. I don’t go around typing up Democratic supporters chairs and playing loops of Fox News until they scream.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/12 "2012-09-20T15:25:05Z")
After the election in 2007 just as a joke I applied for a job on Team Obama or whatever the hell they called it. Basically anyone could elect to join, Kal Penn style, and participate in all the wonders of the Obama presidency.
Since then I have regularly received communications from them. They were very keen to get me to Charlotte this month. Barack wrote me. Why Michelle herself sent me an email.
> [@](#):
>
> Dear Xxxxx,
>
> Barack and I can’t wait until we’re all in Charlotte for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
>
> From our convention week kickoff – CarolinaFest 2012 – to Barack’s acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday, September 6th, more Americans than ever before will be a part of this convention. And I want you to be there, too.
>
> …
>
> Hope to see you in Charlotte!
>
> - **Michelle**
I “accidently” left a hard copy on my desk at work. Fooled a few people who didn’t know that I think all politicians in the major parties are hypocritical, lying, self-serving frauds.
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/13 "2012-09-20T18:25:47Z")
It’s not a matter of living in a battleground state or not. I live in California, and I get tons of mail – and email – from Democrats. I think I get at least one email from the Obama campaign asking for a donation every single day.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/14 "2012-09-20T18:33:57Z")
> [@Arkcon](#):
>
> You apparently don’t live in Connecticut. Every election I get an automated phone calls reminding me how I must vote Democrat, as a Republican victory will surely mean utter destruction of everything that families are working for. I always get one the day before, and two on the day of the election. I might have gotten a Republican phone call, and simply tuned it out, but I don’t think so. I deliberately register as unaffiliated so that I wouldn’t get any messages from either side – but it hasn’t worked. And yes, I’m well aware that the do not call list doesn’t help – political messages are too important for us to miss. But I’m kinda right wing, and don’t really appreciate the 3 times an election Democratic party cramming its message down my throat. I don’t go around typing up Democratic supporters chairs and playing loops of Fox News until they scream.
So there spending millions of dollars, and I see one forecast gives Obama an ultra low rate to win in CT: 98.7%!!! I bet half the state’s voters would change their minds on election day if they didn’t ad blitz (actually, I’d bet most would, you you offered them punch and pie on the way to the booth, courtesy of one candidate.)
Here, it’s 82.9% they say, but that doesn’t mean 50% is the ultimate purple state. My state is also 2nd on the “Return on Investment Index” metric, so turning voters would be a good idea.
And as I say, I really hope they don’t do some sleuthing to track the real me down and inundate me with crap. It’s just an odd situation.
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### Author:  [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/15 "2012-09-20T19:49:28Z")
I’m in a solidly Red state that has no chance of going for Obama, but I’ve been getting at least 2 emails a day from the campaign. Right now they want me to contribute for a chance to win dinner with Barack & Michelle.
I’m assuming it’s because I went to their website and bought a bumper sticker the other day.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/16 "2012-09-20T20:07:40Z")
I did some volunteer work for WI Democrats a few years back – didn’t give them any money.
Now I get 3 or 4 emails a day from my buddies Barack, Michele, Joe, etc. Right now they’re pitching another “have dinner with the President” lottery ticket for $5 or “whatever I can afford.”
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/17 "2012-09-20T20:17:01Z")
I’m in a bit of an odd situation. I’ve recently moved from one of the most important Senate states, to the most important Presidential state, but I haven’t bothered to change my cell phone. So I’m getting a fair number of phone calls, but they’re all irrelevant: I _would_ vote for Tester, if I were still there, but I’m not, so I won’t.
I’m not sure which side the folks calling me have been from, since the conversation ends when I tell them I’ve moved, but I’m guessing it’s Democrats.
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### Author:  [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/18 "2012-09-21T01:50:16Z")
I have had 100% success with getting off campaign email lists with the simple reply:
> [@](#):
>
> Please note, you have sent a fundraising e-mail to someone who is not a resident of the United States.
>
> I suggest your campaign more closely scrutinize your email lists as soliciting campaign donations from foreign citizens is a violation of applicable US law.
>
> Please remove my email address from your organization’s lists.
Oh, the joys of living abroad.
Much to my consternation one of my email addresses started getting campaign material after I had contacted the office of a certain election official to express my opinion on a piece of legislation. I replied in a most irritated manner that this elected official was using official constituent communications to build a fundraising list and I felt that was abusing his office. Fundraising emails ceased.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/19 "2012-09-21T14:11:52Z")
I got this email just last night from Barack. We’re buddies, and send email back and forth all the time.
> [@](#):
>
> Jim –
>
> As we’re organizing the last dinner with supporters on my last campaign, our kind of politics is running up against a very cynical calculation:
>
> That a few billionaires writing $10 million checks are enough to overpower the voices of millions of Americans.
>
> That’s why I want to meet you for dinner.
>
> Donate $5 or whatever you can to our people-powered campaign, and be automatically entered to join me – hotel and airfare covered for you and a guest.
>
> Overnight, we aren’t going to change the rules that allow outside groups to spend hundreds of millions of dollars attacking me on the airwaves.
>
> So we have to stay on the case every day.
>
> Last week we learned that more than 1.1 million donors in August alone – out of more than 3 million people like you supporting this effort – had outraised Mitt Romney and the Republicans for the first time since April.
>
> If we keep doing this our way, I guarantee you there’ll be no stopping us.
>
> Donate $5 or whatever you can today and you’ll be automatically entered to be at the table:
>
> [https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner](https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Barack
>
> P.S. – If you’re planning on donating to this campaign at some point in the future, don’t wait. Your grassroots donation means more today because it can be put to work right now, building the organization it will take to win. Exactly 47 days to go.
PS I got permission from a Mod to post the letter in full.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-call-or-send-me-mail/635233/20 "2012-10-01T15:09:10Z")
Just right now I scored pretty well on an Obama email. I got an invitation, and hit the confirm link to get a ticket to see him in Bascom Hall here in Madison on Thursday!
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