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Railroader · Nov 7, 2006, 07:01 PM

They're coming about every five minutes now. I unplugged the phone.

Both sides are calling in equal numbers.

I hope this is not a sign of future elections.

marden · Nov 7, 2006, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

They're coming about every five minutes now. I unplugged the phone.

Both sides are calling in equal numbers.

I hope this is not a sign of future elections.

I think it's here to stay. Remember the stories during the Israeli war on Hezbollah when Lebanese homeowners said they received automated calls telling them to get out of Dodge because death was soon going to rain down upon them?

That was the same thing.

houstonmacbro · Nov 7, 2006, 07:52 PM

well ... did you heed the messages ... and vote?

turtle777 · Nov 7, 2006, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

They're coming about every five minutes now. I unplugged the phone.

Both sides are calling in equal numbers.

I hope this is not a sign of future elections.

Sorry, I hate to say it, but Only in Amaraca !

-t

Railroader · Nov 7, 2006, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

Sorry, I hate to say it, but Only in Amaraca !

-t

I hope so! I wouldn't wish this kind of treatment on ANYONE!

houstonmacbro · Nov 7, 2006, 08:58 PM

you never know .. the japanese like that kinda techie stuff.

itai195 · Nov 8, 2006, 01:27 AM

Same here, there've been a ton of automated election calls this year. We've been getting at least 1 or 2 a day for the last month... And the election in CA isn't even particularly contentious this year.

ghporter · Nov 8, 2006, 09:37 AM

I have the option of registering to vote without stating a party preference, so I don't' wind up on quite so many calling or mailing lists. But last week I got tons of calls, mostly recordings-good thing I wasn't home, or it would have driven me nuts. I also got a lot of hangups... Gotta wonder about that.

Dakar² · Nov 8, 2006, 09:41 AM

Yeah, the republican party left me 3 messages this year, even thought I'm not registered to any political party.

Doofy · Nov 8, 2006, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

I have the option of registering to vote without stating a party preference

Wait. You're telling me that some people don't have the option to register to vote without stating a party preference?

There's something just not right about that.

And regarding the automated calls thing... ...that ain't right either. Either you put up with the crap all day or you unplug your phone? ...what happens if (say) your elderly mom is trying to make an emergency call to you because she's fallen over in her house?

voodoo · Nov 8, 2006, 09:55 AM

This kind of annoying crap would seriously piss me off! Not the least if I already *had* voted and those asswipes would still be bombarding me with automated calls!

grr

You have my sympathy Railroader.

V

Dakar² · Nov 8, 2006, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Wait. You're telling me that some people don't have the option to register to vote without stating a party preference?

There's something just not right about that.

Here's another. Not being registered to the Republicans or Democrats, I can not vote in my States primary.

Doofy · Nov 8, 2006, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Here's another. Not being registered to the Republicans or Democrats, I can not vote in my States primary.

Dakar² · Nov 8, 2006, 10:48 AM

Certain states only allow you to vote in a primary for a candidate in the party you are registered to. Being affiliated with no party results in no say in the primaries.

(Other cooler states allow the non-affiliated to vote for a candidate from any party)

Doofy · Nov 8, 2006, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Certain states only allow you to vote in a primary for a candidate in the party you are registered to. Being affiliated with no party results in no say in the primaries.

(Other cooler states allow the non-affiliated to vote for a candidate from any party)

Sorry, I don't understand "primaries" so this is probably why I'm not getting it. Here, you just go vote *once* for whoever you hate least.

Dakar² · Nov 8, 2006, 11:05 AM

A primary is where you go in the spring and choose from several candidates that range from good to horrible and narrow them down to horrible.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary...ican_Primaries

Railroader · Nov 8, 2006, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by itai195

Same here, there've been a ton of automated election calls this year. We've been getting at least 1 or 2 a day for the last month... And the election in CA isn't even particularly contentious this year.

We were getting 10+ calls an hour.

It didn't help that I am affiliated with both parties pretty equally. But by far were the "independent" one just begging me to go and vote.

itai195 · Nov 8, 2006, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar�

Certain states only allow you to vote in a primary for a candidate in the party you are registered to. Being affiliated with no party results in no say in the primaries.

Thing is, the primaries are elections for party candidates, so that makes sense to me. CA dabbled with open primaries for a while in the late 90s and it was a mess.

Dakar² · Nov 8, 2006, 12:20 PM

It's why we need runoffs.

ghporter · Nov 8, 2006, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Certain states only allow you to vote in a primary for a candidate in the party you are registered to. Being affiliated with no party results in no say in the primaries.

(Other cooler states allow the non-affiliated to vote for a candidate from any party)

Unfortunately, Texas is one of those states that requires registration by party-though you can do it at the poll on primary day. The way elections here work is almost always, if you win the primary for the party that's basically in control, you win in November.

I'm still not done figuring out which party I want to register with so I can hose up the other (or vice versa) because our Republicans are crooked bastards with hearts of lead, while our Democrats are less crooked bastards with hearts they THINK are made of gold-but they never do anything but spout the party line and act like they've always been in tight with the Hispanic voter (wrong, even when the candidate is Hispanic him- or herself). Our Dems are more truly ideological than our Repbulicans, unless sucking up to evangelicals and people with huge pots of money is considered an ideology. You must now see my dilemma...

Chuckit · Nov 8, 2006, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by marden

I think it's here to stay. Remember the stories during the Israeli war on Hezbollah when Lebanese homeowners said they received automated calls telling them to get out of Dodge because death was soon going to rain down upon them?

That was the same thing.

You know, someday you are actually going to be onto something scary, but nobody is going to listen to you because with you everything is life or death. Cry wolf less.

subego · Nov 9, 2006, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Unfortunately, Texas is one of those states that requires registration by party-though you can do it at the poll on primary day. The way elections here work is almost always, if you win the primary for the party that's basically in control, you win in November.

This is how it happens in Chicago. Same with registering at the poll.

The one "difference" here though is that everybody runs as a Democrat. The winner of the primary will often go unopposed.

macintologist · Nov 9, 2006, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Unfortunately, Texas is one of those states that requires registration by party-though you can do it at the poll on primary day. The way elections here work is almost always, if you win the primary for the party that's basically in control, you win in November.

I'm still not done figuring out which party I want to register with so I can hose up the other (or vice versa) because our Republicans are crooked bastards with hearts of lead, while our Democrats are less crooked bastards with hearts they THINK are made of gold-but they never do anything but spout the party line and act like they've always been in tight with the Hispanic voter (wrong, even when the candidate is Hispanic him- or herself). Our Dems are more truly ideological than our Repbulicans, unless sucking up to evangelicals and people with huge pots of money is considered an ideology. You must now see my dilemma...

Register libertarian.

ghporter · Nov 9, 2006, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by macintologist

Register libertarian.

They don't have primaries, and again, if you don't vote in the primary you wind up without much of a choice here. AND it's a difficult thing to decide WHICH primary to vote in-the Republican to try to put someone with a brain that's bigger than his wallet on the ballot, or the Democrat to try to put someone who USES his brain on the ballot against the wallet-brain Republican. It's not easy.