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Missouri Politician Exploits Do-Not-Call Registry
by BMCWrites | April 19, 2008 at 01:23 pm | 706 views | 7 comments
by BMCWrites
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.
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April 19, 2008 at 01:23 pm by BMCWrites, 706 views, 7 comments
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Comments (7)
at 13:41 on April 19th, 2008
Did you add your name to the do-not-call registry?
at 19:05 on April 19th, 2008
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.
www.Vote4Carter.com -- hit DO NOT CALL red button to see!
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.
Chad Carter
chad@vote4carter.com
314-591-0169
at 21:21 on April 19th, 2008
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.
Also, 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!
at 11:37 on May 10th, 2008
I will NOT be voting for Michael Carter. In the past week, I've also received two unwanted political robo-calls - both from Carter. So if I understand this correctly, he'll keep calling & calling until I enter my phone number on his website. Right.
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.
How kind of you. But so far, YOUR campaign is the only one who's spammed our phone line.
at 12:06 on May 10th, 2008
I never heard of Mike Carter before today, but will remember his name as one I will NOT be voting for. I got the Mike Carter automated phone call today. To the previously noted objections, I just want to add this: My Caller ID said "Time and Temp" (314) 321-2522. What's that about? Is it an error or a fraudulent attempt to get someone to answer as I did, wondering, "Why/how?would Time and Temp be calling me???"
at 12:47 on May 10th, 2008
I could not agree more with the feeling of being scammed and blackmailed and I also will not be voting for Mike Carter, even though I know nothing about him and am nearly a straight-ticket Democrat. The Caller ID "Time and Temp" is obviously a fraud so that an unsuspecting receiver will answer the phone. Further, the ploy to visit his website and register to get on the no-call registry is unbelievably transparent - a novice, shady, desperate politician it seems to me.
at 14:08 on June 1st, 2008
I don't have a HUGE problem with the robocalls, I can block them once they call the first time.
What I find disturbing about Mr. Carter's robocall is the callerID information they provide. The call purports to come from 'time and temp'; obviously this is an attempt to disguise who is calling. I will not be voting for Mr. Carter, and I'll be telling all my friends about his dishonest tactics.
I'm also curious if he has broken any of Missouri's many campaign laws, so I'll be researching that too and if he has, I'll be contacting the state attorney general.