Got A Call From An Argumentative DNC Fundraiser Today (Feingold=Fringe)

[stopbush]

First off - what the hell is the DNC doing employing people as telemarketing fundraisers who
argue with people from whom they're trying to raise money? Do they really think this is the
way to go?

Anyway, the call starts off with the guy asking me if I'd come back to the DNC as an active
donor, suggesting the $35 level. I ask him "what is the DNC's plan to win in 06?" The answer,
"we're contesting everything on a nationwide level this year." Then, I asked him the question that
set him off:

"When is the DNC going to take a position and support people like Russ Feingold, people who are taking
a stance against bush and his malfeasance?"

That illicited a rather vehement set of responses: "the censure resolution is an empty gesture that's going
nowhere; you're repeating talking points from Mary Matalin; we don't make the nation policy; you're not
going to get a unified party platform until the presidential election in '08; hoping for a unified message
will hand the Congress over to the Rs;" and on it went.

My responses varied, from "I'm sure you're getting an earful these days from dyed-in-the-wool
Dems like me who have been voting D since '72 and want to see our party leaders and candidates
taking a principled stand like Feingold, rather than waiting for the Rs to implode," to, "Newt Gingrinch
did OK getting his party unified back in '94 without a presidential candidate, why can't the Dems do the same," to, "bush is going into
negative numbers, his supporters are looking for cover, and the Ds are too timid to go for the jugular."

On the one hand, I felt sorry for the guy, because I have been a supporter in the past, and it
can't be a fun job to called pissed off Dems these days and ask them for more blind support. But on the other hand,
it's like the DNC is DEAF when it comes to those of us who frequent places like DU. This guy even called
Feingold supporters "the fringe" of the Dem party (my response to that one was, "now who's spouting
Mary Matalin's talking points?")

Needless to say, I didn't make a pledge today.

[Book Lover]

1. Your post should be required reading at this week's DNC internal Town Hall

At least, I hope they hold them.

[KurtNYC]

2. My neighbor told them to call back when they

have a plan or are willing to back censure. Similar.

[GRLMGC]

3. I've had a bad experience with them

Some woman called me and I told her I was a student and I didn't really have any money to spare. So she got pissy with me and said "Well it IS your future but thank you anyway". I was pretty taken aback and she hung up before I could say anything. They need better people skills.

[stopbush]

5. Fundraising on the cheap.

BIG mistake - they probably employ Dem believers to man the phones, saving $ on
salaries. They'd be better off hiring politically neutral TM professionals to read from
a script.

[derby378]

4. Note to DNC telemarketers: GET OFF YOUR ASS.

That's right, you heard me - get off your fucking lazy asses and start turning the DNC around. Howard Dean's 50-state strategy isn't going to do it all by itself.

So get out there and become precinct chairs. Attend your precinct and county conventions at the very least. Make some noise while you're at it.

[spuddonna]

6. People who support Feingold are 'the fringe'?! LMAO!!

My brother does not "actively" follow politics, but he's a Dem and has been all his life.

Last weekend I was chatting online with him and I told him about Feingold's censure resolution. (He hadn't heard about it from the news!)

He said, "Well, it's about time, dammit!"

Now, is this guy 'fringe'? I highly doubt it... I've talked to many people in my family and they feel the same way - not only do they want him censured, they want * impeached.

I'll mention to my bro the next time I chat with him - "Hey, yer the 'fringe' of the Dem party!" :7 He'll love that!

[TreasonousBastard]

7. I feel sorry for the guy, too, because...

he's busting his ass calling for donations and he gets someone starting an argument over Feingold.

[stopbush]

9. Busting his ass?

His job is to call people for donations and to get as high a rate of return as possible. If
he had any experience as a telemarketer he would have abandoned the call after a few
minutes rather than wasting time arguing with a bad prospect. They guy spent 15 mins
with me and had nothing to show for it but a case of agita. No donation. No mind changed
by offering his opinions and telling me why I was wrong.

But that's the DNC: they'll go along to get along with the Rs while arguing with their base.
There's a better way to raise money than that. Why not have a position paper handy for what the DNC
stands for this election? Why not make even a token gesture to the issues that are energizing the base TODAY?
The guy was throwing out ANWR and SS like that was going to energize me to give to them in '06. Give me a break.

Carpe diem is a good principle to follow in politics, but the DNC doesn't seem to get it.

Bottom line is that Mr Ass Buster's spiel didn' get him a donation when I would have given if
there was any good reason to donate.

[madeline_con]

30. Starting an argument?

It was a legit question.

[rman]

51. What's so bad about starting an argument over Feingold?

Perhaps we shouldn't politicize political fund raising?

[mondo joe]

8. I'm just telling them I'm directing my $ to candidates that reflect

my values, not the party.

[Czolgosz]

10. Am I the only one who is stunned the the caller was capable of answering

your questions with a fairly accurate statement of the DNC's position?

[Cornus]

11. Got a DNC Survey mailing today

It was four pages and I filled it out. The final section asked how much I wanted to donate so I wrote zip with a note: If you want to continue getting my support money then develope a spine and start supporting progressive Dems LIKE RUSS FEINGOLD!

Since they provided a postage paid envelope I sent it back to them. Of course my partner mentioned that some clerk will just be opening it, seeing there's no $$$$, and just toss it.

I hope that if enough people start giving them this feedback that they'll FINALLY get the message.

[melissinha]

12. I think they might get the message

If the mighty dollar is involved and you are specific. THey cna't really get mad if you tell them that you do contribute to Dems, just ones that represent you idologically.

[RazzleDazzle]

35. On the contrary -- totally wasted effort

in all probability.

First, those "surveys" are thinly veiled solicitation devices. NOBODY cares what you may write on them, they only care about the money. I think they're cheap tricks, but they've been in use since way before Howard Dean, so maybe someone has convinced him they're really, really effective (and maybe they are).

But the most important thing is that the DNC likely never sees these things, but rather some direct mail / fulfillment house. Some underpaid, possibly undereducated clerical worker isn't going to give a damn how exorcized you are, how eloquent, how right, or anything else. Whoever writes anything on those things and sends them back is just wasting their own time.

[madfloridian]

36. The DNC does support Feingold.

It was posted here, it is still at the blog.

[Stand and Fight]

13. And you did the right thing.

What a jerk! I have a Democratic bond, but if that jerk had called me I'd not have been as genteel as you were, friend. Congratulations on taking a principled stand and not giving in to the "talking points" that particular fundraiser was spouting.

[kiteinthewind]

14. Fringe, my ass!

:mad:

[sendero]

15. And folks talk down to me..

... for calling the party "spineless". It's not just the Senate, it's the whole beltway-pundit-shoegazing lot of them. They are scared little people, scared of rocking the boat and upsetting thier own little patronage applecart.

[stray cat]

16. I've always been more of a moderate independent - Fringe?

Feingold is a populist - Fringe must mean anyone who makes less than what $500,000 per year?

[mzmolly]

17. Woooo hoo! Let's stop contributing and that way we'll win!

:sarcasm:

[Vincardog]

22. I am not sending any more Democratic MONEY out of TX. Every donation I

give will go to a real Democratic candidate like David Van Os,

<http://dvowhistlestop.blogspot.com/>

I am tired of the "Targeted races" crap. That is just letting the Repugs get away without running in most areas.
Why give to a party that does not care about your vote?

[mzmolly]

29. I give to a party that cares about the average American.

That's what MY vote is about.

[Vincardog]

52. What party is that?

[madfloridian]

18. I never had a fundraiser be that specific.

Most of them are just trying to earn a living. They usually don't know what we talking about when we discuss things with them.

Kind of surprised.

Of course, I guess the best thing is that no one donate, no one support the DNC in a year when we have a chance to win.

That of course would be best, don't you think?
:sarcasm:

[Dem Agog]

19. I have one sentence for the DNC

Fix yourselves or fuck off you Republicans in Democrat clothing...

[RazzleDazzle]

38. Boy are YOU going off on the wrong people

Lotta really naive and/or ill-informed people around here.

If you're fed up with the Washingtonian Dems, the ones elected to House and Senate, the DNC is the RIGHT place to focus and put your money, your efforts, your support.

Do none of you remember (or did you never know) that Howard Dean was the guy who said, "I want my party back!"? (Yeah, he also said, "I want my country back," but he said he wants his party back too.)

The Washingtonian Dems (those in Congress) are almost polar opposites (or evil twins) of Howard Dean and the DNC. True. If you're fed up with THEM, Howard Dean's your man. Dean's trying to re-build the party from the ground up, and all the Washingtonians have done is criticize, obstruct, oppose the good efforts of the good doctor. They don't get it. THEY don't want a grassroots built. THEY prefer the corporate-financed DNC, not the people-powered DNC. THEY've gone as far as to plant (untrue) stories in the media about what a poor job Dean is doing when, in truth, he's raising money at record-breaking levels and fulfilling his campaign promises to put workers in all 50 states, to wage elections ("show up" electorally) in all 50 states, and to rebuild the party.

Please, educate yourselves. I wholly support criticizing and in fact de-electing the DINOs and other limp excuses for elected leaders with a D behind their names, but Dean is the ANSWER, not the problem.


See Post #37 for example.

[Dem Agog]

39. Pleeeeease

I'm not for Republican wannabees sitting on the "left" side of the aisle...

Dean hasn't done shit since his scream. And I'm someone who trusted him and had hope in him.

Dean and Kerry and the Clintons have disgusted me. They don't fight, and they just roll over. That's all they've done since the second election was stolen. Pin your hopes on them all you want, but you will continue to be disappointed. That's what they specialize in - disappointment. I don't want those pretend fools in office and I don't know that anyone else wants their middle of the road pansy asses there either.

[RazzleDazzle]

55. Like I said: Lotta ill-informed people running around here at DU

Dean has done nothing but work his ass off to rebuild the Democratic Party from the ground up since elected, and he was pretty darned busy trying to get that ass Kerry elected along with a LOT of DFA candidates in the immediate aftermath of "the scream."

But don't let the facts confuse you, and by ALL means don't go digging for them so that what you've got to say holds water.

[stopbush]

47. Thanks for the info.

For the record: I donate to people I believe in, DU, for example. I donated to Dean's campaign, Kerry too...a couple of times.

After your post, I may well donate to the DNC, but it will be because I learned what the DNC was up to these days
NOT from their paid fundraising rep, but from a poster named Razzle Dazzle over at the fringe Democratic Underground
website.

And therein lies the problem...

[madfloridian]

20. Why don't we all leave the party, give the GOP a better chance.

That way we will feel so good and cozy and warm and fuzzy because we sure told those guys off.

[madfloridian]

21. The DNC took up for Feingold. Why are you doing this?

?

[mdmc]

23. poor salesmanship

[ShaneGR]

24. DNC called me... I gave $50 bucks... wonder if it was the same guy

I spend enough time arguing with Republicans, why would I want to argue with a Howard Dean run DNC?

[in_cog_ni_to]

25. Feingold supporters are the FRINGE?

:rofl: Compared to the Dem-lites in Congress....EVERY LIBERAL IN THE COUNTRY IS "FRINGE!" Geezus!

[madfloridian]

26. 1 2 3 4 ,,,,let's go.

Let's all walk out of the party at once. Even those who don't belong, those who never have.

We'll damn well show the DNC and Howard Dean, we just withhold support from the group that is trying to get the small donors.

let's go...all at once. We will feel so much better.

[MisterP]

42. noone's saying that: the OP separated the caller from the organziation

and who "doesn't belong, and never has" in the party?

[Scout1071]

27. You need to send this thread to Howard Dean and Al Gore.

Let them see who are at their phone banks. If only Dem's would start informing the "center", they would be Dems in a heartbeat. But even some of the most blue folks that I know are woefully uninformed. Primarly because they don't have cable TV or the Internet. They are a young family on a budget and only get 90 seconds of sound bite a night. That is what they base their views on.

Educate the damn voters for a change and they will come around to voting.

[madfloridian]

28. Do any of you ever go to the DNC blog? Do you keep up with the DNC?

Are you aware they support Feingold? Are you aware they are speaking out every day?

[stopbush]

46. Then it's up to them via their telemarketers to tell us that they're

supporting Feingold. They guy who called me indicated the opposite.

And, no - not all of us make it a point to keep up with everything the DNC is doing these days.
Some of us have lives outside of the daily activities of the DNC. Some of us keep up with
politics to the best of our abilities in the time we have available to do so.
If the DNC sends me a solicitation via snail mail, I will look it over and donate or not based on
what it says. In the case of a telemarketer, they need to provide the info on the spot.

I have donated to the DNC in the past. If what you're saying is true, then all the
solicitor had to say today was "but sir, the DNC has been out in front supporting Russ Feingold."
I would have learned something new and most likely donated. But their telemarketer didn't
do that. He railed on Feingold (and me by extension) as being on the fringe.

So, there are two big problems here. The first is that the DNC is utilizing people as phone reps
who seem more interested in arguing their personal political beliefs with potential donors more than they are
interested in securing a donation. Second - and this is probably worse - the DNC is not
equipping their phone reps with information that accurately reflects the position of the DNC!

So, there ya go.

[madeline_con]

31. Could they get on the net at the library?

People who want info find a way to get it. :shrug:

original said ..."in" the net... not the right connotation. :)

[caligirl]

32. I got a call from a lady saying she was DLCC, I hung up on her.

Who is DLCC

[mmonk]

33. Sure it wasn't the DCCC?

[madfloridian]

40. The DLCC is a good group...works for state leaders.

Very good group...works hard.

Not the DLC which is a think tank.

[mmonk]

43. Come to think of it

I think I've contributed to the DLCC. Your mentioning of state leaders tweaked my memory.

[caligirl]

45. Thanks, I can't donate now anyway, but nice to know who they are.

[mmonk]

34. I sure have been called alot of things this year.

Looney lefty, aging hippie, godless, etc. by the republicans and fringe by the democrats. And I thought I was just me, pretty much a middle of the road type of person that believes in doing the right things for the country and its people and being supportive of the Constitution.

[tlsmith1963]

44. It Would Be Really Stupid...

...for some right-winger to call me some of those names. I was too young to be a hippie, & I think I am not "looney", thank you! I look just like everyone else. I am depressingly normal. Am I on the "fringe"? Not hardly! And I like Feingold, too.

Tammy

[madfloridian]

37. Remember when Dean called on us to support Feingold...90,000 did it.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/37

Statement by Dean at the DNC
"Last week nearly 90,000 Americans like you singled out Republican Senator Wayne Allard for accusing a Democrat of siding with terrorists by demanding accountability from the Bush administration for its illegal domestic spying program.

That quick reaction by Democrats who won't stand for this kind of disgusting attack put Allard on the hot seat and generated press coverage of his ridiculous, desperate comments. Your steadfast defense of Democrats like Harry Reid, Jack Murtha and Russ Feingold when they have stood up and demanded accountability shows everyone that there will be a political price for underhanded and un-American attacks."

[tlsmith1963]

41. Wimps!

It disgusts me that it is *so* obvious Bush needs to be impeached, & yet people in *our own party* won't back the idea! As if their wimpy strategy has ever worked. We'll lose even more elections if we follow those useless people.

Tammy

[bleedingheart]

48. I told the woman with the DCCC that they would see a donation when

they found their spines and started to fight back.

I also told her that this wavering back and forth without a clue was embarrassing to me as a Democrat and that until they got their story straight they would see no $$$ from me.

[carolinalady]

49. Question-did your caller id say "Telefund?" They have been

calling my house for days--I do not answer.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

50. Someone should mention the "fringe" remark to Dean.

:popcorn:

[merkins]

53. This Thread Does'nt Smell Right

You seem to be painting the whole DNC for the comments of one telemarketer, who for all I know is disgruntled dino or a 3rd party contract hire.

You make the statement that the DNC does not support Senator Feingold, but when I go to democrats.org and fire up a search for Feingold all I get is supportive hits.

So by all means please show me where Russ Feingold is not upported by the DNC, and while your at it, explain how one lone telemarketer is indicative of the whole organization?

bonus bonus:

Russ Feingold is a Traitor
http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/03/russ_feingold_i.php

[stopbush]

54. Read post #46