I received a call from the Obama campaign (jeez they are arrogant)

[journalist3072]

So I received a call from the Obama campaign a short while ago. The guy went into his whole spill about how the Iowa caucus is just a few days away, and they want to make sure Obama has all of the resources and momentum he needs, yada yada.

So I politely said "Let me stop you here. I am not supporting Sen. Obama." The guy said "Who are you supporting?" I said "Sen. Clinton" and he sounded incredulous and said "Sen. Clinton?!" as if to say 'how could you?' That was his tone...like how dare you!

But I wanted to ask: was it really appropriate of him to ask me who I'm supporting? Although I'm proud to support Sen. Clinton and I had no problem telling him I am, it seems to me that once I said "Let me stop you there. I'm not supporting Sen. Obama" that should have ended the conversation. Seems it wasn't really appropriate of him to ask who I'm supporting.

Just thought I'd ask.

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. Good for you!

Reminds me a bit of the stuff we have to put up with on this board. People are so blinded, they cannot see the reality of what is going on. Of course the media continues to pound away at the lies and distortions, and they are repeated as if fact.

I was hoping that the media would not choose our next president, and that we learned our lessons last time when Dean was vilified and Bush won so easily.

But, we have apparently learned very little.

[superkia]

32. Most Americans will only learn when they are forced to, like when...

Blackwater is knocking on the door, they will learn a lesson then. Its just too bad that all of us that have a clue have to suffer and be associated with all of the lazy Americans that refuse to make an attempt to educate themselves. You would think that at least the parents in the country would do it for their children's sake but I think the elites plan has worked and we as a country are already dumbed down and out! We are the battered country that knows our government is corrupt and we still stay the course hoping that they get better. The problem is that the corrupt have a plan and have no reason or intentions of making things better for us the people.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It's a fair question; all of the candidates are very interested in

who's their strongest competition. It would also have been completely fair for you to have declined to answer.

[patrice]

3. Lot of newbies around.

The impulse is strong in newbies to show you how wrong you are, hence his question.

[murielm99]

13. Not all of them are newbies.

I have noticed the arrogance in Illinois.

Obama workers went to all the state Democratic organizations here. They pushed hard for early endorsements, considering it a foregone conclusion that everyone would endorse. Many of these organizations have it written into their bylaws that they do not endorse before the primary. When anyone tried to point that out to them, they became angry. I have seen it myself several times.

Originally, I was an Obama supporter. My support was not set in stone, but I was considering him as my first choice. After seeing firsthand the lack of professionalism in his campaign, I will not support him.

I am an old hand at this. Of course there are many Democrats with much more experience than I. But I have seen campaigns stumble in the early days and learn from their mistakes. Obama's campaign does not seem to be learning.

They should be putting their newbies in positions where they can help but do no harm. The more experienced campaigners should be making calls and going door-to-door. According to reports I have heard from Iowa, that is not always happening. (Several people from my county have been working hard for Obama in Iowa).

If Obama can't get it right at this point in the campaign, what sort of amateurish mistakes will be made by an Obama Presidency?

[davsand]

36. Wow, I had heard the Iowa ground game was pretty good.

I'm not being argumentative when I say that, either. Just before Christmas I was talking to a couple of local Dems (like you, murielm99, those folks have btdt, and have the t-shirts to show it) and they were telling me how impressed they were with what they had observed when they over in Iowa.

We've been called by Obama's people a few times, and we know some of his staffers, so maybe we have had a different experience than what you describe--I dunno. They have, without fail, been professional and proper on the phones and in person.

Given Kev's history (working against Obama in his Senate Primary) and mine (supporting Obama in that same Primary) I will tell you that my expectation was that this campaign would be a class act from the top down. I am saddened to hear what you say, because that was never my experience of either Obama himself, or the people he hired to work his campaign.

Just as I have said on here (in defense of Clinton's campaign, actually) I will say again that I think that there are an awful lot of times when volunteers create problems without realizing it. It is a universal thing for any political organization (or for any organization that relies on volunteer help, actually) that you will have the occasional volunteer that just goes WAY overboard. Lord knows we see it in the local party--I'm sure you do too.


Regards!



Laura

[Blackhatjack]

4. Every call conversation is logged.... they want to know who nonsupporters are supporting...n/t

[Missy M]

10. Not always....

I got a call from the Edwards campaign and when I interrupted and told them I was not an Edwards supporter she stopped, said thank you and never asked who I was supporting. She was very polite and professional.

[Blackhatjack]

25. Not every campaign does this, but many do....

Telephone polling today is quite sophisticated....

In some campaigns they have a screen on every call completed that includes all the demographics.

[still_one]

5. I don't support Hillary for the nomination, but you have a point /nt

[Gman]

6. Very appropriate

Politics 101 Rule #1: Know how to count.

[gateley]

7. I'm guessing the callers are just as passionate about their candidates as we are

about ours. Just like I can't BELIEVE people are supporting anybody other than Biden! :7

From all I've heard, Obama's campaign expects respect for other candidates from his campaign workers.

[rodeodance]

8. i would be curious to find out myself.

[Pirate Smile]

9. That Bastard! So he actually said "Sen. Clinton?!" The nerve.

I gotten lots of calls from the Clinton campaign asking who I support and even pushing it - to ask if I would be willing to change who I'm supporting. Can you believe it? Isn't that horrible?

Everyone seems to think the candidate they are supporting is the best candidate. How arrogant!

:eyes:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

11. I'm sure it could have happened with any campaign...

...and I'm not a supporter of Obama, but in all fairness, take a look around DU, ya know?

We run the gamut from polite conversations to flame wars to candidate SPAM and back again. It happens here, and it happens on campaigns. I don't think the person who called you had any business asking who you're supporting, but you did give them a response.

You're right, the conversation could have ended with you saying "Let me stop you there. I'm not supporting Sen. Obama," maybe followed by "Have a nice day" and you hanging up the phone. In most situations in life...especially on the phone...if you give someone an inch, they're gonna take an inch. You gave this person an inch and they took it.

:patriot:

[NoAmericanTaliban]

12. I donated money to Obama and what a mistake that was..

I still like & support him, but I'm getting 2 calls or more per day from them wanting me to donate more money. My caller id comes up as - out of area - and the times I've picked up the phone Obama's folks were on the other end.

[emilyg]

16. I've donated to Clinton numerous times

They don't call - thank God.

[tammywammy]

21. I've donated to Obama and they never call me

:shrug:

[blogslut]

14. The Obama campaign worker that called me was perfectly lovely.

I guess it's all in how you handle it. :)

[City Lights]

22. Ditto that.

:hi: ;-)

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. As a journalist...

you might want to look into the spill vs. spiel usage in the third sentence.

[madrchsod]

17. cell phone...nobody can call me!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

18. It's standard practice. Phone bankers ask that so they can ID you

And not bother calling you again. This is true of every campaign I've worked on, not just Obama's. You should be glad the caller asked, unless you want more calls from the Obama campaign.

[Vinca]

19. I think it must be valuable for a campaign to know who voters

are supporting and why. I've had the same conversation as the OP with the Edwards and Richardson campaigns and both of those have wondered who I was supporting. If you don't want to talk to them, just hang up.

[Kahuna]

20. Why would somebody call you? Do you live in IA, NH or SC?

According to your profile you live in DC. :eyes:

[JerseygirlCT]

23. I don't think it was inappropriate to ask

You, of course, were in no way required to answer!

[book_worm]

24. Oh my! I hope nobody says "Sen Clinton!?' to me--it's so offensive.

[journalist3072]

33. Did you even bother to read my post?

I said it was the way the man said it.

When I answered the phone and he began his talking points about how they want to make sure Obama has the resouces and momentum he needs, I said "Let me stop you there. I'm not supporting Sen. Obama."

He said "Who are you supporting?"

I said "Sen. Clinton." He responded "Sen. Clinton?!" The tone in his voice was incredulous. Like, how dare you? How could you?

[DemKR]

26. K&R

[Hoof Hearted]

27. sure it was appropriate for him to ask but his reaction seems like it was pretty rude

Which wouldn't leave me wanting to run on over and help him out.

Keeping volunteers from actually driving people away (or becoming an embarrassment) is probably one of the biggest problems any candidate has, be they Obama, Edwards, Clinton or whoever. True believers are a unique species.

[DemKR]

28. seems to be a pattern with obamanation nowadays lol

[philly_bob]

29. It's a young people's crusade -- like Gene McCarthy in 1968.

I'm glad. It means that college-age folk are past the racial hang-ups of their elders.

I'd forgive them if they're rough around the edges. I'll bet the presidential candidate of 2038 will be a volunteer from the 2008 Obama campaign.

[Forkboy]

30. The horror.... the horror....

[The River]

31. Thats The Same Reaction I Get

from your posts.

[bigtree]

34. Sen. Clinton?! How could you?'

Just thought I'd ask.

[peoli]

35. Seriously! Whats your problem!?

[NorthernSpy]

37. LOL! So you've finally found some new material...

Good. That whole "Obama is bad coz he said vote for me coz I'm BLACK!!!11!1!" story you were previously pushing was getting awfully stale.


:rofl:

[murbley40]

38. Early on I was called by Obama's campaign......

and the caller said "but he can't win" when I said I was supporting Biden.