In which Barack Obama irks me

[StatGirl]

A few weeks ago, I got a call from Barack Obama's campaign asking for a donation. I really dislike fund-raising calls, so I asked my husband to just tell them we haven't made up our minds yet, which is the truth. In fact, I have two other candidates in mind that I like better.

Today in the mail, I got a letter from Obama's campaign thanking me for my pledge, and reminding me to send in $50.

WTF? I didn't pledge. My husband didn't pledge (I was there in the room and heard what he said).

Anyone else have this problem?

[Monkeyman]

1. Yep everyday I get a email asking me if my vets are backing him

I still am looking at Edwards and if Clark get in well there is the ball game

[Erika]

2. You're kidding, aren't you?

I get at least 10 solicitations from each party daily.

You're saying you got only one?

[illinoisprogressive]

3. I've donated a couple times and never had anything like this happen

No one has called or sent me a letter requesting money. I have only gotten an email like everyone else this week.
I wonder if someone is scamming you or putting you on a list? Prank from someone maybe.
I have not heard anyone else getting anything either. strange

[sandnsea]

4. You said the fundraiser was rude, correct?

I remember that post. You were bashing the hell out of them, and here you turn up, bashing the hell out of the campaign again.

What's the thrill of making these kinds of posts anyway, because I just don't get it.

[Erika]

6. I think you do get it n/t

[Laurab]

11. I think so too. It's way too easy.

I will say I donated once, online, and I haven't even made up my mind yet, I was just so touched by his announcement speech, I think. Anyway, I haven't gotten any calls - I do get emails, but I get emails from a lot of dems.

Must have been one of those odd clerical errors...

[Imagevision]

30. Give it to someone who cares, everyone isn't against Obama...!

[StatGirl]

18. Nope, you're thinking of someone else

I didn't talk to the fundraiser, so I have no idea whether he/she was rude.

I was totally ready to forget this, but I know that institutions like PBS, for example, treat pledges as legal obligations, and the courts back them up on this. So I don't regard this as just being another plea for money.

[Colobo]

5. I've donated twice and

nothing like this has happened to me. I honestly don't know what the OP is talking about.

[mahina]

7. Same here.

Sounds isolated to me.

[Hekate]

8. Toss it. Here's the likely scenario, from personal experience...

Here's the likely scenario -- as happened to me from a charity I was trying to put off -- the phone bank staff was having some kind of competition to see who could reel in the most pledges. You didn't say no forcefully enough and the employee or volunteer decided to see if he could get you to change your mind, or make up your mind, by sending you the pledge form.

The charity that did this to me no doubt meant well (and as an Obama and Edwards supporter I'm inclined to believe those folks mean well too), but when I said I hadn't made up my mind yet I left the door open for him to think I might make it up in the meantime.

Although I was annoyed, the slip-up was mine. My stock answer to people who phone asking for money is this, and leaves no room for doubt: "My husband and I do not respond to phone calls asking for money. Please send your appeal to us in writing. Thank you for the good work you are doing. Goodbye."

It's campaign season, for heavens sake. Many trees will die for your sins, and many electrons will be terribly inconvenienced as well. If for some reason you just can't let go of this, write to the campaign HQ and enclose the pledge letter and its envelope. Tell them you are holding a grudge against their volunteer. Whatever.

Hekate

[orleans]

9. he sent me a christmas card! n/t

[Demobrat]

10. Just put the package back together

write on it "refused, returned to sender" (on the envelope it came in, not the return envelope),and put it back in the mail. They'll have to pay the return postage and you'll never hear from them again.

[ripple]

12. No. I don't believe you are telling the full story,

YOU got the call, but you asked your husband to speak for you?

That hasn't been common practice since 1958, barring intoxication by one party or the other. Had you been drinking that night, by chance?

As for my experience, I've donated to Obama's campaign by both email and phone. Nothing like that has happened to me. Of course, I answer the telephone and speak on my own behalf.

[TomClash]

14. She is telling the truth

The same thing happened to me.

[StatGirl]

19. They called for me

. . . and my husband answered the phone. This never happens in your house? He said, "Honey, do you want to donate to Obama?" and I said, "Tell them we haven't made up our minds yet." I have no desire to talk to telemarketers, and he's willing to screen my calls like that.

[Clark2008]

25. I ask my husband to speak for me on telemarketing calls all the

time. Big whoop. It's called having a kind husband who'll run interference for you if you don't want to speak to a telemarketer. It's not some 1958 sexist thing.

[TomClash]

13. Me!

Exact same scenario except the amount was slightly higher.

Assuming it actually was his campaign, it is a deporable and fraudulent practice.

[BeyondGeography]

15. They called me once and I told them I would be donating online

which saves them money and they haven't called me since. No bill came in the mail either.

Maybe you were dealing with a not-so-competent individual. It's an overreaction to say that Barack Obama irks you because of it.

[flpoljunkie]

21. I also donate online exclusively and do not give them my entire phone number.

It works. I receive no fundraising calls from any candidate.

[zulchzulu]

16. Obama personally approved of that policy just to bug you

:sarcasm:

Seriously though, have you ever worked for a campaign?

Here is what I think happened. A volunteer was given a call list by someone (possibly another volunteer) who called you. When this person called you, they were possibly reading from a script what to ask and then notate what occurred in a checkbox or part of the form. Instead of marking "Not sure", they either left it blank or wrote down that you approved. Perhaps your husband wasn't clear in saying he wasn't ready to contribute or not...or the volunteer misread the call.

Then someone else (probably a volunteer) is given that call list and sees check marks and prints out the addresses and slaps the labels on mailers that get sent.

I don't know what town you are in, but chances are it was all volunteer help doing the work. If you don't want to contribute, either toss the lit out, give it to someone else, recycle it, send it back "return to sender" or burn it...

This kind of stuff is part of any campaign, not neccessarily just Obama's.

[saltpoint]

17. As Demobrat says in this thread, just return the package.

A solvable problem.

Senator Obama likely was not directly involved in this phone call. Campaigns are scrambling this month to raise funds so the momentum is strong for those first-quarter totals. If an error was made, it's a minor one, easily solved and best overlooked.

Meanwhile, Senator Obama remains as a candidate before the voters and this Edwards supporter would have no trouble whatsoever voting for other Democrats if they get the nomination instead of my guy, and of those many strong Democrats, Senator Obama is a true star.

[Telly Savalas]

20. Senator Obama has personally been stalking me, asking for money.

In the last week he confronted me in the parking lot at the grocery store, had been waiting on my front porch when I got home from work Thursday, and has called me at work about a dozen times.

Last night, I thought I heard some rustling outside, and when I opened the blinds I saw the Senator's face in my window and he hit me up for fifty bucks.

It's starting to creep me out a little.

[Colobo]

22. He does that all the time!

:sarcasm:

[StatGirl]

23. Hey, if he did that . . .

. . . I'd invite him in for coffee and give him the $50. :)

Seriously, I'm pissed off because they are basically incurring debt without my permission, and accusing me of being a deadbeat. That's sleazy.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

24. I got a call too, but only

to host a Community event, no mention of money in the 45 second phone conversation.

[dogman]

26. At least you've heard from him.

I'm a constituent and haven't received answers to e-mails concerning some of his his votes. Apparently he has a larger campaign staff and they are more active than his Senate staff.

[Blue_In_AK]

27. The nice thing about living in Alaska

is that NOBODY calls us, except our local politicians, and the presidential candidates don't come up here to campaign. We don't even get national campaign ads on TV. :)

[mnhtnbb]

28. I got a letter from Obama and didn't even open it. Don't know how he got my name.

[Imagevision]

29. What do ya do with other junk mail,

[martymar64]

31. If I'm going to donate, I'll do it anonymously

I hate hate hate being called and hit up for money from anyone. Elections should be publicly financed.
Resist the shakedown!