Shit. I donated to Heidi Heitkamp's campaign. I won't make that mistake again. She was also the one who, after the Newtown school massacre, went on "Good Morning America" or some such show and declared she would do NOTHING about curtailing access to assault rifles. I even called her office to complain! I understand she's already making noises about serving only one term and then moving on to maybe running for Governor or something. Well, I won't be donating THERE either.
But there's one positive thing that came out of that, at least for me personally. It sharpened my lobbying efforts and inspired me to come up with something that they HAD to listen to in her office. And I do it all the time now.
I called up. Identified myself as a Californian, WHO DONATED TO HER CAMPAIGN AND THEREFORE HELPED HER WIN. And since I AM a donor and benefactor, I have every right to complain now, even though I don't live in her state and technically she's not my Senator. But I gave her campaign a donation (several, actually) and she won. And before her aide could shut me down with one of those "we only listen to people from OUR state" - I pointed out - "she was VERY happy to take my California money for her campaign, and so she damn well better hear me NOW." And the aide had no comeback for that.
I think these Congressional and Senate staffers probably get a few guidelines in how to handle the calls that come in from the "great unwashed." They're told to be polite and to respond along the lines of "thank you for your comments, I will be sure to pass them along to the Senator/Congressman/Congresswoman." But I called Susan Colllins' office one time, and got this belligerent young dude on the other end of the phone who confronted me rather rudely with "And WHAT does this have to do with the State of MAINE?" Dammit. I wish I'd thought of it, then, what I thought of to tell Heidi Heitkamp's aide that day! Susan Collins' aide was rude and combative and, I suppose, not surprisingly republi-CON. Flatly ruled me out because I wasn't a Mainer. What I said meant nothing, just completely irrelevant. Frankly I never sent her any money, so I couldn't claim that.
But then again - these people, these staffers who answer the phones in the Washington office or the district offices don't know that. They have no idea who you are from just a quick phone call. They may see your phone number light up on the console or whatever, but they have no idea otherwise. And even then, even if they recognize the area codes, how many people do you know who live in, say, Detroit, but they got their phone when they lived in Baltimore so they have a phone number with a Baltimore area code even though they don't live there anymore? I have advocated here that sometimes when you're calling someone on the opposing team, go ahead and say you're one of them. They might listen more carefully if they think you're not from the enemy camp. If they think you are a Dem, whatever you have to say registers NOTHING, anyway. Unless you're calling in to tell them that because of their boss, you are switching parties and embracing the GOP, I suppose.
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