So I got this call from the Gephardt campaign last night

[9119495]

I live in Iowa and we get calls just about nightly. I am always polite and state that I am a Dean supporter for the caucuses but I will be voting for their candidate should they win the nomination.

But this Gephardt worker was very unhappy with that answer. Upon learning I back Dean, he asked "WHY?" As I started to answer that I believed the governor was strongest on education and health care, the caller interupted me in my fifth word and said that Governor Dean was a disaster in Vermont and asked that "Governor Dean is not even leading in his home state of Vermont." After I corrected him that Dean is leading Gephardt in every state I've seen, he said I should be voting for Gephardt if education is my concern--forgettign that Gephardt helped pass "No Child Left Behind."

The tone of my responses changed. Choking back my rage, I proceeded to lecture on how to properly run a campaign and woo voters to a candidate. He said goodbye.

But I wasn't satisfied by his lack of contrition so I thought I would post this to see if anyone has dealt with such crap from ANY campaign this year. I hope to get the word out that such behavior is not acceptable from anyone and to demonstrate how bankrupt the Gephardt campaign must be. I am also using this story in my classes today and passing it on to anyone who will listen--adequate revenge I feel for Gephardt's people ruining my night.

[BJ]

1. I've been called by the Gephardt Campaign too.

I kept asking the caller to explain Gephardt's vote on the Iraq War Resolution and he replied with the trite Bushite lines that Saddam gassed his own people, he was a threat to his neighbors, he had weapons of mass destruction.

I answered that was wrong. Saddam's only crime, I said, was when the Iran-Iraq war petered out in 1988 he didn't turn Iraq's economy over to the World Bank and the IMF. If Saddam had let the IMF privatize Iraq's oil fields he could have gassed Kurds to his heart's content!

Then I said Gephardt should be denouning Bush and demanding his impeachment every day in the cockpit of the House.

The Gephardt caller responded that we're Democrats and we can't do that.

To which I replied that's not what I want to hear and it's past time Democrats stood up to these Republican bullies, end of conversation!

BTW, I will remember this and I will be at my precinct caucus next month.

[9119495]

2. At least they engaged you in a conversation.

My caller wouldn't even let me finish a sentence. I've already told my co-workers about it...but none of them liked Gep anyway. Which leads to the question of who does?

I'm trying to be the good Democrat and support anyone against Bush with vote, time, and money, but with friends like Gep's callers, who needs enemies.

[loyalsister]

3. I sympathize

Apparently it's a universal thing. I live in MO.
I have friends who support Gep. If they are just ordinary supporters, they're okay. If they're affiliated with his campaign in any way, we don't talk politics because they drive me crazy.

[BJ]

6. I know the LIUNA for the City of Des Moines' backing Gephardt.

And I'll bet Gep's got the backing of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers local at the Boeing plant in St. Louis.

Gephardt's vote for the IWR in 2002 was really a vote for increased defense spending, not national security.

[Demobrat]

4. Not Gep, but the DNC.

They called looking for money to GOTV. I told them that my spare cash was going to the Dean campaign right now. The caller proceeded to lecture me about how that wouldn't matter if nobody voted. I told her that if Dean got the nom it wouldn't be a problem because we would definately be getting the vote out, and hung up. I don't know why these people think voters can be bullied into giving them money. I sure can't.

[jburton]

8. Interesting

I got a call from DNC awhile back. Told 'em I have only so much to give and it's going to Dean and my state representative candidate.

When pressed, I politely said here's why:

1. I know these candidates stretch their dollars further
2. They know how to stand up to * and rethugs.

The End.

[mndemocrat_29]

5. I haven't heard from the Gephardt people

The only people I've heard from are the Kerry people, and they were very polite.

[BJ]

7. When I asked why Kerry voted for the IWR the caller got defensive.

I also asked the caller from the Kerry campaign the same question: what was Saddam Hussein's biggest crime?

And I got the same trite answer that's been coming directly from the White House.

When I said that if Hussein had let the IMF restructure the Iraqi economy and privatize the oil industry the Kerry volunteer got very huffy and slammed the receiver on me.

[Lady President]

9. Empathy for the caller

It sounds like you did have a bad caller, but as someone who makes these calls, I know how hard it is.

Many people don't seem to realize that we don't have contact with the candidate and make unreasonable requests, like haircut suggestions.

Some are completely misinformed. I had a person yell at me because he felt Kerry hates gays. Huh?!? I explained Kerry's record, but the guy just hung up on me.

The nicest, but most difficult calls are to people who are disgusted with Bush and want to talk about all his flaws. I can understand wanting any opportunity to be heard, unfortunately I always feel like I have to watch the clock.

It's not an easy task to make these calls.

[9119495]

10. I make the calls for Dean and we never

do what this guy did, at least in my volunteer office.

Thanks for the words though. Funny thing happened later. I got a call from a Kerry person. I told them I was a Dean volunteer and the guy chuckled and said "I guess I probably can't change your mind then." He was very polite so I told him the Gephardt story and he too was shocked.

You'd never know it from DU, but in Iowa there are a lot of Dean supporters who would pick Kerry as a second choice and Kerry supporters that love Dean. It gives me some hope we could unify.

[dnbmathguy]

11. As someone who has made phone calls for the Gephardt campaign...

...in New Hampshire, I can say that everyone I know is extremely polite on the phones. I apologize if you feel like you were treated rudely, but I don't think it was done purposefully.

[9119495]

12. Thats reassuring.

I assume he was an over zealous Gep supporter who hates Dean--but he was calling Democrats. You and your crew should keep up the polite stuff. I know I will.