Political Texting
Back in the 90s I still recall the aha moment a group of senators had when they understood email spam. It is wrong for everyone except themselves.
You go to one political event, support one politician and within hours you are getting an email from every one of that party running for office. It is infuriating to have more spam in the box. Politicians need cash to run and raising money from their fellow Americans is the way it has always been done but it only gets worse because the costs grow every year. I wish there was a better way to perhaps but we are far from that change taking place.
I can deal with the emails and moving them into a spam box doesn’t take much. They don’t feel as invasive as texting. Getting a phone call is the worst but that is rare. My email box is open but somehow I feel that my text threads are more private. Seeing random texts from someone running for office that would like support or to meet because they are coming through NYC is just not the way to get me excited. I get why they do it, I understand they are trying to do everything they can to raise money, but I still just hate the texting.
I have witnessed Fred being hit up by someone in random locations from an event to dinner trying to pitch him on their companies. That is just not appropriate nor is it going to work. Tenacity is one thing but overstepping boundaries is a totally different thing.
Back to the texting from people running for office. In my phone, that is a boundary overstepped.
Comments (Archived):
AGREE. One of the reasons I write checks to charity or to politicians with trepidation is I don’t want to be on a list.
It’s the worst!
Phone call or text is interuptive and off limits. And I’ll never forgot once you had mentioned how people would approach you and Fred eating dinner out and how that upset you. I would be livid. I hate shit like that.But I don’t think (separate topic) younger people can appreciate the world prior to email, text and of course Facetime. Remember that world? And before fax machines (in business I got one in the 80’s). Huge impact. Fax ad and printing proofs. Nothing like it.Right now my wife (what is spurring this comment) is at Home Depot. I needed a large hex wrench to tighten a table leg. Sent her a picture by text. She replied by facetime to show me what they had. Amazing. And a complete set is only $10. And Home Depot will take it back no questions if not right. (So will Amazon et all but then you have to ship etc.).Remember the days of small store owners who would hassle you on any return because it came out of their pocket?
I get why they do it, I understand they are trying to do everything they can to raise money, but I still just hate the texting.I’d question whether they are creative enough to be able to get things done in a new way if they are using the old and typical way to raise money.Plus it shows a lack of effort. Nothing gets me more than lack of effort or creativity.There was a guy at a condo building that I have a place in that is always complaining about what the board does. He ran for the board but lost. I told him ‘why don’t you send postal letters to all the owners and also go door to door and introduce your self (and if people are not home leave a personal note)’. Well he didn’t want to put the effort in and do that he just wanted to be elected. So the same old board runs the place and does what they want.
Calling is the worse to me.I use unsolicited calls as a list of places I won’t continue to support.Unfortunate as some I believe in.The rise of direct ways to support causes like Swing Left and others in the animal rights arena are where my efforts and dollars go.
.I wonder if this is a Dem, liberal, lefty issue? Because it is not even remotely the way that the Republican firmament raises money.No 1 Son was the Ass’t Campaign Mgr and the Manager of Fundraising for the second most prolific Congressional campaign in US history — a special election in NC for Dist 12 (won by the Republican who was down 15 pts two weeks before the election, but Pres Trump came to a rally and turned the tide).I will not spill the beans as to how the Republicans raise money as there may be some proprietary information involved, but I can tell you it is data driven, focused on the individual and his issues, and uber organized. There is no such thing as a “cold call” and nobody uses text except when initiated by the donor.As to data, the campaign reporting data is extensive. I can look up every donation you have ever made using publicly available info, so there is no excuse for anybody calling you without knowing who you are, the size of your stroke, and the side of the street you are walking on. The only exception to that is some PAC info — where there is a huge amount of money.It seems that someone with your profile and resources would be in the “bespoke” lane when it comes to political fundraising. I am truly surprised.I would expect you to be receiving calls directly from sitting office holders or candidates, not calls from flunkies or other cold contacts.I recently got a personal invite from Congressman Dan Crenshaw for an intimate meeting in my hometown (he’s from Houston) for a policy update. They were able to identify me based on issues — military background — and got an intermediary to make an intro. I had exchanged a couple of letters with Congressman Crenshaw.It will be interesting to see if Bloomberg is able to achieve any traction nationally as money is not going to be his problem.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…