Well, I put my data where my mouth was and signed on to do the MoveOn.org's phone out the vote effort.
I was impressed with the slick online interface and ease of use - www.pol.moveon.org/phone/volunteer/c4c.html . I was also impressed with how easy it would be to screw up a campaign by signing up with the MoveOn phone program and making horribly negative calls to potential voters. I wonder if there's any mechanism to control that?
I do think they "seed" the phone number list the online program feeds you to call, as I was supposed to be calling upstate New York about a congressional race there, but somehow a number in my home state, Maine, cropped up and a very perky, friendly woman answered--perhaps a MoveOn monitor.
I do think it's a great program, and I haven't had any abusive responses from people yet. Some hangups, more wrong numbers than you'd expect, some apathy, and friendly people who are on one side of the fence or the other. But how can you fault someone who's passionate about voting, whether or not you despise their choice?
Happily, most people with passion on the topic were progressive/democrat/liberal. We need a new title. But beware the Repubmocrat, my friends...The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!