As I've mentioned before on several occasions, I have somehow gotten on a "conservative" calling list. I don't know how, but I have gotten about 4 or 5 calls now trying to hit me up for money, using the same basic approach: a person asking me to listen to a recorded message from a conservative "star," the recorded message, and then a different person with the sales pitch using some kind of scare tactic. Previous scare tactics have focused on the UN, sex ed for kindergarteners (really), and of course, the scariest thing of all -- the possibility that President Obama will be reelected. Yesterdays' call was from Citizens United, and used the Affordable Care Act as the scary thing that must be stopped.
Yesterday's call started out with a barely literate woman who struggled to pronounce both my first and last names. I knew it was a call from Citizens United, because it showed up on my caller ID, so I just let her struggle until she finally managed to spit out a reasonable facsimile of my name. She then said that she had a recorded message from Dick Morris about his new book, and then information on how I could get a "free" copy if I stayed on the line. I didn't really listen to the recorded message, but I did get this much -- Dick Morris rambling on about the evils of the ACA, how it would destroy the country, how liberal groups were going to spend millions trying to convince people that Obamacare is a good thing, how CU was going to pull out all the stops to convince people otherwise (so they need your money), and how his new book was the most important thing ever written. After the recording, another person came on the line. The conversation went something like this:
Him: Thank you for staying on the line. Do you agree with the recent Supreme Court decision on Obamacare?
Me: [In a cheery voice] Absolutely!
Him: [pause] You do?
Me: [still in a cheery voice] Absolutely!
Him: Well, I understand your point of view. As a conservative...blah, blah, blah [I really can't remember what he said, and it does matter]... So would you be able to contribute $100 to Citizens United?
Me: [same tone of voice as before] Nope!
Him: [pause] So you support Obamacare?
Me: Absolutely!
Him: I understand your position. Have a nice day.
To give him credit, at least he was courteous, unlike some of the previous callers. While these calls are kind of annoying, they at least give me some insight into the tactics the other side is using. And I kind of enjoy wasting their time. Sadly, these tactics probably work. I'm sure they get a fair number of people who are convinced that the only thing standing between them and a complete government takeover of the healthcare system, including rationing of care, is their $100. Oh, and they get a "free" copy of Dick's new book.