[A Citizen Reporter]

I am on a DO NOT CALL LIST, but it exempts political calls. I pay the local phone company to screen my calls, and still the robo-calls got through this year.

Judging by the "unhappy customers" who I talked to while waiting in line to vote this morning, I think that candidates, parties and issues coalitions should re-think these calls next time around. IT IS REALLY TICKING PEOPLE OFF!

[A CA Guy]

Yes, especially if people call homes before 9:30am, at lunch time or after 5pm at night.

[FoxInSocks]

I saw some drivel in the Washington Post by a guy who tried to defend robo-calls. "The writer is an account manager at the Mack-Crounse Group, a Democratic political consulting firm."

Here's the end of it. The last paragraph contains a particularly ridiculous argument. Oh, preceding the column were four letters from readers annoyed by the calls -- nobody submitted a letter in support of this practice.

"Robo-dials can be inconvenient, and I know there are times when mistakes are made and your phone rings at a strange time, but typically these calls take 30 seconds, and they represent the freedom of speech that our country was founded on.

<snip>

"So, before getting too upset about the robo-dials that you are no doubt being bombarded with this weekend, think about what they are: a political campaign spending a small amount of money to use one of the few mass-education tactics available to reach out to you and get (or keep) you involved in the electoral process.

"Instead of hanging up on the call, realize that this is American democracy in action and that there is nothing wrong with an automated call requesting that you participate. After all, many sacrifices have been made over the course of American history to preserve our right to vote. A phone call or two reminding us to exercise that right is certainly something we can all live with."