Republicans Running Anti- And Pro-Specter Robocalls In PA
Here's a weird gambit from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
As my colleague Eric Kleefeld reported earlier this week, the NRSC is running an anti-Arlen Specter robocall in Pennsylvania meant to create a chasm between the new Democrat and the voters who will select the party's nominee in the 2010 Senate race. You can listen to that call here.
But that's not the full extent of their shenanigans. They're also running a vaguely pro-Specter (but anti-Sestak) robocall at the exact same time. Take a look.
So what's the play here? That, should Sestak run, the first robocall will result (or help result) in a Sestak nomination, and that the second robocall will drive independent voters away from Sestak over to Toomey? That's the only thing I can think of, but it seems like a stretch. Then again, this is the NRSC....
Transcript follows:
Hello, this is Jack. Yesterday, our Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak voted for President Obama's budget, which contains spending increases for Democratic priorities like housing and environmental protection. But don't Pennsylvanians deserve an independent voice in Congress? Our new democratic Senator Arlen Specter has been that voice. Last night, Senator Specter stood with conservative Senate Republicans in opposing the Obama budget. So call Joe Sestak at 610-892-8623. Tell Joe Sestak that Pennsylvanians want an independent voice, not another vote for the Obama agenda. This call was paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee at www.nrsc.org and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
| TOPICS: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak, PA-SEN, Pat Toomey, Senate, Senate '10
Josh
Matt
Eric
A schizophrenic Machiavelli?
May 1, 2009 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
makes sense. the Rs have only the faintest glimmer of hope to defeat specter but none to defeat sestak.
May 1, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Has anyone else noticed but Spector sounds eerily identical to the voice of Nixon in the Frost/Nixon movie.
May 1, 2009 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ratfucking is the only thing Republicans have ever actually been good at.
May 1, 2009 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is there anyone in America that listens to a robocall beyond the first 2 seconds? You know that every one of them is a lie infested hit piece. Frankly, if there is not a live voice on the other end, I think most people just hang up. They are insulting, intrusive and show NO respect for the receivers time.
May 1, 2009 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
In answer to xargaw: I used to, in a previous incarnation, represent telemarketers (and now, having seen the light, I switched careers and am dedicated to the cause of justice at the Department of Justice). I can tell you that I have dealt with numerous nationally-recognized experts, none of whom have any evidence that people who pick up the phone listen to a robocall beyond a few seconds (I think 3 seconds is the magic number). Which is why many telemarketers engage automated call vendors who program their calling machines to only play messages into answering machines, and to hang up on you if you pick up the phone. Which is why many times you will get an out-of-area call, answer, and receive a hang up. No, there is not someone stalking you. Yes, that is a telemarketer trying to reach your answering machine, because it is more likely you will listen to a robocall on your answering machine than it is that you will listen to one if you pick up the phone. Which is why the FTC has labeled this practice a violation of the law (specifically, Section 5 of the FTC Act). This is your legal factoid for the day.
As to the schizophrenic pro-and anti-Specter calls, I take this as yet another sign that the party is in complete disarray. I love it.
May 1, 2009 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Thanks, Lars, for that glimpse into the methods of the evil.
yikes.
May 2, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
If one doesn't work, the other will. Brillant!
May 1, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why not? If I were a Repube consultant and I could have Republicans winning both primaries, I'd be pretty happy.
May 1, 2009 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why not? If I were a Repube consultant and I could have Republicans winning both primaries, I'd be pretty happy.
May 1, 2009 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's a mistake to take the purpose of the NRSC's "pro-Specter" robocall at face value. It makes more strategic sense as another anti-Specter, pro-Sestak call aimed at Democratic primary voters.
Look at it this way. Picture yourself as a liberal Democratic PA primary voter. Here are the words that stand out in this call associated with each candidate:
Joe Sestak: for President Obama's budget, Democratic priorities, housing and environmental protection, Obama agenda
Arlen Specter: new Democratic senator, stood with conservative Senate Republicans, opposing the Obama budget
If I'm a Democratic primary voter (and I am), all of this will just make me more inclined towards Sestak, and less towards Specter. And the fact that the GOP is ostensibly vouching for Specter will just make me distrust him that much more.
Which is exactly the point: Hurt Specter's standing with Democratic base voters so that Joe Sestak emerges as the nominee (and more power to them).
If the NRSC were really trying to make Sestak less popular, wouldn't they slap him with terms like "big government" or "energy tax" or "taxes for tuition benefits for illegal immigrants who come here to study abortion"? Do they really think "environmental protection" is a turn-off for Democratic primary voters and opposing Obama is a turn-on? They may be tone deaf, but not that tone deaf.
May 2, 2009 8:21 AM | Reply | Permalink