<p>Last election the calls drove me crazy so I paid the $5 a month, or whatever it is, for caller ID. Now we never answer the phone. It is also very useful to avoid the various colleges (mine, my kids, etc…) calling for money. I was always a sucker for a college kid on the phone asking for money.</p>
<p>Do Not Call lists don’t apply to political calls or surveys just commercial operations… It’s considered a free speech issue.</p>
<p>[Do</a> Not Call list does not apply to campaigns](<a href=“http://www.stoppoliticalcalls.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/28501/pid/700]Do”>http://www.stoppoliticalcalls.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/28501/pid/700)</p>
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<p>I campaigned for a presdiential candidate in 2008. It was an eye-opening experience. Most people were pleasant enough (even the ones who supported the other guy), but a sizeable number of people were rude and hostile. One woman started screaming at us as soon as we announced for whom we were campaigning and then followed us down the street awhile, screaming very loudly and hurling obscenities at us. It was scary.</p>
<p>My mother gets inundated with calls and letters - we told her that it’s her fault because she donates. They just want money from her.</p>
<p>We get stuff in the mail and we have an answering machine to deal with spam. When I answer the phone, I used to request that they add us to their do-not-call list but I oftentimes just hang up these days.</p>
<p>Florida is the main prize swing state for this presidential election. We are being carpet bombed here now until 7:00 p.m. election day when the voting polls close with political advertisements in every form of media. Too, the candidates and their families are crawling all over the state every nook and corner it seems non-stop daily seeking votes.</p>
<p>This makes me glad I don’t have a land line. That and I don’t live in a swing state which also means not as many ads. Our state ads will start up soon though, ugh.</p>
<p>Hey, here’s one advantage to living in a state where nobody even contemplates that enough people might vote blue in my red district.
We haven’t had one phone call. I don’t watch much TV and surprisingly no political ads on HGTV or BBC America. No screaming politicians during Dr Who.
(I do consider myself well-versed in current events by reading the daily paper over breakfast, start to finish. I am a dinosaur!)</p>
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Rachel calls here at least three times a week. Does anybody actually ever listen to her? We also get the call that starts “This is the last time we’re calling you.” But my absolute least favorite is the one that begins “please hold on for a very important message.” If I was a more patient person I’d at least hang on long enough to tell them what I think of them.</p>
<p>I don’t ever answer landline (why we still have I don’t know!) and my personal cell phone actually sits on my desk in my room turned off. Work cell phone it is… very few calls on it…</p>
<p>I answer the land line at home and am usually pretty firm with telemarketers (I lump political calls in there) but sometimes I just don’t feel like dealing with them. Everyone else lets it go to the answering machine unless they are expecting a call.</p>
<p>I got a pollster tonight (well, that’s what she said she was) and I just interrupted her and asked her to add me to their DNC list and she said sure. My phones are for personal communications with people that I know or that know me and I don’t like that space invaded.</p>
<p>How about the solicitors that show up at your front door with a sob story and try to sell you overpriced magazines? In my neighborhood, no one knocks on our door. My dogs go crazy when that happens. :)</p>
<p>I’m usually polite but firm, not a nasty person, but that call on my personal cell phone number that so few have just sent me over the edge.</p>
<p>I get polled all the time on my landline. I usually answer the poll if I have time; it can be amusing.</p>
<p>Wow, I was just saying that it might be fun to live in a swing state and be “courted”. Now I’m glad I don’t. Not that we’re “courtable” (not a real word probably)!</p>
<p>I have stopped answering our landline, just check for messages. It’s “Rachel” many times.</p>
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I usually ask who it is before I even open the door. Probably the most common ones around here are contractors trying to get work.</p>
<p>We live in a swing state so lots and lots of phone calls. It’s finally pushed us to cut our landline. We have to wait a month to make sure all of our billers, etc. have the updated #'s, then it’s buh-by! I’m so used to the ads I just don’t pay attention anymore. We don’t get door to door selling here…it’s against the HOA and we’re gated so next to impossible to get in. Yes, my lawn has to look nice, I have to have (and run) underground irrigation, and my flowers have to be all in a row, but there are certain benefits.</p>
<p>Another swing stater here. Thank goodness for caller id, I do not answer any number I don’t know and spend time each day deleting 10 - 20 messages. One interesting difference I have noticed this election cycle over 2008 is there are so many fewer yard signs and bumper stickers this time. It really surprises me and I’m not sure what it means exactly.You can drive a long time without seeing any campaign images at all.</p>
<p>It means lack of enthusiasm and a low turnout.</p>
<p>don’t have a phone in my apartment… </p>
<p>at my parents house, I never answer the phone. If it’s important, the person will leave a message.</p>
<p>I ran for office in 2000. I was told I had to make the last minute phone calls. One woman was so angry at me that I wanted to cry. I took her off my list, but what was I supposed to do?</p>