Robocalls

Robocalls can be an under-the-radar way to reach voters.  However, for voters who are bombarded by calls they can be annoying.


Romney for President 

end of March to April 2 or 3, 2012

Wisconsin


As you know, the fight against Big Labor, led by Governor Walker, isn’t over here in Wisconsin.  I wouldn’t normally make these calls, but I was shocked to find out that Rick Santorum repeatedly supported Big Labor and joined with liberal Democrats in voting against Right to Work legislation during his time in Washington.  He even opposed the hiring of permanent replacements for striking workers.  When it comes to Big Labor, Rick Santorum’s record of opposing Right to Work legislation and standing with union bosses speaks for itself. Thank you for listening to my concerns about Rick Santorum.  This call is paid for by Romney for President Incorporated at 608-535-9xxx.
This call reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert on his The Wisconsin Voter blog.



Male Announcer: Hi, I'm calling with an urgent message from the Romney for President campaign.  This is Rick Santorum on FOX News in 2009.  Santorum: I'm not saying necessarily earmarks are bad.  I have had a lot of earmarks.  In fact I'm very proud of all the earmarks I put in bills, because I think—I'll defend earmarks...  Male Announcer: This call was paid for by Romney for President, Inc. at 608-535-9xxx.


Male Announcer: This is a message from Romney for President.  In 2008 Rick Santorum made the following announcement.  Santorum: If you're a conservative, there really is only one place to go right now.  I would even argue further than that.  If you're a Republican, if you're a Republican in the broadest sense there is only one place to go right now, and that's, and that's Mitt Romney. 
Male Announcer: This call was paid for by Romney for President, Inc. at 608-535-9xxx.


Female Announcer:  This is an urgent message from Romney for President.  [Music] Male Announcer: Is Rick Santorum ready to be President?  He's never run a business.  He's never run a state.  A Washington politician who proudly voted for the Bridge to Nowhere and for liberal judge Sotomayor.  Santorum opposed creating E-Verify, a conservative reform to curb illegal immigration.  Romney: It is a moral imperative for America to stop spending more money than we take in.  Female Announcer: This call was paid for by Romney for President, Inc. at 608-535-9xxx.



Male Announcer: This is a message from Romney for President.  [Music]  Male Announcer 2: Meet Arlen Specter.  Liberal.  Pro-choice Republican turned Democrat.  The deciding vote on Obamacare.  Rick Santorum supported Specter over conservative candidates.  Twice.  Santorum: I'm proud to endorse Arlen Specter.   Male Announcer 2: Santorum and Specter voted for liberal circuit judge Sonia Sotomayor.  Santorum and Specter both sided with Big Labor, against Right to Work.  If Rick Santorum couldn't say no to liberal Arlen Specter can we really trust him to change Washington? 
Male Announcer: This call was paid for by Romney for President, Inc. at 608-535-9xxx.



Male Announcer: This is an urgent message from Romney for President.  Female News Announcer: And that is where the trouble began after Santorum urged Republicans there not to vote for Mitt Romney.  Santorum: Pick any other Republican in the country.  He is the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama...  [static SFX]  Man (NYT reporter Jeff Zeleny): You said that Mitt Romney is the worst Republican in the country.  Is that true?  Santorum: What speech did you listen to?  Zeleny: Right here.  Right here.  You said he is the worst Republican...  Santorum: Stop lying...  Quit distorting my words.  If I see it, it's bulls**t.  Come on, man.  What are you doing?  Zeleny: Who's distorting your words? You just did by asking me that question.  [rewind SFX]  Santorum:
He is the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama...Male Announcer: This call was paid for by Romney for President, Inc. at 608-535-9xxx.




Notes
: In addition to surrogate/celebrity robocalls, there are also more mundane, although sometimes "urgent" attack robocalls.  In the April 3 Wisconsin primary campaign Romney for President did at least six different calls attacking Santorum.  One of the ads ("Is Rick Santorum ready to be President?") simply reprises the audio of the TV ad "Never." with a bit edited off the end.  It is surprising to see the Santorum-Zeleny exchange made into a robocall.  Santorum's use of an expletive might have turned off some voters, but also might have put him in good stead with conservatives for standing up to the New York Times.  The incident happened on March 25 when Santorum was campaigning in Wisconsin.  The robocall uses a very condensed version of the exchange, transcribed from video below.

Zeleny: You said that Mitt Romney is the worst Republican in the country.  Is that true? 

Santorum
: What speech did you listen to? 

Zeleny
: Right here.  Right here.  You said he is the worst Republican... 


Santorum
: Stop lying.  I said he was the worst Republican to run on the issue of Obamacare, and that's what I was talking about.  I have said uniquely, for every speech I give, I say he is uniquely disqualified to run against Barack Obama on the issue of health care.  Would you guys quit distorting what I'm saying. 

Zeleny: Do you think he's the worst Republican to run... 

Santorum: To run against Barack Obama on the issue of health care because he fashioned the blueprint.  I've been saying it in every speech.  Quit distorting my words.  If I see it, it's bulls**t.  Come on, man.  What are you doing? 


Zeleny: Who's distorting your words?

Santorum: You just did, by asking me that question.

Zeleny: You sound upset about...

Santorum: I'm upset when the media distorts what I say.  Yeah I do get upset.

Because you knew exactly what I'm saying and you're misrepresenting it.

What are you guys in the business of doing?  Reporting the truth or are you here to try to spin and make news.  Stop it.  You don't care about the truth at all, do you?  You really don't.  Asking that question tells me you don't care at all about the truth.