2012 Iowa Caucus Phone Call Log
I don't believe it. You actually clicked this! You must be extremely curious or extremely bored. Here it is, a listing of all the political calls I received during the week
prior to the 2012 Iowa Caucus. If you want to go back to my blog post, click here.
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011: 7 calls, 6 messages on the answering machine,
plus one recorded call
When we arrive home from our Christmas stay with relatives in Chicago we are greeted by six phone messages. They are…
- a recorded message from Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal inviting us to stay on the line for a town hall meeting with Rick Perry.
- New Jersey governor Chris Christie, asking us to vote for Mitt Romney.
- Mitt Romney wishing us a Merry Christmas.
- Strong America Now (find out supports Newt Gingrich) inviting us to a free pizza dinner on the 28th to discuss issues.
- Arizona border sheriff Paul Matthews asking us to vote for Mitt Romney.
- A recorded message that actually says, ‘Hello, Murphy family! You’re invited to a live teleforum put on by Pursuit of USA. Go online to find anything on ‘Pursuit of USA’ and can’t. Weird.
At 8 p.m. get another phone call: a recorded message inviting me to a Town Hall
meeting by phone. I’m tired from travel, so I pass.
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011: Six calls - 4 live people, 2
automated
11:52 a.m - Real person conducts an anonymous survey on who I am voting for. I politely
tell him, he politely says ‘thanks’ and hangs up.
1:51 p.m. - ‘Jim’ calls supporting Rick Perry wondering if I plan on voting for him.
4:20 p.m. - A gentleman (no name given) calls in support of Ron Paul and asks if I’m
voting for him.
5:21 p.m. - A gentleman (no name given) calls asking if I plan to caucus and who I will
vote for. When I tell him he has a happy spasm --that’s who he’s supporting,
too! In fact he’s calling from that candidate’s headquarters!
6:03 p.m. - An automated call from former Vice President Dan Quayle inviting me to stay
connected so I can join in a live question and answer session about the campaign. Doesn’t say on whose behalf he is calling. I hang up, but regret it. Next time I get the chance, I’ll do it.
6:45 p.m. - The chance comes sooner than expected. Newt Gingrich’s pre-recorded voice
greets me, inviting me to an ‘Ask Newt’ presidential forum. I join it in progress. From the voice gaps I can tell there are a ton of people listening in as Newt responds to questions from other callers like me. There seems to be a moderator, but I don’t know how to ask a question. That’s good. I’d probably ask something moronic like, “Team Jacob or Team Edward?”
NOTE: I also got about 5 calls from ‘out of area’ on my caller ID that, once I pick
up, there’s no one on the line. I assume they’re campaign related (many are from
‘out of area’) but don’t know for sure.
Thursday, December 29th, 2011: 3 calls, all live
3:23 p.m. - In a live call, ‘Mark’ calls me in support of Rick Perry.
7:02 p.m. - In another live call, ‘Matt’ calls me in support of Ron Paul.
7:43 p.m. - In an automated call, another ‘Matt’ calls in support of Rick
Santorum.
Friday, December 30th, 2011: 6 calls - 5 automated, 1 live
1:46 p.m. - Recorded message from Mitt Romney camp asking if I know how to
caucus.’
2:25 p.m. - Automated poll from Newt Gingrich camp wonder who I am caucusing
for.
5:50 p.m. - Hubby gets automated call from someone about someone. No details from him
as ‘the game was on.’
7:19 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Danita’ inviting me to join Mitt at a rally on January 2nd at 8 a.m. at the Mississippi Fairgrounds. Really? 8 a.m. That’s hard core early for me, given it’s holiday break. Might do it in the name of blogging. That’s right. I might do it for YOU. But if I go to Mitt’s, I should really attend some others. An idea forms in my mind. Hmmmm….
7:31 p.m. - Recorded message from the President of the Iowa Farmers Bureau stumping for Newt Gingrich.
7:35 p.m. - Live person from Mitt Romney camp. Asking me whether I’m going to the
caucus and will anyone be going with me.
Saturday, December 31st, 2011: 4 messages, all recorded.
10:35 a.m. - Recorded message from ‘Strong America Now’telling me that any vote for Mitt
is a vote against Newt. Newt has a plan for the deficit. Vote Gingrich!
11:26 p.m. - Re corded message from ‘Susan.’ Please caucus for Mitt Romney.
3:00 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Jim’ asking us to vote for Rick
Santorum.
3:48 p.m. - Recorded message from former Congressman J.C. Watts asking us to vote for
Newt Gingrich. My husband proceeds to tell me J.C. Watts was also a star quarterback and Orange Bowl MVP at Oklahoma. Yep, it’s all about football, folks.
(No calls after that, I think. Went to New Year’s Eve party so not sure.)
Sunday, January 1st, 2012: 4 calls - 1 live, three recorded
12:25 p.m. - I answer to a recorded message from Mitt Romney saying, “Hello, Murphy
family! I want to wish you a happy new year!’ Dang! This guy actually sat down with a list of people’s names and recorded them? He wants this nomination BAD.
12:52 p.m. - ‘Carlos’ calls in support of Newt Gingrich. He asks if we plan to caucus
and, if so, why we should support Newt.
3:32 p.m. - Recorded message from Glen Massie, Iowa House Republican and Army veteran for Ron Paul, also a veteran who believes the Army should only be used to secure
American borders and not be used for nation-building schemes. Says Paul has more
contributions from active duty military members than all other Republican candidates combined.
4:08 p.m. - Recorded message from Steve Forbes in support of Rick Perry. He wants a
‘flat tax so simple you can file your taxes on a post card’ and a part-time congress -- ‘he’ll cut members pay in half!’
Monday, January 2nd,2012: 8 calls - 6 recorded, 2 live
10:59 a.m. - ‘Betty’ calls asking who I’m supporting. I tell her, and she says, “Great!
That’s the campaign I’m calling from.”
12:42 p.m. - Recorded message from Rick Santorum asking for our vote because he’s a proud supporter of 2nd amendment rights. He loves the NRA, even opposed the assault weapons ban, and did more pro-gun stuff.
12:55 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Susan’ from Romney campaign saying just wanted to call one more time to remind us to go to the caucus. I have a sneaking suspicion that that won’t be the last call we get from the Romney campaign, though….
3:42 p.m. - ….and I’m right. A gentleman calls for Rick, saying he has caucus details he wants to pass along to him. I politely tell him we've heard from the Romney campaign plenty and are pretty up to speed on any and all details concerning both Mitt and the caucus. No more calls are needed. Really. Stop.
5:49 p.m. - A short recorded survey asking me if I’m going to caucus, who I support, and which party I am affiliated with.
6:28 p.m. - THE FIRST AND ONLY NEGATIVE PHONE CALL! A recorded message from Jed Coburn of the National Right to Work Committee wants me to know that people like Rick Santorum turn his stomach! He doesn’t support the National Right to Work Act so he doesn’t support workers right to work or something like that. ‘Paid for by the Ron Paul Campaign.’ How sweet!
6:58 p.m. - Recorded message from Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council wants
to make sure Iowans vote for ‘a true conservative.’ To find out who is ‘a true conservative’ I should go to govoteiowa.com, so I do. It doesn’t seem to push any particular candidate, just how they all stand on issues like abortion, planned parenthood, traditional marriage, etc.
7:18 p.m. - Recorded message from Mitt Romney inviting me to stay on the line for a
live opportunity to speak with him and ask any questions I may have before tomorrow’s caucus.
January 3rd, 2012: 3 phone calls, all recorded
11:04 a.m. - Recorded message from Mitt Romney asking, for the last time, to vote for
him. He’s running not simply because he wants to be president, but because he loves this country. He’s afraid the America we know and love won’t be there for our children if things continue with Barack Obama.
12:13 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Susan’ of the Mitt Romney campaign calling, for
the last time, to say please vote for Mitt. Polls say that only he can beat Obama. This vote is just so important. Vote for Mitt. Please. The future of America depends on it.
1:07 p.m - A recorded message from Ann Romney. “I was sitting next to Mitt when he
called you this morning,” she says, “and realized he didn’t give you the website
where your caucus is at.” She gives the website, a phone number, and a thank you
for getting involved in the process. I am awaiting a call from one of his kids
next….
And that's it! A total of 41 calls in all. Man, was that excruciating!
prior to the 2012 Iowa Caucus. If you want to go back to my blog post, click here.
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011: 7 calls, 6 messages on the answering machine,
plus one recorded call
When we arrive home from our Christmas stay with relatives in Chicago we are greeted by six phone messages. They are…
- a recorded message from Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal inviting us to stay on the line for a town hall meeting with Rick Perry.
- New Jersey governor Chris Christie, asking us to vote for Mitt Romney.
- Mitt Romney wishing us a Merry Christmas.
- Strong America Now (find out supports Newt Gingrich) inviting us to a free pizza dinner on the 28th to discuss issues.
- Arizona border sheriff Paul Matthews asking us to vote for Mitt Romney.
- A recorded message that actually says, ‘Hello, Murphy family! You’re invited to a live teleforum put on by Pursuit of USA. Go online to find anything on ‘Pursuit of USA’ and can’t. Weird.
At 8 p.m. get another phone call: a recorded message inviting me to a Town Hall
meeting by phone. I’m tired from travel, so I pass.
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011: Six calls - 4 live people, 2
automated
11:52 a.m - Real person conducts an anonymous survey on who I am voting for. I politely
tell him, he politely says ‘thanks’ and hangs up.
1:51 p.m. - ‘Jim’ calls supporting Rick Perry wondering if I plan on voting for him.
4:20 p.m. - A gentleman (no name given) calls in support of Ron Paul and asks if I’m
voting for him.
5:21 p.m. - A gentleman (no name given) calls asking if I plan to caucus and who I will
vote for. When I tell him he has a happy spasm --that’s who he’s supporting,
too! In fact he’s calling from that candidate’s headquarters!
6:03 p.m. - An automated call from former Vice President Dan Quayle inviting me to stay
connected so I can join in a live question and answer session about the campaign. Doesn’t say on whose behalf he is calling. I hang up, but regret it. Next time I get the chance, I’ll do it.
6:45 p.m. - The chance comes sooner than expected. Newt Gingrich’s pre-recorded voice
greets me, inviting me to an ‘Ask Newt’ presidential forum. I join it in progress. From the voice gaps I can tell there are a ton of people listening in as Newt responds to questions from other callers like me. There seems to be a moderator, but I don’t know how to ask a question. That’s good. I’d probably ask something moronic like, “Team Jacob or Team Edward?”
NOTE: I also got about 5 calls from ‘out of area’ on my caller ID that, once I pick
up, there’s no one on the line. I assume they’re campaign related (many are from
‘out of area’) but don’t know for sure.
Thursday, December 29th, 2011: 3 calls, all live
3:23 p.m. - In a live call, ‘Mark’ calls me in support of Rick Perry.
7:02 p.m. - In another live call, ‘Matt’ calls me in support of Ron Paul.
7:43 p.m. - In an automated call, another ‘Matt’ calls in support of Rick
Santorum.
Friday, December 30th, 2011: 6 calls - 5 automated, 1 live
1:46 p.m. - Recorded message from Mitt Romney camp asking if I know how to
caucus.’
2:25 p.m. - Automated poll from Newt Gingrich camp wonder who I am caucusing
for.
5:50 p.m. - Hubby gets automated call from someone about someone. No details from him
as ‘the game was on.’
7:19 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Danita’ inviting me to join Mitt at a rally on January 2nd at 8 a.m. at the Mississippi Fairgrounds. Really? 8 a.m. That’s hard core early for me, given it’s holiday break. Might do it in the name of blogging. That’s right. I might do it for YOU. But if I go to Mitt’s, I should really attend some others. An idea forms in my mind. Hmmmm….
7:31 p.m. - Recorded message from the President of the Iowa Farmers Bureau stumping for Newt Gingrich.
7:35 p.m. - Live person from Mitt Romney camp. Asking me whether I’m going to the
caucus and will anyone be going with me.
Saturday, December 31st, 2011: 4 messages, all recorded.
10:35 a.m. - Recorded message from ‘Strong America Now’telling me that any vote for Mitt
is a vote against Newt. Newt has a plan for the deficit. Vote Gingrich!
11:26 p.m. - Re corded message from ‘Susan.’ Please caucus for Mitt Romney.
3:00 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Jim’ asking us to vote for Rick
Santorum.
3:48 p.m. - Recorded message from former Congressman J.C. Watts asking us to vote for
Newt Gingrich. My husband proceeds to tell me J.C. Watts was also a star quarterback and Orange Bowl MVP at Oklahoma. Yep, it’s all about football, folks.
(No calls after that, I think. Went to New Year’s Eve party so not sure.)
Sunday, January 1st, 2012: 4 calls - 1 live, three recorded
12:25 p.m. - I answer to a recorded message from Mitt Romney saying, “Hello, Murphy
family! I want to wish you a happy new year!’ Dang! This guy actually sat down with a list of people’s names and recorded them? He wants this nomination BAD.
12:52 p.m. - ‘Carlos’ calls in support of Newt Gingrich. He asks if we plan to caucus
and, if so, why we should support Newt.
3:32 p.m. - Recorded message from Glen Massie, Iowa House Republican and Army veteran for Ron Paul, also a veteran who believes the Army should only be used to secure
American borders and not be used for nation-building schemes. Says Paul has more
contributions from active duty military members than all other Republican candidates combined.
4:08 p.m. - Recorded message from Steve Forbes in support of Rick Perry. He wants a
‘flat tax so simple you can file your taxes on a post card’ and a part-time congress -- ‘he’ll cut members pay in half!’
Monday, January 2nd,2012: 8 calls - 6 recorded, 2 live
10:59 a.m. - ‘Betty’ calls asking who I’m supporting. I tell her, and she says, “Great!
That’s the campaign I’m calling from.”
12:42 p.m. - Recorded message from Rick Santorum asking for our vote because he’s a proud supporter of 2nd amendment rights. He loves the NRA, even opposed the assault weapons ban, and did more pro-gun stuff.
12:55 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Susan’ from Romney campaign saying just wanted to call one more time to remind us to go to the caucus. I have a sneaking suspicion that that won’t be the last call we get from the Romney campaign, though….
3:42 p.m. - ….and I’m right. A gentleman calls for Rick, saying he has caucus details he wants to pass along to him. I politely tell him we've heard from the Romney campaign plenty and are pretty up to speed on any and all details concerning both Mitt and the caucus. No more calls are needed. Really. Stop.
5:49 p.m. - A short recorded survey asking me if I’m going to caucus, who I support, and which party I am affiliated with.
6:28 p.m. - THE FIRST AND ONLY NEGATIVE PHONE CALL! A recorded message from Jed Coburn of the National Right to Work Committee wants me to know that people like Rick Santorum turn his stomach! He doesn’t support the National Right to Work Act so he doesn’t support workers right to work or something like that. ‘Paid for by the Ron Paul Campaign.’ How sweet!
6:58 p.m. - Recorded message from Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council wants
to make sure Iowans vote for ‘a true conservative.’ To find out who is ‘a true conservative’ I should go to govoteiowa.com, so I do. It doesn’t seem to push any particular candidate, just how they all stand on issues like abortion, planned parenthood, traditional marriage, etc.
7:18 p.m. - Recorded message from Mitt Romney inviting me to stay on the line for a
live opportunity to speak with him and ask any questions I may have before tomorrow’s caucus.
January 3rd, 2012: 3 phone calls, all recorded
11:04 a.m. - Recorded message from Mitt Romney asking, for the last time, to vote for
him. He’s running not simply because he wants to be president, but because he loves this country. He’s afraid the America we know and love won’t be there for our children if things continue with Barack Obama.
12:13 p.m. - Recorded message from ‘Susan’ of the Mitt Romney campaign calling, for
the last time, to say please vote for Mitt. Polls say that only he can beat Obama. This vote is just so important. Vote for Mitt. Please. The future of America depends on it.
1:07 p.m - A recorded message from Ann Romney. “I was sitting next to Mitt when he
called you this morning,” she says, “and realized he didn’t give you the website
where your caucus is at.” She gives the website, a phone number, and a thank you
for getting involved in the process. I am awaiting a call from one of his kids
next….
And that's it! A total of 41 calls in all. Man, was that excruciating!
