What's up with the MoveOn.Org telephone calls?

[ccpup]

My partner and I live in NYC, have given a lot of money in the past to MoveOn.org and, therefore, are on their "before the election call list". But when they've called the past two nights and my partner wasn't home, they've gotten EXTREMELY rude. If I want to ask who's calling before telling them that no, he's not home right now, I don't need to hear "you could have f*cking told me that before. bye"! Needless to say, I left a message with their main switchboard asking them to take us off their call list and will not be donating anything to them anymore.

Sheesh!

[featherman]

1. Are you sure it was really "Move On"? Just asking.

[pooja]

2. Wow!!!! that's horrible.. please don't let one volunteer ruin your

day. We all have horrible days. We all have moments in time that we are able to be human.

[I Have A Dream]

3. I wonder if some Freepers are impersonating Democrats so that...

they can make calls and get people upset with MoveOn. Sounds like something that they'd do. (It's not as though MoveOn really vets anyone before allowing them to make calls.)

Sorry that this happened!

[swimmernsecretsea]

4. I'd report that.

Moveon.org would certainly like to know that their volunteers are being rude and using foul language. How awful! I can tell you that it's not been my experience, and when I've volunteered, not I nor anyone around me would even think of doing such a thing.

[ccpup]

5. I did report it.

And it hasn't been just one phone call. It's been a few ... although this was the first time foul language was used. Perhaps the volunteer was having a bad day. Maybe it was the umpteenth phone call where the person they were trying to reach wasn't home. But, if you're working a phone bank during an Election Season Crunch, you should come prepared for all of that and remember, as the one making the call and reaching out, you are, in essence, the face, the voice and the personality of that Organization. One impatient move made for whatever reason could spiral into losing the support of one person ... and all of his or her friends ... and their friends ... and so on.

I'm directing my money into specific races around the Country anyway and not so much into organizations like MoveOn this time.

[swimmernsecretsea]

6. I quite agree. I plan to

forward your story and comments to the appropriate place. Again, I'm sorry to hear this. It's not been my experience, nor that of others I know.

[Robbien]

7. I have a real hard time believing you

No one who is volunteering their time to help defeat the GOP would ever be nasty to potential voters.

This sounds like a post designed to drive people away from Moveon.

Your post sounds so full of "concern" and screams the GOP message DO NOT GIVE YOUR TIME TO MONEY to MOVEON.

[ccpup]

8. If you took a minute

to look at the history of my Posts and the responses I've given people here on DU, you'd see that you're just wrong, wrong, wronger than wrong. But, hey, that's a first! I've never in my life been accused of being a repug!

Actually, in a Reply I've posted in this thread, I mention that I'm giving money to specific candidates across the country in lieu of MoveOn this time.

Nice try, though.

[1932]

9. Does MoveOn even make telephone calls?

I thought their whole deal was that they were entirely an email-based operation.

[1932]

10. Does MoveOn even make telephone calls?

I thought their whole deal was that they were entirely an email-based operation.

[ccpup]

11. you know, that's a very good question.

The people we've been getting calls from claim to be from MoveOn.org. If they AREN'T from MoveOn, then they should know that someone out there is calling and attempting to raise money using their name.

The number that comes up (the one I redialed to ask to be taken off their call list) directs me to a MoveOn.org mail box, so I didn't really doubt it.

(Just checked their Website and they do have a Call for Change program that's listed as one of the largest phone banking efforts in American history. I guess that's our answer.)

[1932]

12. Call for Change doesn't ask for money. They ask voters to vote.

And the callers are people who volunteer to make calls.

And I don't think they'd be calling NYC, since it's so safely Democratic.

They're calling voters in close races.

[RealDems]

15. It's part of a program called Call for Change

Well trained organizers are sent to districts to activate MoveOn members in targeted districts. The organizers are great, and most of the volunteers are sincere as well (although I'm sure there can be the occasional rogue volunteer -- perhaps a Republican out to damage MoveOn's reputation.) The thing that makes me suspicious though is that these calls are not fundraising calls, but calls to ask for volunteers to help get out the vote (in part by joining the phone bank). MoveOn has a huge membership base, and they know that if those people actually get on the ground and help organize, they will first of all help shape the election and give us a Democratic House, and second, train the volunteers to continue organizing post-election. It's a great strategy, and I would hate to think that one rude volunteer would cause you to give exclusively to candidates. Yes, the candidates need the help as well, but the whole infrastructure of the Party needs help, and MoveOn is working on achieving that.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Perhps it is a paid phone bank rather than volunteer

[1932]

14. I don't think MoveOn uses paid phone banks.

They do all their solicitations for donations by email, afaict, and they do all their GOTV with volunteers by phone.