Electronic Democracy in Action?

Both Martha Coakley and Scott Brown have deluged potential voters with robocalls. Amid the calls on behalf of Brown, a household of independent voters received the following live call this afternoon.

Caller: I’m calling to ask you to please vote for Scott Brown today. It’s very important that you get out and vote for him today.
Response: Thank you. Could you tell me why it’s important.
Caller: Because he’s opposed to the HELP bill. The HELP bill is bad. It’s bad for America.
Response: The HELP bill? Are you saying the HELP bill. H-E –L-P?
Caller: Yes
Response: Where are you calling from? Who are you working for?
Caller: I’m calling from Alabama, from a call center for the Republican Party.
Response: Why is this HELP bill bad? Isn’t helping usually a good thing? What kind of help does this bad bill provide?
Caller: I don’t know. I’m just calling from the Alabama Republican Party and they told me to tell people to vote for Scott Brown and the HELP bill is a bad thing.
Response: I’m confused. Do you have a supervisor who can explain things to me so I can make the right decision today?

LONG PAUSE

Supervisor: We’re talking about the health bill. It’s just bad for America. It’s important to stop it.
Response: Why is it bad?
Supervisor: It’s just bad.
Response: Why?
Supervisor: It’s all over the news. Look at Scott Brown’s website to see why it’s bad. It’s important to stop it.
Response: OK, If I agree that the bill’s a bad thing and should be stopped, what will Scott Brown do after stopping the bill to make health care better for Americans?
Supervisor: It doesn’t tell us what to say.
Response: Is health care in Alabama as good as it can be? Are you satisfied with your health care plan?
Supervisor: No
Response: So, if I vote for Scott Brown, what’s he going to do to make healthcare better for you and your family in Alabama and for others in America?
Supervisor: It doesn’t tell us what he’s gonna do. I guess with any politician you just gotta wait and see. I don’t know what to tell you to do.