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My brush with the political machine
Mar. 19th, 2010 11:51 pmI am listening to a voice memo that I made between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. today. I was so angry at the time that my hands were shaking.
I get a call around 5 p.m.. The call id box says SURVEY and even though I am dressing for Friday night service, I answer. Why? Because the “media” is always saying 49% of the voters believe X and I haven’t had my say. They didn’t ask me.
The speaker, a young man, says that he can connect me to my representative, Joseph Cao, to protest the pro-abortion bill in Congress. I am silent, stunned at his temerity. He repeats himself. I say finally, “I’m pro-choice.” He says again that the health care bill will pay for abortions.
I say, “You know that’s a lie, don’t you?” I am putting on my shoes, and speaking in an amused voice. I expect that he will hang up.
No, he continues. “Did you read the bill? Which one did you read?”
“Both, I say. In fact, the bill will force women to buy a rider if they think that they ever need an abortion.”
“But you would be forced to buy insurance!” I note that he slips to the second talking point. I am looking at the clock.
“Just like we are forced to buy auto insurance. What’s the difference?” And I admit that my voice is rising.
“But they will tell you what insurance you have to buy!”
“No, that’s a lie also. You just said that I would be forced to buy insurance. Well, I would choose the company, just like I do for auto insurance.”
“What if you can’t afford the insurance?”
Now this is the only thing that we could have had a discussion about if he was really interested in a discussion. I would have preferred a single payer system for just that reason. Instead, I say, “that is why there will be subsidies for people who can’t pay.” Then, “Listen I am on my way out the door and this is not a survey. It is pure propaganda. And I’m not interested.”
“I never said that this was a survey. I was offering to transfer you to your representative”
Which was true. “The caller id says SURVEY,” I say.
“That’s just the name of the company,” he says.
“I have to go,” I say and I do. However, I am boiling mad at both his lies and that the company has the audacity to name themselves SURVEY. I am even more furious that the caller is certain that he could transfer me to Representative Cao. I called my Legislator this morning and could not get through. Does this mean he is only taking calls from the pro-life crowd? Would this caller have transfered someone who was so vehement against his opinion? I wish that I had had time to stay and find out.
I get a call around 5 p.m.. The call id box says SURVEY and even though I am dressing for Friday night service, I answer. Why? Because the “media” is always saying 49% of the voters believe X and I haven’t had my say. They didn’t ask me.
The speaker, a young man, says that he can connect me to my representative, Joseph Cao, to protest the pro-abortion bill in Congress. I am silent, stunned at his temerity. He repeats himself. I say finally, “I’m pro-choice.” He says again that the health care bill will pay for abortions.
I say, “You know that’s a lie, don’t you?” I am putting on my shoes, and speaking in an amused voice. I expect that he will hang up.
No, he continues. “Did you read the bill? Which one did you read?”
“Both, I say. In fact, the bill will force women to buy a rider if they think that they ever need an abortion.”
“But you would be forced to buy insurance!” I note that he slips to the second talking point. I am looking at the clock.
“Just like we are forced to buy auto insurance. What’s the difference?” And I admit that my voice is rising.
“But they will tell you what insurance you have to buy!”
“No, that’s a lie also. You just said that I would be forced to buy insurance. Well, I would choose the company, just like I do for auto insurance.”
“What if you can’t afford the insurance?”
Now this is the only thing that we could have had a discussion about if he was really interested in a discussion. I would have preferred a single payer system for just that reason. Instead, I say, “that is why there will be subsidies for people who can’t pay.” Then, “Listen I am on my way out the door and this is not a survey. It is pure propaganda. And I’m not interested.”
“I never said that this was a survey. I was offering to transfer you to your representative”
Which was true. “The caller id says SURVEY,” I say.
“That’s just the name of the company,” he says.
“I have to go,” I say and I do. However, I am boiling mad at both his lies and that the company has the audacity to name themselves SURVEY. I am even more furious that the caller is certain that he could transfer me to Representative Cao. I called my Legislator this morning and could not get through. Does this mean he is only taking calls from the pro-life crowd? Would this caller have transfered someone who was so vehement against his opinion? I wish that I had had time to stay and find out.
