Ah, election season. While I’m a strong supporter of exercising your right to vote, what I do not support are political parties that cross boundaries to get their point across—in fact, it’s reaching the point where they’re actually pushing voters away.
Let’s backtrack a couple of weeks. On October 4th, President Obama came to Madison to speak. Regardless of which party you identify with, seeing the President of the United States come to your school and speak is a pretty cool experience. I saw him when he spoke at the UW campus in 2010, and I thought it would be good to attend again, especially during election season.
Here’s the thing. In order to get through the gates and access Bascom Hill (having him speak on Bascom Hill is a whole other issue, which can be found here), you needed to sign up for a ticket online.
From a marketing/communications standpoint, it was a brilliant idea. Require the name, email, and phone number of the attendees so that you can target them later. Easy, simple, and bound to get a few votes. While this bothered me quite a lot, I was forced to type in my phone number and then pressed “I’m in!” (which is another thing that made me cringe).
A few weeks went by until last Monday, when I was rudely awoken by an unknown number calling my cell phone. Of course it was Obama for America calling and of course they were wondering whom I’m voting for in the election. As nicely as I could, I asked them not to call me again. This peace and quiet lasted a whole two days, until they called me again. A few days later I got a third call.
I get it. I’m a college student voting in my first presidential election and getting people like me involved is important. However, if you’re going to call my personal cell phone and harass me with annoying political propaganda I’m not going to appreciate it. It’s just the principle of it. I’d have to have been living under a rock if my life in the last few months hasn’t been inundated with political, partisan bullshit. But yes, I’m acutely aware that it’s important to vote.
However, if this overbearing campaigning is even making me, who never doubted that I would vote, begin to hate politics in general, what is this doing to those who aren’t as sure?
Because regardless of your political views, age, race, or where you live, NO ONE likes being awoken by annoying campaign phone calls, and it’s certainly not going to win you any votes.