The American Future Fund has asked federal regulators to overrule a Minnesota law against robocalls.Currently, state law requires political campaigns to use live operators to introduce those automated calls and get permission from the person answering the phone to play them.
The American Future Fund of Des Moines, Iowa wants the Federal Election Commission to lift restrictions in Minnesota it says infringe on federal laws on campaign finance.
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson's office is defending the state law. Spokesman Ben Wogsland says Swanson would formally register its opposition to the group's efforts Monday. When used conscientiously, robocalls are simply a way to accomplish at lower cost and in less time what you would normally use live operators to do. However, robocalls are generally not used conscientiously, and it's telling that AFF is trying to get this law overturned. Conservative advocacy organizations like AFF have had their greatest success in old-school outreach campaigns via direct mail and phone calling, telegraphing their primary demographics: older, whiter, less urban voters with fewer cell phones.
Lest we forget the debacle in New Hampshire in 2002, when a Republican operative managed an effort to jam the phone lines and effectively bring about the defeat of then-Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen, I think we can safely file this one under "bold but ultimately-due-to-be-unsuccessful attempt by a conservative money pit to change the rules in their bosses' favor." |
