I don't like telesales 'cold calls'. I dislike them when there's a human being on the other end, I dislike them even more when they are 'robocalls' (where a human being only gets put on at the other end if I pick up), and I'll turn the antipathy up another few notches if it's a 'silent robocall'... the kind Barclays have just been fined for, where the robocall gets put through, but all the telesellers are busy, so no-one actually bothers to call the punter. It's the telephonic equivalent of ringing the doorbell and running away.
Now, bad as telesales calls are, I can imagine worse kinds. For instance, imagine getting cold-called, but by a political campaign firm; then imagine that you get a political campaign cold-call consisting entirely of negative spin about 'the other guy', rather than positive stuff about the campaigner in question. That's just bound to make a great, convincing impression, isn't it? I mean, if someone did that to me, I'm sure I'd switch my vote to the cold-calling critic without a moment's hesitation.
No?
I didn't think so.
And yet apparently that's what the McCain campaign has been doing this week. It sounds like what Sir Humphrey would have called a "brave decision". Unless it turns out to be a "courageous" one.
(A brave decision is one which will lose you votes... a courageous one will lose you the election.)
![[RSS Newsfeed]](/themes/sotto/images/valid-rss.png)
![[This is a Roller site]](/themes/sotto/images/roller-logo.gif){kind=logo}