Robo-calls versus humans...

...we'll see who does a better job today. I've deleted at least three from the Moore campaign. One human from Gordon's campaign called with a polling place reminder.
Score one for Gordon's campaign for not clogging up my voice mail box.
But never mind my irritiation with Robo-calls. I want to know if they're effective?
If I was running for office and was flush with $$$$ they way Moore is, what would be a better use of campaign money: contracting out to an automated calling service, or getting a group of well trained humans to spread the word.
One article I found suggests the humans work better. Donald P. Green and Alan S. Gerber tested campaigning techniques such as mailings, door hangers, door-to-door canvassing and robo-calls.

In a series of more than 20 experiments conducted between 1998 and 2002, Donald P. Green and Alan S. Gerber tested all of the key techniques campaigns employ to generate voter turnout. In each experiment, they established a control group that received none of the mail, phone calls or door-to-door contacts being tested. Then, using voter records showing which voters actually voted, they measured the impact of these methods. ...A major message that comes through these experiments: Quality counts. The more personal the contact, the more likely it is to motivate someone to vote. Phone calls by volunteers or well-trained and committed callers work much better than calls made by professional callers with no connection to the candidate or cause. In the case of phones, paying $1.50 for a high quality call is far more cost effective than paying 50 cents for a short call hurriedly read by an uncommitted caller.

From: Shattering myths about getting out the vote. , Campaigns and Elections June 1, 2004. Green and Gerber's research ended up in a book called Get Out the Vote! How to Increase Voter Turnout.

Maybe Robo-calls are cost effective if the candidate doesn't have an experienced staff, with little experience in training volunteers. But an incumbent using robo-calls? It sounds like laziness.

Time to start campaigning!

On my voicemail was yet another “Robo-call” from Illinois SEIU urging me to vote for Joe Moore. I angrily erased the thing. Is it Tuesday yet? Enough with these outsiders telling me who to vote for!
A few minutes later, I had an epiphany. I have been taking these calls the wrong way. Silly me, I though, forget what certain Rogers Park blogs say. You don’t need to live in a ward to campaign for an alderman. Therefore, you don’t have to live in a city to campaign for a mayor.
Therefore, I want to urge everyone in Naperville to reelect George Pradel!

You may be asking what I know about Naperville? Ok, it’s twenty five miles west of Chicago in DuPage County. You can get there by Metra from Union station, and it’s the home of North Central College. I know this because back in 2002 & 2003, the Chicago Fire played its home games at Cardinal Stadium while Soldier Field was being renovated. They also have a neat looking downtown. I know, because I spent many a Saturday there before and after Fire games. It’s a neat looking city that probably is drawing a lot of ex-Chicagoans out there who are fed up with Cook County politics, and have yet to learn about DuPage County politics. Also, if you’re fed up with WBEZ’s programming changes, you can move out to Naperville and get WDCB’s signal a lot clearer.
Sure, sure, you say, but what do I know about local issues in Naperville? Aren’t there things I should discuss like growth, business development and all that other boring stuff? No, silly!. Go here if you want views about that
Why do I need to concern myself with Naperville’s mundane local issues which don’t affect me directly? I’m supporting George Pradel because he was a friend of the Chicago Fire. That’s good enough for me.

Now you may be saying, “Don, Naperville is so far away. How can you possibly campaign for Pradel? Shouldn‘t you be concerned with an election closer to home?”
Gosh, that’s a good point! Hey, there are elections in Evanston
Craig! Toni! Jocelyn! Let's get going! Guys! Are you with me?
Guys?.......

Life After MatchNight

A new MLS season begins today. Normally, I'd be posting photos to the gallery related to MatchNight. My colleagues Bill and Dan would be posting game articles on The Fire Alarm.
No more. MatchNight ceased operations on March 31. While Bill recovers from his stroke, Dan, John, Rusty and I can be found here.
My writing contributions to Windy City Soccer will be...occasional. The bulk of my contributions will be photographs, which can be seen here.
As for RevsNet, Mid-Atlantic Soccer report, and the other regional MatchNight sites, you can find their successors here.
And now, own to the Sears Centre AND Toyota Park.

Bill has been what?????

File this under "It's not what you say, its what people hear."
What do you think of, when you hear that a hospital receptionist tell you patient has been discharged from a ward?
Dan called me last night to tell me that our friend Bill had been discharged from his ward at Illinois Masonic Hospital. he didn't know where. Could I call his brother or his Dad?
Something didn't make sense. Our friend had been bedridden and has been recovering from a stroke. He is in no shape to walk out of Masonic under his own power. Was he transferred to an off-site rehabilitation facility.
I called his father. Nope. No news of a transfer.
This morning Dan called me back. Yes Bill had been discharged. Discharged from the critical care ward on the sixth floor to the rehabilitation ward on the third.
Dan was embarrassed by the misunderstanding, but frankly, I would have been confused by the use of the word too.
Maybe discharged is standard terminology among hospital workers to refer to a transfer of a patient from ward to ward. But Dan and I don't work in hospitals.
When someone tels me a patient has been discharged form a ward, I would normally think that person's out on the street.
Not any more.

Post Election Ruminations

Q: Is it true that there are vineyards in Rogers Park?
A: Perhaps. Check out the sour grapes here.

if you live near 1337 W. Fargo....

.....and are reading this at work (it's ok I won't tell) I hope you got to the polling place. If not, MAKE TIME TO VOTE. No excuse if you work in the 'burbs. (And I'm waaaay out there.)
Who knows 1337 W. Fargo. (35th pct.) may be a dounghnut-free polling place. Give it a look.

The tally on phone calls

The Broken Heart of Rogers Park lists the number of 49th ward mailers
Who's keeping track of phone calls? (either automated or with a human speaking on the other end.)
I've gotten
2-"49th Ward"..no message left
1-Don Gordon..someone left a message.

Anyone else?