As we head down the homestretch of this Bataan Death March of a political campaign, most of us are on the brink of losing our minds.
The never-ending partisan assaults on our senses have ranged from the most annoying political commercials in the history of broadcasting to the biggest scourge of 21st century politics: robocalls.
Fortunately, just when we need him the most, up steps Andrew Nuss.
Nuss isn’t running for anything. He’s a retired Akron cop who feels our pain because it’s his pain.
Nuss sat down at his keyboard the other day to vent, and the bipartisan rant that resulted should help soothe the savage beast in all of us.
I’m a registered [my party affiliation is not relevant].
For the past several weeks, our home life has been invaded by computer-generated pests, butting into our lives, interrupting our meals, TV-watching, reading time and, just a minute ago, my shower.
As I stood dripping on the carpet, some nuisance ranted and raved about the employment situation and … well, I didn’t hang on long enough to hear the rest of his spiel before I hung up.
We are on the useless “Do Not Call List,” well-intentioned but easily fooled. You know the drill:
Ring, ring.
“Hello. Is this Mr. Jarvis ?
“No, you have the wrong number.”
“Oh, sorry, but that’s OK. I’m calling about a donation for … yadda, yadda.”
An obvious ruse. It happens weekly.
And, yes, I know that charities, politicals and a zillion others are exempt from the list. However, one must ask oneself this:
If these political hacks — well aware that people DO NOT WANT these phone calls — still continue to pester us due to some legal loophole, then does this caller’s candidate REALLY give a rat’s nose about what we, the voters, care about?
I think not.
I do have my opinion about which party or candidate I’d prefer to win. But if the other choice wins — well, the Earth will not stop spinning, and I doubt my life will suddenly end.
So here’s what I am doing, and I’d suggest others do the same:
Mark down the candidate’s name on a notepad by the phone. Take it to the polls.
Since he/she has had no problem disregarding your opinion about phone telemarketing and nuisance calls, give the reward he or she richly deserves: Vote for whoever is running against the cretin, regardless of party affiliation. That’s what my family and friends are doing.
Now don’t get me wrong. TV, radio, newspaper ads, billboards, etc., are the proper agenda for getting out their message. Even mailing out voter information. All fair and necessary. BUT NOT TELEPHONE HARASSMENT.
Andrew Nuss for president!
These continual phone calls are counterproductive — and you’d think the people responsible for them would realize that.
Nuss also is correct about the Do Not Call Registry suffering from gaping holes.
As long as someone is calling on behalf of a political issue or candidate, or soliciting for a charity or conducting a telephone survey, the registry is worthless. Even the prohibition against calling before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. doesn’t apply.
Not long ago, we told you about a company that was blanketing Fairlawn with robocalls for a lost pet, in some cases as late as 1 a.m. Those calls were not illegal, either, according to both the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, because the caller wasn’t trying to sell anything.
So this year I’m a one-issue voter. I’m voting for whoever promises to tighten the Do Not Call rules.
Partially prepared
The District 3 office of the Ohio Department of Transportation was planning a media event in Medina on Tuesday to let everyone know how well-prepared the district is for the inclement weather of winter.
On Monday, that meeting was canceled because of inclement weather.
Gotta love it
An Akron woman told police that a credit card was stolen from the glove box of her parked car. She said the card was deactivated and that she had used it as an ice scraper.
Bob Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com.