Congress "Getting Completely Crushed" With Over 100,000 Calls For Obama's Healthcare Reform

[BigBearJohn]

It's not even noon on the West Coast and already Capitol Hill staffers say they're getting nonstop calls from constituents in support of President Barack Obama's health insurance reform. At about 2:15 EST, Organizing for America (OFA) surpassed it's goal of 100,000 phone calls to Congress, each one imploring representatives to vote for reform.

The nationwide "Time to Deliver on Health Reform" event is the most massive outpouring of support from Obama supporters since Election Day 2008.
Senate Democratic aides told HuffPost that their phones have been ringing off the hook. "We're getting completely crushed with calls, jamming our phone lines from the moment we opened," said one aide.

Another said they'd gotten "pretty much non-stop health care calls from OFA." A third also said their office was getting bombed and that four out of every five calls specifically mentioned the public option.

This morning's email to OFA members said, "If we hit 100,000 calls made or committed to, we'll send an unmistakable signal that this time, families must come before insurance companies. We'll be tracking progress toward our goal publicly -- make sure to report your call back to us so we can count it."



UPDATE 6:03 PM Eastern: OFA has surpassed its updated goal of 200,000 phone calls to Congress. No word yet on what their new goal will be.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/ofa-healthcare-phonebank_b_327418.html

[Lugnut]

1. K&R n/t

[nilram]

2. interestingly, uninformed callers are somewhat of a plus

First sentence of this paragraph; the rest is interesting too.

Several aides said the callers seemed less informed about the issue than typical advocates, indicating that Obama is reaching a wide variety of voters who do not typically engage in the political process. Almost all of them called on the senators to support the President's health care plan. Several aides noted with irony that the president doesn't have a specific plan that he has endorsed - to the great frustration, in fact, of many Democrats.

[drm604]

3. Interesting point.

So maybe it's not a good idea to sound too well informed when you call. Don't talk about a "strong public option" or "medicare for all" or even "single payer". Just ask for something general like "I want, for myself and my family, a good alternative to having to buy from the insurance companies."

Maybe use less words, like: "My family needs an alternative to the insurance companies".

[Quantess]

4. I don't think it's ever a good idea to deliberately dumb yourself down.

Anyway, apparently there are already a lot of people calling in who are just being themselves.

I think the point is, that they may be used to hearing talking points, and rehashed, well worn phrases and arguments. The "average people" who are calling in sound more heartfelt.

[DireStrike]

8. I take this to mean the opposite

I think the people are calling in, using the same phrases and talking points from the call to action. This is what causes the staffers to identify them as less informed, less able to discuss the nuts and bolts of the idea rather than simply the general thrust of a campaign idea.

I've often wondered what is better at actually getting through to congressional staffers... Should I keep it short and clear, using the talking points that I want to hit, thus showing respect for the staffer's time and allowing more calls to be tallied? Or should I be as informed as possible, talk the staffer's ear off for as long as possible and with as much passion as I can? Is either method more or less effective at influencing the staffer's opinion. Or more importantly, the congress(wo)man's?

Personally I'd appreciate the first kind of call more. It just sounds like a crappy job in either case, lol.

[drm604]

9. I'm not really talking about dumbing yourself down,

at least I wouldn't put it that way.

Certainly sound intelligent. Just don't sound like a policy wonk or like someone who has memorized talking points.

Sound like a sincere person who's family badly needs a change in the health care system. I'm sure that's the absolute truth for nearly everyone here, but a lot of us probably come off sounding somewhat wonkish thus raising the suspicion that we're trained and possibly even paid activists.

[Quantess]

10. Oh, that makes sense.

I misunderstood you a little bit.

[drm604]

11. I probably wasn't very clear.

:hi:

[adamuu]

7. The way you word it is very good.

I like your advice.

[rucky]

6. I got that covered!

Usually when I call, I'm so pissed I'm barely coherent.

[Joe Chi Minh]

12. I can sympathise with that.

[bullwinkle428]

5. I'm a little pissed off at OFA, simply for the ambiguity on the public option

issue. I got the e-mail urging me to make the call to insist on "reform", but the concept of public option seems about as clear as mud. I just hope the tidal wave of calls can tip the scale in favor of it, if there is still a lot of doubt in the White House.

This thread still deserves a K&R, just for the great grassroots efforts to be heard.

[grantcart]

13. Yesterday got a call from Obama for America

I am on a business trip and don't have time for calling or more than a minute for DU.

I told the woman that if the final bill doesn't have a public option that it should fail.

She said, "That's why we are calling - to put pressure for the public option - there is no need to call for a plan without it".

They may not be putting it into the email but it seems very important to the people who are calling.