You sound like you’ve never called or written to your representative or their office, or dealt with a local campaign office. Because what I describe is true, and what you describe is you declaring to the world, “I’m choosing to make myself irrelevant to everyone.”
I call my Senators and my rep all the time. I tell them I’m a voter in my district and I care about X. They’ve never once asked me if I voted for them or how much money I gave them.
That’s an assholish characterization. And when I lived in Walpole, I had Ed Markey, too. I called his office a couple of times, said, “I vote for Ed Markey, and I want <…>” and they took down what I said, and my info, and I’d a letter reply a little while later.
My current rep is Adam Smith. He has actually been less responsive than other reps I’ve called, but I’ve gotten letters from his office after calling with my requests. And in talking to office staff, you can often find out how pressured they are over issues that constituents call about. They definitely care.
Tell them you’re withdrawing your support, and they’ll apologize, but you’re done getting listened to. They know it’s a waste of time.
Uh-huh. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t sound like you have any more influence or sway over your representatives than I do. I also get replies for telling them that they will lose my support over an issue, and Ed Markey’s office was never more responsive than when he was being primaried by Joe Kennedy. So if it’s all the same to you, I’m gonna keep voting third-party and making sure my representatives know they are replaceable, since it seems to be working at least as well as your strategy of unconditional support.
You sound like you’ve never called or written to your representative or their office, or dealt with a local campaign office. Because what I describe is true, and what you describe is you declaring to the world, “I’m choosing to make myself irrelevant to everyone.”
I call my Senators and my rep all the time. I tell them I’m a voter in my district and I care about X. They’ve never once asked me if I voted for them or how much money I gave them.
I wonder who represents you. I don’t get blown off my my reps. And I don’t donate a ton of money, but I do volunteer.
Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, and Ayanna Pressley. What representatives do you have at your beck and call with your amazing volunteering skills?
That’s an assholish characterization. And when I lived in Walpole, I had Ed Markey, too. I called his office a couple of times, said, “I vote for Ed Markey, and I want <…>” and they took down what I said, and my info, and I’d a letter reply a little while later.
My current rep is Adam Smith. He has actually been less responsive than other reps I’ve called, but I’ve gotten letters from his office after calling with my requests. And in talking to office staff, you can often find out how pressured they are over issues that constituents call about. They definitely care.
Tell them you’re withdrawing your support, and they’ll apologize, but you’re done getting listened to. They know it’s a waste of time.
Uh-huh. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t sound like you have any more influence or sway over your representatives than I do. I also get replies for telling them that they will lose my support over an issue, and Ed Markey’s office was never more responsive than when he was being primaried by Joe Kennedy. So if it’s all the same to you, I’m gonna keep voting third-party and making sure my representatives know they are replaceable, since it seems to be working at least as well as your strategy of unconditional support.