What’s the most hated part of broadcast politics?
Easy: Robocalls.
Robocalls have been used to pervert every aspect of representative government and to undermine the free-access voting system which makes a republican democracy possible. Politicians have passed laws to ensure that they can interrupt our dinner in 23 states where businesses cannot.
We know there’s no demand for messages, and that there is deep disdain for robocalls. So here’s the conundrum du jour:
Tonight, in the state of Utah, a well-funded Robocall campaign is launching against the forces of devisiveness. Over the next week, these uninvited calls will exhort voters to . . . read a blog.
WTF? Has the world gone mad? Political interests are paying good money to convince voters to join a conversation? Can representative government be far behind?
Yes, it’s true. Blame it on Stephen Urquhart, whom you might remember from posts by Doc Searls and me last summer. He’s the visionary behind Politicopia.com and he wants us all to go over there and join a conversation among responsible adults to discuss whether the people of Utah should pass a referendum supporting vouchers supporting private education of students curently in public schools.
Because it wouldn’t hurt for a bunch of bloggers and bloggees from other states to join the conversation–not just to sell their personal point of view on school vouchers, but to congratulate the leading-edge Utahpians on yet another contribution to computers and connectivity.
After all, this is the state that brought us WordPerfect, Novell, Evans & Sutherland, and where Alan Kay did his postgraduate work. Who’d guess that they’re leading us again, this time toward a more perfect union?
Escapable Logic 