Family dinners and personal time watching "Wheel of Fortune" could be quieter during election seasons if Shaun Dakin's brainchild takes off.
Dakin, a former marketing executive, did direct marketing and phone-bank calling as a volunteer for Democrats in the past two presidential elections. In 2006, while volunteering for Democratic candidate Jim Webb in the U.S. Senate race in Virginia, he came away with a clear understanding of the effectiveness of what is known as "robo-calling" -- in which a potential voter is called at home by an automatic dialer and is spoken to by an electronic voice.
"People hate it, and they hated us for doing it," Dakin said.
The result: Dakin started the first-of-its-kind Political Do Not Call Registry. Under the system, launched in October, participants register their names and contact information with Dakin's group, which asks candidates not to contact them.
The registry strictly covers robo-calling, a method that has blossomed as technology has increased and phone rates have gone down. It developed as a result of a sort of arms race in politics: If one campaign does it, then an opponent feels the need to follow.
A Pew Research Center study in Iowa found that 81 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of Republicans received some sort of prerecorded call from a campaign before the recent caucuses.
Dakin said he believes most voters would prefer not to get any phone calls. "You simply don't want the phone to be ringing," he said.
There's no punishment for political operations that disregard the do-not-call list, except, perhaps, the potential embarrassment from public disclosure. Political communications are not covered by the original Do Not Call registry administered by the Federal Trade Commission, which regulates other telemarketing calls and has the power to levy fines against offenders.
Since his website launched in late October, Dakin said he has received several thousand requests to register and has begun approaching members of Congress to solicit support.
While his effort appears to be slow to be taking off, it has generated some interest from those in the business.
"I think you'll find general displeasure from automated-calling-firm types. That said, it's not necessarily a bad thing," said Jordan Lieberman, publisher of Campaigns & Elections magazine. The no-call list is "definitely something that would put a wrinkle in their business."
How do those in the business feel about it? Voice-mail messages left with several telephone marketing companies were not returned.
Mark Brunswick • 651-222-1636