Local news
Candidate apologizes for predawn robocalls
If you got an early morning robocall on Tuesday courtesy of R.J. Harris, a challenger to incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Cole for Oklahoma's fourth district, you weren't alone.
Starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, Harris, R-Norman, said robocalls made by automated calling service Robotalker began staggering out to about 3,000 Norman-area residents.
"Obviously, that wasn't supposed to happen," he said. "It was a software malfunction and we apologize to anybody who was called."
Harris, who also apologized on his campaign Web site on Tuesday, said about 20,000 area residents were supposed to have been called at 6 p.m. Tuesday, but that a software malfunction started the calls 12 hours early. He said his campaign alerted Robotalker and stopped the calls before the entire list was contacted.
Thad Balkman, an Oklahoma state representative for six years, was one of the many who were called. He said he was upset because of the time and tracked down Harris' home number.
"I talked to someone, I assume it was his wife, and she was very apologetic about it," Balkman said. "They were still asleep themselves, and when I called his campaign headquarters before that a machine picked up."
The robocalls, he said, asked responders to choose between Cole, R-Norman, and Harris in June 2010's primary for the U.S. congressional seat. If the responder chose Cole, a message from Harris was played, asking for their vote.
Balkman said the mess-up by Robotalker was a big one, one that could have a negative impact on Harris' campaign.
"I would have fired them so fast they wouldn't know what hit them," Balkman said. "It reflects poorly on him (Harris) and it reflects poorly on the campaign to call people that early in the morning."
Jonathan Gibbons, Harris' campaign manager, said the campaign took calls all day Tuesday regarding the 6 a.m. robocalls. He said most of them were "accepting and understanding," although "about five" were negative comments.
Gibbons said he blames Robotalker for the incident.
"They messed up," he said. "That's pretty much it."
Gibbons said the campaign spent most of Tuesday returning e-mails and voicemails, apologizing for the early morning wake-up call. He also said it wasn't clear Tuesday whether the data gathered by the estimated 1,600 received calls would be salvageable.
Harris, a second-year law student at the University of Oklahoma making his first run at public office, said he believes the mistake is minor and can be overcome as his campaign presses forward.
"All campaigns are going to make some small mistakes," Harris said. "Computer glitches happen, it's part of the drawback of living in the automated world."
Andrew Knittle 366-3540 aknittle@normantranscript.com
- Local news
-
-
Norman High School revives ‘dead’ language
Diagnosed as a dead language, dying off with the Roman’s years ago, Latin has been resurrected at Norman High School. And the school’s Latin teacher, Erin Davis, is leading the renaissance....
-
Some parents say ‘no’ to shots
Every year, the shot vile for some students runs dry, with parents opting to exempt their children from the recommended school shots. Sending a handful of students to school, however, with out-of-date shot records isn’t an easy “A.” For ...
-
Visitors get in free today
Admission is free today to visitors of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave. The museum offers free admission the first Monday of each month, and in September, the first Monday also is Labor Day. The museum ...
-
Norman schools receive OPAT grant
Norman Public Schools recently received a fourth installment of a grant from Oklahoma Parents As Teachers, a voluntary parent education program, for the 2010-2011 school year, according to a news release....
-
Moore Norman Technology Center to host job fair
The Moore Norman Technology Center will host a job fair for At The Beach Tanning 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Franklin Road Campus in the North Dining Area. Applicants for the company’s full-time positions should have some sales ...
-
Sooners mark 800th victory
It started with a simple shutout of a high school team. More than a century ago, the University of Oklahoma’s football program notched its first win in the record books with a 12-0 victory over Norman High in 1896. The win wasn’t big news ...
-
Future of SORC in doubt
OKLAHOMA CITY — After narrowly escaping closure earlier in the year, lawmakers say a state-run mental health facility faces tough odds of surviving the next legislative session....
-
Analyzing the ‘Switzer effect’ in primaries
Political pundits are saying that football icon Barry Switzer deserves a lot of credit for Jari Askins’ victory over fellow Democrat Drew Edmondson in the July primary election....
-
Holland: Stay informed
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said the federal health insurance reform act has many unanswered questions, and insurance agents and citizens who don’t stay informed do so at their own peril....
-
Sharp’s celebrates 50 years
Sharp’s Cleaners on Lindsey Street has been in business, in one shape or another, in Norman for the past half-century....
- More Local news Headlines
-
Norman High School revives ‘dead’ language
