The New Old Technology That's Changing Political Communication

Believe or not, there are still some intriguing new technological advancements in the political world that have nothing to do with a computer.

A small group of House GOPers are following the lead of Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) in holding a new form of town hall meeting. And it's via something arcane: the telephone.

Here's how it works: When Lungren (or whoever) is ready to hold their Tele-Conference call, an automated caller begins dialing a pre-selected group of numbers (say by zip code) and instantly invites folks that answer to participate in Lungren's Tele-Town hall. The listeners can ask questions and more intriguing, Lungren can poll the listeners (who vote via touch pad). And yes, the technology allows the respondents' poll answers to be logged with the phone number (can you say, "micro-targeting"?)

House GOPers view this technology as a replacement for the live town hall, which have turned into partisan free-for-alls. But these could easily replace focus groups. They pro-actively seek opinion, instead of waiting for it to drift in. [REID WILSON]

The concept is surprisingly simple: An automated caller connects to a targeted voter universe of 20,000 to 70,000 households, making up to 4,000 calls a minute. If an answering machine picks up, Lungren's voice apologizes for missing them and invites them to contact his office. Those who opt in to the phone conversation hear Lungren sharing his thoughts on anything that springs to mind. Lungren starts his conversation as soon as a few constituents are on the phone, and as others join, they're able to listen to a conversation already in progress. The calls are unscheduled, which, say those who have used the system, add a level of spontaneity that can attract listeners who would otherwise not go out of their way to hear what Lungren has to say.

Unlike a simple one-sided conference call, however, listeners can participate in the tele-town halls by asking a question. The interface allows Lungren's constituents to line up, and the congressman clicks a button on his computer screen that allows whoever goes next to speak. In the course of this 40-minute phone call, ten listeners get the opportunity to question Lungren, and tonight he answers questions about illegal immigration, the ports controversy and Social Security, among others. The option to ask questions gives his listeners a more engaged feeling and builds that sense of intimacy. Lungren: "People know there's other people on the line. But they have a sense that I'm talking to them, which I am."

Lungren is listening to his constituents, as well. Reading from a set of pre-selected questions, he can ask his audience (i.e. poll his audience on) how they feel about an issue. Listeners press the number on their phone that corresponds to their views, and the congressman's office records and collects another piece of data about that specific household. The simple process of operating a drop-down box to denote which questions correspond to which answers allows congressional offices to collect anything from demographic data to opinions on complex issues.

Finally, Lungren has to end his call. He apologizes to those waiting to ask a question, asks people once again to attend his next town hall in the district, and presses another button, which allows those who wish to leave him a message to do so. In just 40 minutes, and for a little more than one-tenth of what a regular town hall costs, Lungren has communicated with more than 400 voters, answered questions from anyone who wants to ask, and left messages with another 8332 households. During this particular call, Lungren talked to constituents throughout his district, though the voter universe can be targeted to just a few zip codes.

Rodney Smith, Lungren's friend of 30 years and the owner of Tele Town Hall Inc., says the technology he's developed eliminates many of the traditionally higher costs political campaigns bear. Instead of relying on conventional -- and more expensive -- franked mail, the tele-town halls are "a way of allowing political figures to reasonably interact in an efficient manner with their constituents," says Smith.

The town halls are certainly more efficient. Lungren's staff estimates that an average live town hall can cost up to $10,000 in franking costs, while Tele Town Hall Inc. charges just $1500, communicates with thousands more voters in a way that is more likely to induce some form of involvement, and attracts about twice the audience. Smith: "It's better bang for your buck."

The Republican caucus seems captivated. Lungren ended his March 1st town hall early so Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) could begin his own. Rep. John Kline (R-MN), who sat in on Lungren's call in advance of his own first tele-town hall (set for this week), called the program "a tremendous opportunity to get in touch with potentially thousands of constituents." Five members have already used the service, and five more sent staff to witness Lungren's call. Members and their staff understand the potential significance of the program, in both official and campaign capacities.

Kline noted that traditional town halls "have become partisan battlegrounds," and because the phone calls can be made any time, it limits organized opposition and disruption. Indeed, if a constituent becomes disruptive during his or her question, the congressman on the other end can simply click them off.

Starting any time also fits in well with a congressional schedule; Lungren was 18 minutes late to his own call, but no one in CA who received the spontaneous calls knew that a cmte hearing had run late. Smith also believes that the spontaneous nature of the call attracts new listeners as well.

The system has few drawbacks, but among them is one relatively serious concern. Smith: "We have the capacity to make 4,000 calls a minute, but that doesn't mean we're making them. We're too fast for" the phone company, which can be unable to handle the company's volume, especially in more rural areas. Bugs in identifying constituents, mainly a function of faulty voter lists, are also being worked through.

Despite the drawbacks, the Tele Town Hall technology excites GOPers not only because of its ability to interact with constituents and to collect stunning amounts of data that can be used later, but also with its potential to connect with voters. While lists of constituents utilized by official Congressional offices cannot be altered or built based on partisanship because of franking rules, the possibility to use the program as a massive and inexpensive focus group for candidates and its ability to collect detailed demographic data about users through a touch-tone response system is plain to any who witness the forums in action.

At least one '06 candidate, CO Gov. hopeful Marc Holtzman (R), has already used the service. Smith, who at the moment is concerned with his system's capacity, believes that once the system is made stronger, the program can be a powerful tool for GOP candidates and incumbents alike.

Dems, notoriously behind technological curves, have had the option to conduct their own similar town halls. At least one prominent robo-calling firm has offered technology similar to that of Smith's company, but the reaction on Capitol Hill and in campaign circles has been almost unanimously skeptical. Complains one Dem consultant: "We offer it, but haven't used it yet."

The problem, he says, is not Dem staffs - nearly all of whom are as enthusiastic as their GOP counterparts - it's the members themselves, unwilling to commit money from their franking budgets to spend on more advanced technologies. But Democrats passing up new technological breakthroughs, such as expansive micro-targeting efforts utilized so effectively by the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, is hardly new.

While Tele Town Hall's system capacity remains low - Lungren ended his call early because the system couldn't accommodate both his and Dreier's calls at the same time - GOPers are lining up to reserve time on the system. For now, Lungren is reluctant to give up the time he's already reserved. He seems fascinated by the ability to so easily connect with his district. "People are really interested. I mean people are really up on things," he says.