In a aggravating update to Clive Palmer’s recent textcapades, the United Australia Party leader has acknowledged how annoying his mass texts are by pledging to ban them if elected – in a new mass text.
Last week, many Australians received unsolicited text messages encouraging them to vote for Clive Palmer and his United Australia Party. Palmer claimed to have sent these messages to over 5.6 million phones, and garnered over 265,000 visits to his website as a result.
However, Palmer also received over 3000 direct complaints regarding these messages via text or email. Many others took to social media to express their displeasure at the legal but unwelcome communication.
Just go away. I’ve literally seen his ads every where. They’re just wasting media on me. #ClivePalmer #Auspol pic.twitter.com/r1dpmCRJWi
— Timothy Harrison ???? (@Tiim_) January 14, 2019
Despite the general public’s general unhappiness, Palmer confirmed his intention to continue sending unsolicited mass texts earlier this week. “We’ll be running text messages as we get closer to the election because it’s a way of stimulating debate in our democracy,” Palmer told ABC News.
And true enough, another wave of texts has since gone out. But Palmer has apparently heard the voters’ anger and taken it into consideration. These latest messages have promised that such mass texts will stop – if Palmer is elected.
Are Clive Palmer and the UAP conducting an experiment to see how poorly a party can do in an election? They’re making all the right moves. #auspol pic.twitter.com/sM7HXgIyIZ
— Nicole (@nicolewashere84) January 17, 2019
“When elected, United Australia Party will ban unsolicited political text messages which Labor & Liberal have allowed,” read the texts, followed by a link to unitedoz.net. Strangely, the link does not direct people to the United Australia Party’s website. As of publication, unitedoz.net is a blank white website containing only the words “Authorised by S. Sokolova, United Australia Party, Brisbane”.
The irony hasn’t been lost on the messages’ recipients, and many adverse opinions of Palmer have only been inflamed by this apparent effort to annoy his way into office.
Offering to stop doing a thing people hate if they give you what you want isn’t an terribly effective way to make friends. Time will tell if it’s an effective way to win voters.
Sick of unsolicited political text messages from Clive Palmer’s UAP? Don’t worry, ‘when elected’ ????, they will ban them, according to the latest unsolicited text message received by my partner. ????????????????♀️????♀️????♀️ #auspol pic.twitter.com/0Aaf0iLbnY
— Katie Walsh (@katiepwalsh) January 17, 2019
Clive Palmer isn’t unfamiliar with questionable promotional strategies. His “Make Australia Great” slogan appears to be modelled off US President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Meanwhile, both Twisted Sister and Culture Club are considering legal action over the his party’s unauthorised use of their songs We’re Not Gonna Take It and Karma Chameleon respectively.
The latter was used in a terrible mobile game Palmer released earlier this week called Clive Palmer: Humble Meme Merchant. I do not recommend it.