Politicians do not care about what their electorates want once they are in office. They will make the decisions they feel are appropriate until it is time for them to seek re-election.<p>Phone calls, letters, etc. are all just things for them to stew on. Ultimately, they can make whatever decision they want. Volunteer for political work and you'll see: letters will be tabulated and counted to favor one position or another, and at the end of the day it's just a number for the senator or representative to glance at for a few moments when considering what position to take, which in the end will almost definitely be the one handed down from their party.