Excerpt from first reply:
"ETA: I've also typically seen that regardless of the amount of pressure applied by the public for one side of an issue, nearly every politician will simply vote the party line anyways. They know where their bread is buttered, and won't go against party leadership. I've watched legislators look over at a senior party member and be signalled which way to vote when their turn comes up. I don't think anything I've done or said to my representatives has had the slightest impact on their opinion or voting record. That's just how the game is played."
Excerpt from second reply:
"IME: email is worthless. canned letters / faxes go in the garbage. A polite phone call may accomplish something. Better yet if you donated or voted for that politician. Even better if you phone banked." [followed by an explanation of what works, i.e. money]
Excerpt from third comment:
"I was an intern for a congressman. My job was to answer and return constituent emails and calls. We took the feedback, searched for the proper prewritten form letter, printed it out and sent it back with a stamp of the congressman's signature. He never got a single bit of the feedback himself."
Fourth comment mentions that anti-SOPA call-ins seemed to have been successful, but they are forgetting the billions of dollars of corporate money that went into protesting SOPA. Again, it was about money.
[citation needed]
I highly doubt this is what was said, because it's simply not true. I certainly don't remember it being said either. Certainly, if that was the the "overwhelming response", you should have no trouble providing links. If you do, i'm happy to admit I was wrong. As far I know, having talked directly to legislative assistants of congressman, and chiefs of staff of senators, is that they are a huge input into how congressmen and senators vote.