Meanwhile In McCainland... A Whole Lot Of Nothing

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- I live here, in John McCain's roundhouse, in the Maverick's back yard, the home state of the Rupublican Party's presumptive nominee. I signed up at the McCain's website a month or so ago to see how the campaign was gearing up for the general election. I filled out an online form to be contacted for local happenings. I sent an email letting them know that I'd like to know what's happening.

I received a grand total of zero emails in response.

Last Tuesday, Bush and McCain hosted a local fundraiser on the same day that Michelle Obama hosted a local fundraiser. The McCain campaign rented a reception room about a block away from the reception room rented by the Obama campaign. Although the Obama fundraiser was sold out, McCain had to move his to a more "intimate setting" -- with the president of the United States in tow.

I decided that I must be missing something. This is John McCain's home state of thirty years. He must have events happening here, a troupe of highly motivated supporters and organizers throughout the state making battle plans. I thought maybe there was just a problem with the McCain Arizona webteam, a few inept techies failing to send emails to local supporters. Maybe they're relying on old-fashioned phone trees or word of mouth.

So, I went to the McCain website and clicked on State Contact Information. Surprise, surprise. There is no contact information for any office in Arizona. Again, I thought, their webteam must be inept -- I mean, they failed to put any Arizona contact information on the page.

So, I called headquarters, which, by the way, is located in Virginia (a pretty good indicator that McCain is more at home in DC than Arizona).

I pushed #3 for "Interested in Volunteering" and was patched through to a guy named John (not the John, I hoped, but wondering at that point whether in fact his campaign was that pitiful.

I said: "John, what's happening in Arizona?" and John informed me that the McCain campaign does not have state operations up and running yet in Arizona, but they are working on it.

Incredulously, I retorted, "You mean to tell me that there is nothing happening in John McCain's home state?" He sheepishly responded, "Not yet."

I called the Obama headquarters to see what they would say about getting involved in Arizona. After all, they don't have an office here either, and maybe they would give the same answer. Again, I pressed the number for "Interested in Volunteering" (this option is number one for Obama but three for McCain) and was connected to a lady who asked if I had web access and then told me how to go to the Obama website, register, look up events, join local groups, invite my friends, and even post an event of my own. She actually went to the website herself and listed off local groups I might be interested in joining and events I might be interested in attending. This was Tuesday night, election night.

On the Obama side, there was this watch party and that watch party and this voter registration drive and this book club party for Dreams of My Father and 22 other events within 250 miles of my house. Today is Thursday and at 10:30 a.m. there are 25 events scheduled in the same radius.

I thought, this can't be right. John McCain cannot possibly have organized nothing in his home state while Barack Obama has a plethora of events organized by ordinary citizens right here in the Maverick's backyard?

So, I called John McCain's headquarters again, just to confirm. This time I wanted to talk to someone other than John. To my disbelief a woman named Hillary answered the phone. I paused. Hillary, I'm not kidding. I told her that that was ironic, her name and her working with John to elect a Republican president. Clearly piqued, she remarked, "I get that a lot."

I told Hillary that I had just spoken with John (again, not the John) who told me nothing is happening in McCain's home state of Arizona. She confirmed that, indeed, nothing is happening in Arizona with the McCain campaign but that efforts are currently underway to setup a campaign office somewhere in McCain's home state.

She told me to call back in a week or two.

Meantime, I'll keep reporting on the dozens of Obama events.

Follow Dawn Teo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dawnteo

Comments

[brizzle]

Hilarious and joy-inspiring!

It is now early-June.
The Primary season is done.
The Republican candidate for POTUS has been running ALONE for a couple months, while the dems fought it out to a bitter finish. (pun intended)

Now that Senator Obama has been declared the presumptive nominee, the republicans don't even have an office set up in their candidate's home state?

That's comedy.

Oh, happy day!

[MissDaphne]

Great post--just let them keep underestimating that "naive" "idealistic" Obama.
And keep us posted!
Best,
Anita

[ellenandron]

Obviously, they are paranoid. But wouldn't you be?

[MyGuyO]

A far cry from Obamaland. Why I am receiving email's about twice a week from his campaign. Just goes to show who is the most organized...those Dems.

[MyGuyO]

What has John McCain done for the great state of Arizona? Can you name anything?

[woodchips]

It certainly looks like those years as a community organizer taught Senator Obama a great deal about running an effective bottom up campaign. Maybe it's finally time for ordinary citizens to take back our government. Wouldn't that be something? That's change I'd like to believe in.

[Stirner]

Good article... but if you really want to know the fullness of the fear and loathing in McCainland, get identified as a supporter of Ron Paul. The McCainites are just as mean-hearted and nasty as their "presumtive" Candidate. On April 22, the date of the Pennsylvania Republican Congressional Primary for District 7 , the McCain Republicans actually called in the cops to confiscate some Ron Paul delegate literature at polling places! Well, as the Republican "leadership" runs this particular plot of soft fascism, their cops arrived and confiscated and then destroyed the literature. Oops! The possession and distribution of this literature was perfectly legal as local Judge soon declared. The cops should have asked before acting. Oh well, too late... the literature destroyed, and plenty of clumsy embarrassment for all (except the smirking McCain folks). How rotten can you get? These smirking neoconned McCain folks (who know just how to mimic McCain's smirk) are really a political cancer. Cut them out.

[cincyr]

I guess McCain is taking his home state of Arizona for granted. Except for Bill Clinton's win in 1996, Arizona has voted Republican since 1952. Any chance of a change for this year do you think?

I live in Utah where the last time voters here chose a Democrat in a presidential election was in 1964. We only have 5 electoral votes whereas Arizona has 10. Democrats here are pushing hard to turn the state purple.

[Dawn Teo - Huffpost Blogger]

Honestly, I cannot imagine Obama winning Arizona. After all, it is McCain's home state. Then again, he could choose Napolitano (our governor) for his VP, and that could help. She is wildly popular here. On the radio this morning, they said a recent poll had Obama only 11 points behind McCain. I would say, anything is possible, but it's still pretty improbable.

[Openeyes]

Wow, what a fascinating post, thanks!

I'm hoping it's the sign of things to come. I think this reflects some of the same problems that HRC had in her campaign - relying on insiders more, smaller groups of wealthier donors, not as much emphasis on grassroots, or technologies like email. McCain may be so far behind the curve for on-the-ground organizing he may already have lost and not know it. That degree of organization is going to be extremely difficult to catch up with starting from zero.

Very impressive for Obama in McCaineland.

No reason to think things are different anywhere else in the country. It's possible McCaine's taking home base for granted, and actually has a lot more going on in other states, but I tend to doubt. He's been the presumptive nominee for awhile now, but doesn't seem to have capitalized on marshalling supporter forces for himself, other than making (lame) speeches and town hall appearances.

Good news!

[Americanium]

The GOP knew this is not their year. John McCain is the sacrificial lamb much like 1996 when Dole was the designated heifer (not that kind).

You will not see an overwhelming amount of GOP money thrown his way. You will however see a jockeying for VP. The VP choice will be expected to carry the torch in 2012.

[goldstategirl]

Dawn shut up LOL!!! I can believe you got a "John" on the phone but expecting me to believe you called back and got a "Hillary" is asking so much...you rock amiga *smiles*

A great read, as usual.

[Chillinout]

All I can think is that McCain is so arrogant that he figures that Arizona is a lock because he is from there. Meanwhile Obama is going to organize and possibly take the state away from him. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

[mediawatcher1975]

Wonderful and highly probable. This is a new election with a new map. The Republicans have been pushing the Democrats around for too long, but Obama seems like the real thing.

[JennyJay]

Wonderful, wonderful article! . . . When the press covers the candidates, I think it would be extremely
valuable if the press would (at least once) pan the cameras to the crowd. That tells us more than
anything else - - - the true and honest value, and popularity of the candidates.

[NoDrama]

Well, in all fairness Tuesday was bound to be a Democratic story night, so the events-disparity doesn't really seem odd but the lack of organization in his home state is rather startling.

The difference is simple to explain, however. The Obama campaign really is from the bottom up. I'm in MN and when the state office closed a little while after super Tuesday to focus those people on other primaries we hardly skipped a beat. The volunteers in MN just kept on creating events, from voter registrations to fund-raisers, and handing out buttons and bumperstickers at every opportunity. You see, we aren't waiting for Barack, he's already told us that WE are the agents of change - he just happens to be our very intelligent, charismatic media spokesperson.

[marytnurse]

sadly, it seems as tho the RNC and whomever they tap (or however that happens; seems to have gotten away from them this year!!) don't need any organization other than their crime family.

NOT THIS TIME!!!