Obama's Wisconsin Campaign is Focused and Cool

"Barack Obama should win Wisconsin," a Madison City Councilwoman told me when I arrived last week in the Badger State. "But it will be a razor-thin victory, which means he needs a strong field presence." Having just spent one week of vacation time to help Obama's Wisconsin field operation, I'm confident they're on the right track. While the rest of us hyperventilate about the ups and downs of the presidential race, Obama's Wisconsin team keeps their cool -- focusing intently on the number of voter IDs essential to win November 4th. I was impressed at how they didn't let a spike or dip in the polls distract them from their central purpose: winning the state for Barack Obama. And while a successful Democratic campaign in the Badger State -- where you can register to vote on Election Day -- focuses on bringing out the base in Madison and Milwaukee, Obama has 44 field offices so that even the reddest counties get hit. With less than a month to go, Obama just needs enough volunteers in Wisconsin to execute a well-planned out field effort.

Although Wisconsin has a progressive tradition that dates back to Bob LaFollette -- and includes the lefty University of Wisconsin campus in Madison -- it has trended more Republican over time, making it an ultimate "swing state." Al Gore barely carried the state in 2000 by 5,700 votes. In 2004 -- with Ralph Nader being less of a factor -- John Kerry won by a mere 11,000 votes. Polls have fluctuated here for quite some time, and both major party candidates have devoted serious resources in the Badger State. I had wanted to take some vacation time to campaign for Obama in a swing state, and after a family wedding in Chicago decided to take a short trip up to Wisconsin.

I didn't spend my five days in Wisconsin talking to undecided voters or canvassing swing precincts, so this won't be the kind of anecdotal journalism you can read about elsewhere. Instead, I worked long hours at the Statewide Headquarters in Madison with field director Nicole Derse and her team, where the major "get out the vote" (GOTV) decisions were made. I'm of course not at liberty to discuss any details -- but can tell you that in my 12 years of volunteering on dozens of political campaigns, I was thoroughly impressed.

Immersing myself in Obama's field operation gave me a wholly different perspective about following the presidential race. For months, I obsessively followed the polls, news stories, and pundit analysis that -- like most armchair observers in the blue states -- gave me violent mood swings. But the field staff in Wisconsin was too busy doing their job to let such inanities distract them. They've divided the state into eight regions with a large team of field organizers -- each of whom are held accountable daily -- that they don't have time to stop and worry about what conventional wisdom says about the state of the race.

The coolness about how they handled the campaign reminded me of the candidate himself -- who has kept a steady hand despite slanderous "guilt-by-association" attacks, viral smear campaigns, lies about his past accomplishments and a major financial crisis. Meanwhile, his opponent John McCain has been unfocused and reactive -- picking a woefully unqualified running mate after meeting her only once for crass political reasons, "suspending" his campaign to "deal with" the financial crisis, and shifting his economic message in a blatant pander to public anger about Wall Street.

Even good news -- like the recent poll numbers -- didn't tempt Obama staffers to rest on their laurels. When we learned on Thursday that McCain was pulling his campaign out of Michigan, the only relevant news for us was that it meant he would divert more field resources to Wisconsin. And that meant the campaign had to be ready: recruit and train more canvassers who would help execute Obama's effective "neighbor-to-neighbor" operation to counteract more Republican money coming its way into the state.

And "neighbor-to-neighbor" is what will win the state for Obama. As state coordinator Dan Kanninen told Salon.com yesterday, "the 2004 election was a base-versus-base election, where they turned out their base and we turned out ours. But this campaign -- and we certainly still consider our base to be important -- is more about persuasion, and that's where our neighbor-to-neighbor advantage comes in."

Wisconsin is one of a few states with "same-day voter registration." So it's no surprise that Democratic campaigns focus on liberal college students in Madison and African-American precincts in Milwaukee, getting infrequent voters who are virtually certain to vote their way to register -- and then vote. But Obama's Wisconsin campaign has also replicated Howard Dean's "Fifty State Strategy" at the state level. Besides pushing a large turnout in liberal areas, the campaign has organizers in even the most Republican precincts -- conducting a persuasion campaign, and identifying Obama supporters.

To get a feel about the campaign's grassroots presence, consider Obama's recent visit to La Crosse -- a small town on the Minnesota border. The campaign told the field organizers that if they could generate 5,000 people on a chilly Wednesday morning to hear Barack speak, the event would be a success. Instead, they managed to get nearly 15,000. Many were doubtless moved to hear him speak because of what's going on in the country -- but enormous credit goes to the field operation. The field campaign also managed good turnouts for more low-profile events with surrogates Howard Dean, Jesse Jackson Jr., and even Adam Brody -- who toured Wisconsin's college campuses.

Coming back home has given me a fresh perspective about the Obama campaign, and how supporters should treat the final month. Stop obsessing about polls, and focus on how many volunteers the campaign can get. Stop watching the pundits who don't know what they're talking about: go to the local campaign office, and figure out how to organize you and your friends to take road trips to the swing states. That's what will really make history, and that's the kind of work that truly matters. Too many journalists spend their time just writing the news; it's about time some of us start making the news.

Paul Hogarth is the Managing Editor of Beyond Chron, San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily, where this piece was first published.

Comments

[JLee]

If Obama wins (something that looks more and more likely as we go), everyday Americans that got him elected, the Joe Six-Packs if you will, are going to totally own his ass. He took no lobbyist money or special interest donations--it's the grassroots that got him this far, and hopefully the grassroots that will push him to victory. Even if he wins in '08, if he loses the grassroots he has no reelection bid.

And that is why an Obama administration will be awesome for ordinary Americans. Because he will owe them, big time, and his political life will be in their hands. He will have to work for them as hard as they worked for him if he wants to keep any semblance of power. It will truly be a new day for America should these Americans, those who understand that the President has to owe them to really work for them, have their voices heard in November.

[pupbayer]

He can take it easy there. He's got ACORN to make up votes for him.

[liberalrebuttal]

On Wisconsin !!

I'm in Green Bay and I think Steve Kagen and Barack Obama will do swell here. Hansen as well.

[victoriajubilee]

Lets get some volunteers in Wisconsin. We need volunteers to encourage early voting, register new voters and push people to the polls on November 4th. Thanks. OBAMABIDEN 2008

[uvymopkq]

You have gotta look deep inside yourselves, especially if you're a Democrat or independent, ask yourselves if you really see such a man representing your country as president. They've done a great job of silencing anybody and intimidating people who dare to speak these things.

[COwoman]

You are so very right.

I am here every day working to get more volunteers.

"We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change."
- Barack Obama

[cinnysmom]

you are so right about Wisconsin. I live in Green Bay, and we are going Obama all the way. And by the way fellow Wisconsinites early voting started yesterday.. Make sure to get out and vote. The earlier the better.

[jadeba]

Agree totally. I've been working with the Obama campaign in Colorado - in a very red county. It is amazing the dedication I've seen among the organizers. No one stops for a second - always working. Even if Colorado goes Mc, the Mc people will have to really work at it - the O ground game has forced them to.

Also amazing are the sheer numbers of neighbors who come in to get bumper stickers, yard signs and then volunteer to help. We've had lots of vets (one fellow even suspended his business in Texas to come up to Colorado and help) coming in. Some high school students, not even old enough to vote, go along with canvassers - it matters that much. Ours was the first presidential office to open ever in our town - of course, shortly after Mc had to open one, too. But theirs is usually empty whereas ours is usually packed! There are lots of yard signs but very little enthusiasm, it seems.

Whatever happens in the race here, what has happened is a renewed interest in politics - national and local. It will strengthen the local dem party - we're not fading away after the election. I'm sure it's happening all over. Obama lit the fire and we're going on.