Campaigning for Obama

Last week I was in the USA campaigning for Barack Obama in the swing state of Colorado. Just getting a small snapshot of a presidential campaign was a great experience.

Here are a few reflections from my stint campaigning stateside:

1. Youthfulness

Obama’s campaign is driven by a youthful energy. This means there is a constant drive of positive momentum (helped also by the bounding poll lead). The campaign is young; all the organisers and staffers I met where easily under-30. I met activists and volunteers of all ages on the campaign, but there was a significant balance towards younger people; including school age teenagers who would arrive at the campaign office straight from school!

2. Organisation

Much has been made of Obama’s grassroots organisation and the campaign’s transformation of organising techniques. From what I saw the Democrats have got a formidable grassroots organisation in place. I did not see the high command of this organisation but I did see it delivering on the ground locally. There was no shortage of volunteers; there was a meticulous organisation of tasks being matched to volunteer’s skills and the political needs of the campaign.

This organisation has also been key in generating support beyond natural Democratic support base and much has been said about Obama’s phenomenal fundraising from small online donors.

I suspect some of the organisation structures being utilised by the Obama campaign were put in place when Howard Dean broke the mould of campaign organising back in his run for the candidacy but there is no doubt that the Obama Campaign for Change has taken 21st Century grassroots campaigning to new levels.

3. McCain’s desperation

The week I was in the states was probably the tipping point for the campaign. It was the week that Obama’s lead accelerated and the McCain campaign got desperate. The mixed messages being reported in the media about McCain’s strategy can only suggest total confusion inside the campaign: were they giving up in Colorado or not?

At one point in the week the messages were so confused you could be forgiven for thinking McCain’s strategy had descended to hurling darts blindfolded at the campaign map as their method for shifting campaign resources.

Unfortunately this desperation led into vile tactics. I heard firsthand the automated telephone calls to voters questioning the origin of Obama’s surname and seeking to use Islam to create doubt and fear. This shocked me and was the most blatant use of race and religion I have ever witnessed in a political campaign.

It devalues democracy, insults voters and demeans John McCain’s political career.

4. The risk of complacency

Democrats are nervous of complacency hence Obama’s warnings to his supporters not to be cocky. Significant poll leads are great things to have but they also create risks. This is why a large part of the Obama campaign is now about getting out the vote – in those states with early voting and where large numbers of supporters have registered for mail-in ballots (postal votes). There is a determined effort to get as many votes cast for Obama before election day next Tuesday.

Rory Palmer
This post was first written at the end of October.