Obama Flexes Organizational Muscles In Va.

[Zueda]

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=91817&paper=60&cat=104

Some presidential candidates have an easier time of getting on the Virginia ballot than others.

"The grassroots network for Obama is intense," Kevin Wolf, an Obama volunteer who was responsible for the campaign’s signature collection effort in Virginia, said.

He said that the Obama campaign collected almost 20,000 signatures, double the required amount, and was able to do it weeks before the deadline.

Much of Obama’s support in the state came from the Northern Virginia area. According to Wolf, the Obama campaign collected over 7,000 signatures in the 8th and 11th Congressional districts, which cover Alexandria, Falls Church, Vienna and Fairfax Cities as well as Arlington and Fairfax Counties.

In Arlington alone, Wolf said, over 5,000 signatures were collected, many of which were superfluous. "I had to tell the people to stop, actually," he said.

Kevin Vincent, Obama’s Northern Virginia coordinator, said that the signature gathering effort did not use any paid staff. "It was a matter of volunteers working hard," he said.

THE CLINTON campaign had more difficulty. Despite being considered the presumptive front-runner for the Democratic nomination, the former First Lady’s campaign was struggling in the final days before the deadline to gather all the signatures.

One method the Clinton campaign used to accomplished this was to use paid signature gatherers. At least two professional grassroots organizing firms – FieldWorks Strategies and The Prewitt Organizing Fund – have sent emails to Virginia Democrats recruiting signature gatherers. (FieldWorks representatives would not comment on whether their firm had been contracted by the Clinton campaign. The Prewitt Organizing Fund could not be reached for this article.)

The Clinton campaign, which did not respond to requests for comment on this story, was even offering to pay gatherers – legal as long as the signers don’t see any of the money – at a flat rate of $2.10 per signature.

Edwards was able to get on the Virginia ballot but had to turn their signatures in to the State Board of Elections shortly before the deadline.

With grassroots like this I think Obama just might be the best dem candidate to deliver Virginia in the upcoming general.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is very enthusiastic about Obama.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-now-kainewebb,0,868555.story?coll=hr_news_local_norfolk_ugc

Heres Obama working hard for Jim Webb.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SohLrUXL_5g

Our moment is now!

[K Gardner]

1. Wow. Interesting about all 3... :-)

[Zueda]

2. It is...

It says a lot about the orchestration of each campaign.

I also think that the way in which each candidate runs their campaign is very telling in how he or she will govern.