Complete meltdown in Obama's Texas campaign

[Bucky]

I went to volunteer at the local Obama campaign office here in Houston last night, only to find the place in utter disarray. First I'd signed up to do phone banking, calling voters to make sure they were aware of where they needed to go and caucus on Tuesday night, but the overwhelmed staff only had twenty available cell phones for people to call out to our supporters. I actually had to wait around for twenty minutes just to get my turn at phone calling. And while I was calling on that first phone they gave me, it actually ran out of pre-paid minutes--apparently they didn't have enough phones to handle the full groundswell of support for the senator!

Not only that, but I heard thet they had the same problems of too many volunteers for phone banking at the 8 or 9 other campaign offices around the Houston area! And those offices too had far too many phone numbers from people from Obama rallies and events all over town who'd signed on, promising to support Obama Tuesday. Egads! I've never before in my 26 years in politics seen a campaign run into this sort of problem. Disaster!

Then, as I switched to the cold call list, I began to really see what a waste of time it all was. Phone call after phone call, household after household I called... it seemed like everyone I was calling was already supporting Obama. I must've contacted 60 families and only one person told me she was supporting Clinton. Well, if they're all for Obama, why was I even bothering to call?

But the chaos was still unfolding. I'd signed on last week to be a precinct captain for Obama. But as I next started calling the voters from my precinct, I found out a lot of them had already been contacted by another precinct captain for the same precinct. What insanity was this? It turns out Obama has four or five "captains" for my precinct alone--all of whom are working furiously to ensure a big turnout for our precinct caucus Tuesday. I tell ya, that show a whole lot of inexperience on Obama's part to have all these people stepping forward to volunteer and help out the campaign. And worse---no one person is in charge to boss the rest of us around. It's like they want us all fully involved as leaders in the process! This is unprecidented! This is just not the way we've done things in the past! Insanity!!

As the evening winded down, I could hardly hear myself think from all the buzz and excitement in the campaign HQ. By the time I got around to helping myself to the food someone'd donated--more meltdown--because all the potato salad was already finished off! I asked the office manager there what the dealio was, and all she could sputter out was that they kept getting more helper than they could handle. Good God, it was frantic there.

How can this man possibly gain the support of the country when his campaign organization keeps getting swamped with unprecedented numbers of helpers like this?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Too many volunteers.

Always a problem.

[Pirate Smile]

90. Sometimes so many people try to donate on his website at the same time that the servers can't take

all their $$$ at the same time. They get "overwhelmed" by the number of people trying to donate. More problems....

[Sarah Ibarruri]

146. ROFLMAO! :-) nt

[Cha]

151. Too much ground swell ..that

can't be good!

[Roland99]

176. It's a tsunamai. And we all know tsunamais are bad. Esp. those cultish ones.

;)

[krispos42]

201. They've converted everybody!

Now what?

:-)

[ORDem]

2. i hope this is sarcastic. :)

Sounds like very nice problems to have indeed.

[The Anti-Bush]

17. Yeah, I think it would have to be.

Too funny. GoBama!

[FARAFIELD]

93. MELTDOWN: Too Many OBAMA voters

Im guessing this article was sarcastic.

[JPZenger]

180. read it all the way through to get the joke

Some people will only read the first paragraph and not get the joke

[SteppingRazor]

3. .

:spray:


:thumbsup:

[babylonsister]

4. BEST post of the day! Thanks for the report! And REC'D! nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Always great to have a firsthand account.

Dry

[Bucky]

107. look what you started

Wow, I've never had this many recs. Thanks for starting the right kind of surge.

[NJSecularist]

5. Good grief, Obama's Texas campaign operation is a mess

How does he expect to win the state with all of this chaos. :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[texas_indy]

18. Or run the country?? This represents a complete break down in communication

from the very top level all the way down to the cult-like volunteers. This can only be addressed by removing Obama from the senate and forcing him to serve 8 years in the WH as president!! Action is required NOW!!!

After all, a man who runs this type of shoddy organization definitely belongs in the WH where he can practice his disordered-organizational skills at an even higher lever of incompetence!!


Texas is Obama country! VIVA OBAMA!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd-MVU4vtU

[Gonnuts]

173. Please ... stop

... we're talking Barrack Obama, polished, wordsmith, politician. Obama, who doesn't have a progressive record, or much of a record at all. Who has taken more money from the Nuclear Industry than any one else. Who still cowers to the MIC. Who hasn't challenged media conglomeration. The man who says he'll increase military spending and won't commit to saying we won't have troops in Iraq in 2112. Who refuses to even think of taking insurance companies out of health care. Who totes Brezhnev Bersinski as his foreign policy advisor. Who hasn't said one word about impeachment or 9/11. This is the man you're going gaga over?

Why?

I won't enjoy it, but if indeed Obama should become POTUS, coming in here this time next year and witnessing the posts after your hearts have been broken yet again. When there's still 100,000+ soldiers in Iraq and we're deep in a depression and none of the measures Obama takes seems to pull us out of our economic abyss. Believe me, I will get no measure of pleasure witnessing what might happen.

Be careful what you wish for ... you just might get it

[jayjaybear]

184. I understand.

Not only is your glass half-empty, it's broken and you've cut your wrists on the jagged edges...

[Gonnuts]

191. That's it? That's all you got? Half hearted insults?

Hope makes for a good breakfast and a lousy supper.

Hope is one thing, facts another. I've listened to Obama, he's a good speaker. But the proof is in his actions and the actions dictate that he's not what you seem to think. He's still a corporate backed candidate.

Look, I would hope that once in power (if he makes it - a lot can happen between now and then)that he doe's the people's will, but judging from his past record it just wasn't the case in the past. After reading his first book, I was somewhat impressed, but his second book was pure politician and sorely lacking on substance. Since then I've seen nothing to persuade me that he's changed his spots.

Where is he on impeachment? Has he said one thing about giving back our rights that were stolen or giving up the powers incurred by bush? Closing Gitmo? Has he said one thing about re-investigating 9/11? Sibel Edmonds? Getting rid of the illegal Federal Reserve Bank or the IRS? His health care plan still benefits insurance companies over people. All I hear is crickets on these issues.

I believe most of you are seeing what you want to see and just like in the 06' elections when everyone had such high hopes after the Dems took control then were stabbed in the back I can't help but see the same thing happening here. Let's see how you post after a year in office and we're still in Iraq, you're paying $5 for gas and a $6 for a loaf of bread. Try eating your hope then.

[muryan]

203. six dollars for a loaf of bread?

[politicaholic]

207. Wow...it seems you're afraid to love to avoid getting your heart broken...

You keep on mentioning 9/11, and now Sibel Edmonds and disbanding the IRS? Yes, these are real issues looking at the recent FBI report connecting Saudi Arabia to 9/11 and the tremendous press Miss Edmonds is getting, but remember, Obama is a lawyer. He's stated his case and jury is won...no reason to go further at this point.

9/11 - The republican hate machine is already trying to paint him as unamerican for no lapel pin or not saying the pledge of allegiance. They're going to try to paint him further by saying, if he gets elected we're all going to die because he will be soft on terrorism. Promising to start up a commission questioning 9/11 is not the way to stop this proven method of fear campaigning.

Sibel Edmonds - The hearings have to happen on a legislative level. The president doesn't pull the trigger on domestic issues, you're a smart person, you should know that. Sure, the ineffectiveness of the democratic party on a legislative level is frankly pathetic, but what they are doing is shepherding jumpy republicans into the fold. Jumpy fearful republicans whom have been told over and over again on the radio and TV that liberals are evil, will force you to have abortions, will take away your bible, and so on. Making sudden movements can only benefit McCain.

Disbanding the Fed and the IRS - Okay sir, put down the Ron Paul and slowly walk away. Do you know what happens then you disband the IRS? It forces all of the tax revenue to come from corporations. This disenfranchises citizens and takes away their responsibility toward the United States. Since the corporations are the only ones that make the government move, they are in control...even more than they are now. Taxes allow the populous to take SOME accountability.

Obama - Okay, we get it. You think Obama is going to let us all down. You're going to save us all from our selves and setting yourself up for the smuggiest smug-fest that's ever smugged in one year. We get it. You're smarter than all of us. And when gas is $5 a gallon what will that mean? That the country will be forced to seek alternative fuels. GOOD! Bread $6 a loaf...unless you buy locally where the cost of getting that bread to you is not prohibited by gasoline prices and is still $3. GOOD! Buy locally and let Walmart die by their own transportation woes. Sounds like the first step to taking back America.
You sound hurt. Find a lap to lay your head. Have a little cry. Let it all out. And then pick a team that has a chance to win and at least tries to point away from the status quo. It's frustrating I know, but the way I see it, Obama isn't the most experienced, but at least he's fresh blood, and not an insider. Read the Time article coming out this week about experience. It may give you hope.

[miceelf]

189. wow

whatever truth is in your complaints, and I think there is some, is eclipsed by the fact that the alternative (clinton) is worse in every way on the dimensions you describe.

[Gonnuts]

195. I agree ...

I'm not a big Clinton fan either. As far as I'm concerned I'm more in tune with most of the candidates that the MSM silenced.

What most of you seem to have lost sight of is that before you can get to the point an Obama or Clinton can get to you have to get the approval of the powers-that-be, and those powers aren't looking to help The People as opposed to making sure the status-quo isn't challenged. I don't see any of the so-called front-runners coming close to the values held by some of the earlier candidates. Remember how they silenced Kucinich, Paul and how they're still silencing Gravel? The issues they bought forth are gone. Big business has already won. Now it's all just empty feel-good slogans. Well, slogans aren't going to get big-business out of our governemnt. Slogans aren't going to resend the Military Commissions Act, Patriot Act or all the "signing statements" and "presidential dictates".

Bresinksi is Obama's foreign policy advisor, how do you square having a One Worlder, Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg member having Obama's ear and thinking that much will change there? How do you square that Obama is toting Nuclear plants as a way to dig our way out of our energy crisis? Or that he's taken K street money? Election reform? Why no word on impeaching bush and cheney? These are serious questions as to where his policies will lead and I don't see that much change. More of the same old same old.

One can hope that once in power he bends to the people's will as opposed to the powers-that-be, but it's still more them then us that put him where he is today and unless he were to pull a Kennedy and start to dismantle some of the institutions that have had us by the throat for oh so long instead of cow-towing to them, which I've seen no evidence that he wouldn't, I'm seeing a lot of heartache coming.

[whopis01]

80. OMG! He is screwn! n/t

[Ravy]

6. Nice post. He has done a tremendous job of attracting new voters and

exciting many existing ones.

Whatever is exciting them, I wish I could catch it. For every positive he generates, I see an offsetting negative.

[tridim]

11. Please enumerate the negatives you see.

[tabasco]

39. Too many supporters!

NOT GOOD for some Democrats.

[Ravy]

40. Self-delete

I was attempting to answer the question, but the questioner said it was not what he/she wanted so I deleted what I saw as the negatives. I do not want to add negativity to this thread.

[tridim]

49. Those are opinions, not hard negatives.

Nothing wrong with having opinions, but that's not what I asked for.

[Bucky]

108. Actually, I'm kinda in the same boat as you.

I would've far far preferred Biden as the nominee for the same reasons. He's the most confidence inspiring politician I've seen in years. I don't always agree with him, but he was a guaranteed landslide winner in November. The passion he brought to the Darfur issue was truly impressive.

As far as Obama goes--I can't quite see the inspiration he brings out in people. But I trust it. Half of the Democratic Party can't be wrong. Similarly, I have great respect for Clinton, tho again I can't see a compelling reason why I should support her. However I assume that 44% of the Democratic Party can't be wrong either. I'm not in love with either of them. I think Obama is the stronger candidate and I just love the turn out that his candidacy promises.

I don't distrust him or Clinton, but I trust democracy. If he can get this many millions of people this motivated, I'm convinced our country can fix its problems. I think we call that sort of thing "hope."

[skooooo]

7. OMG no POTATO SALAD@!@@@@@@

:nuke:

[Kittycat]

37. Macaroni Salad needs to get an equal spot at the buffet table

I much prefer it.

SOunds like a great night though :)

[Voice for Peace]

60. that's kind a of potato saladist thing to say. nt

[VolcanoJen]

67. And what say you of egg salad??

I sense some soft salad bigotry in your tone.

;-) }( ;-)

[Thor_MN]

177. Equal time for Jello Salad!!!

We, the people of Minnesota church basement dinners demand (well, ask a bit forcefully, but nicely) to be heard!!!

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

77. Tears of laughter still in my eyes

[HeraldSquare212]

9. Thanks for the report! and thanks for volunterring!

[ProSense]

10. Video:

http://www.burntorangereport.com/">Obama Texas Mashup

Houston superdelegate switches support to Obama

AUSTIN - Democratic superdelegate and state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, of Houston, defected from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign Wednesday and joined a growing list of superdelegates to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president, according to his campaign.

"I'm honored to have earned the support of Representative Thompson and am pleased that she'll play an important role in advancing our grassroots movement for change in Houston and across Texas," Obama said in a statement. "Throughout her three decades in the Legislature, she's been a tireless advocate for working families and when I'm president we'll work together to put the American dream within reach of every child in Texas and across our country."

Thompson, one of the longest serving Democrats in the state House, is one of the party insiders who, as a superdelegate, help choose the Democratic nominee at the national convention this summer in Denver.

Her defection was the second loss of the day for Clinton: Civil rights leader and Atlanta congressman John Lewis, a Democratic congressman from Atlanta, is the most prominent black leader to defect from Clinton's campaign in the face of recent near-unanimous black support for Obama.

more

[Hutzpa]

52. like your video.... I like it... I like it

cool song too..


:woohoo:

[silverweb]

135. Awesome video!

GObama!

[jefferson_dem]

12. "Enough with the big rallies and the great speeches"...and the huge wave of enthusiastic volunteers!

They don't count. Meet me in...

...Let's have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign, Bucky!

[Hutzpa]

54. lol! thats plagarizing bro!

bwahahahaha!!!

:rofl:

[Bucky]

110. You aren't ready...

... to have a debate with me on day one. :hide:

[City Lights]

13. LOL!

:yourock:

[Renew Deal]

14. lol

How do you think he's going to do?

[gateley]

K&R - nt

[FrenchieCat]

15. Oh Noes!

Doesn't sound like the way Cults are ran! :wtf:

[KLee]

16. This is awesome!!!

WOOOOHOOOOO!


You crack me up, thanks for posting this!

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

19. dude, I freakin' love these posts.

[Kukesa]

20. Yippee!!! n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. Oh, nooeees opposite day

Great post


McCain: "Obama Represents Politics of the Past"


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3202544

[Divernan]

22. Very good! In Pennsylvania, we're phone banking to Texas voters for Obama

MoveOn.Org has set up TWO THOUSAND phone bank parties to call Texas voters. It's this Sunday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Bring a cell phone and a big smile and a YES WE CAN ! attitude. Log on to Moveon.org to find a party near you!

[Debi]

23. What a clusterfuck I tell ya

Next thing you know he'll be getting young people out to participate in record numbers. x(

He must be stopped.


:yourock:

[Arugula Latte]

24. We're SCREWN!!1!11eleven!!1!

:o

[trof]

25. I wish we had problems like that.

There is not one Democrat in elected office in the county.
We have a repug state senator and statehouse rep.
From the very top to the very bottom.
Not a single one.

The repug voters have us outnumbered 3 to 1.
So you can imagine the apathy when we try to get volunteers for phone banks, precinct captains, yard signs, etc.
"Why bother?"
"It's a waste of time."
"There's no way we can win, anyway."
And the worst: "That's my bridge/bowling/bingo/bunko night."
:eyes:

Enjoy your embarrassment of riches.
:-)

[crispini]

45. Well, it's a tough row to how, but keep the faith.

I know where you are, because I've been there done that. We have spent a LONG time in the wilderness. We have not had a Democrat elected to statewide office in 20 years. We were very much where you were 8 years ago. Four years ago, we got a few locals and a few countywides in. Then, four years ago, we took the whole enchilada. Every Democrat on the ballot in the county. And we're not looking back.

Keep the faith! Keep trying! Red state Dems are the BEST Dems because they know how to keep on keeping on!

[HCE SuiGeneris]

26. Udder chaos I tells ya...

[fight4my3sons]

27. too funny with the potato salad

:rofl: thanks for the report

[bigbrother05]

28. Bucky you made my day

Thanks

[kid a]

29. same here..i was frickin DENIED enrty to a house party event for TX calling

it was maxed out / no room

I had to start my own!

poops!

[powergirl]

44. What is this, Studio 54??

Did you have to work a rope line to get in. :)

[trof]

30. Bucky? Are you spoofin' again?

Damn you boy!
I'll getcha.
You just wait.
Oh yeah.
I'm agonna getcha!

[Bucky]

111. I tremble in fear

You watch... Obama may just put Alabama in play before November is over with. That'll pick up your spirits.

[trof]

193. Wanna move to Baldwin County? We got nice beaches.

We could use some organization.
:-)

[immoderate]

31. This is terrible! I can't stop laughing!!

Typing through my tears, in a state of extreme discomfiture, I see no remedy for these problems.

--IMM

[babylonsister]

32. PS I hope you post this in the TX forum. nt

[Vektor]

33. Goddamn Obama cultists!!

You can always spot a true Obama cultist by the one wonky, twitchy eye, and the dried ring of potato salad encrusted around their mouth.

:rofl:

Great story! :thumbsup:

[KLee]

36. LOLLLL Vektor

The insanity of it all!

[Vektor]

43. Tee-hee!

I tell you. It's a dead giveaway.


:-)

:ih:

[politicasista]

50. LOL!

:rofl: :hi:

BTW: Nice story from the OP. :)

[Voice for Peace]

61. What is with all this potato saladism

[Bucky]

114. I believe in potato salad! All those Washington insiders & what did they get you? Cole slaw!

I point my finger at them in condimentation!

[Voice for Peace]

125. ROFL condimentation

[conservdem]

34. No patato salad. I've heard enough. I'm voting HC.

[trof]

98. I'm witcha.

If they can't have enough patato salad (what IS that?) to go around, how are they gonna have enough up-armored Humvees to go around?
Dumed, we're all dumed.

[IndyOp]

134. Potato salad - potatoes + mayo essentially:

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 pounds potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cubed
* 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 to 2 tsp onion salt, to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
* pepper, to taste
* 1/3 cup cider vinegar
* 1 cup mayonnaise

PREPARATION:
Potato Salad Recipe Directions:
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, green pepper, and onion. Blend remaining ingredients; add to vegetables. Mix well to combine flavors. Cover and refrigerate. Chill potato salad thoroughly before serving.
This potato salad serves 6 to 8.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/potatosalads/r/bl90612j.htm

[Marie26]

35. Very clever

But keep in mind that 80% of DU'ers don't read past the subject line. You've done major damage to Obama's TX campaign!

[caligirl]

38. its not unusual for volunteers to use their own phones, using your own free minutes

to make the calls. The Kerry campaign had a short code we used so our phone number did not appear on the caller id. but calling to encourage committed voters to get to the polls is a good thing. Usually supporters don't mind getting extra calls to vote and encourage friends and family to get out to vote.

[samdogmom]

55. I agree--calls to supporters don't hurt at all!

It shows that the campaign is organized and working well. During the Wisconsin primary, I posted that I got four calls from the Obama campaign and zero from the Clinton campaign. Two of Obama's calls were for my college-aged son--VERY SMART! Unfortunately--he's in Minnesota and because of the Coleman/Franken contest--he has changed his registration to Minnesota.

I was very surprised that Hillary's campaign never contacted me. I have never publicly stated that I'm an Obama supporter--and I haven't contributed any money to his campaign yet. (I will be making a donation soon, I promise!) The only public records on me are donations to the John Edwards campaign.

I am a supporter of and contributor to Tammy Baldwin--my U.S. Rep. who has endorsed Hillary. Why didn't Hillary use Tammy's supporter lists to contact people? I got multiple contacts from John Kerry for Obama--he obviously shared his donor lists.

In conclusion, I would have to say this is a big reason why Hillary is losing--her campaign is not ready for prime time.

[powergirl]

41. Same problems up here in Dallas, my friend :)

It is a great problem to have. I spoke to two Obama staff types - one from Alabama - the other from California. They both told me how shocked and excited they were by the support Texans had shown them. They have so much help, offers of food, shelter, etc. They said that in the "major" states, like New Hampshire and Idaho, the voters expected, and rightfully so, the candidates in their living rooms - literally. They said all that Texans want is to help out and show how proud they are. They were pleasantly surprised that this "Red" and formerly "Bush" state went above and beyond what any other state provided.

As a Texan, I feel that for the first time I have been able to be involved in a primary process and the votes of me and my fellow Texans really matter. So, Texans, keep up the good work.


YEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!:toast:

[Bucky]

118. Exactly right. It's been 24 years since a Texas primary mattered.

Texas is a big state. Even being a seriously red state, we have more Democrats than just about every state except California and New York. We may not win this state for Obama, but we can sure as hell make it close enough that the Republicans will have to spend serious assets here in the fall.

I don't think a 35 state victory is out of the question for Obama.

[hogwyld]

42. Thanks for the upbeat post!

I guess I'll drop another $60 so y'all can get some more phones.

[Hutzpa]

46. Told ya!

having lived in Houston, I knew all along he had his game plan since last year,

the excitement in Houston when he went there to campaign in 2007, 22000 folks at reliant stadium,

it was a carnival, I started believing there and then.

[Peregrine Took]

47. It was like that in the heyday of the Dean campaign, too. Volunteers

tripping over each other, having to wait for phones for phone banking, multiple calls and visits, etc.

Its what goes with a "hot" candidate.

[karynnj]

112. That is NOT a good sign - when was the hey day of the Dean campaign?

What was the result?

Fortunately, here in NJ, there were plenty of volunteers and it was organized. Obama did considerably better than what had been predicted even a couple of weeks before.

[IndyOp]

137. The heyday of the Dean campaign was before the corporate media manufactured

the "Dean scream" incident that knocked him out of the race. In December 2003, Dean was interviewed on a major network station and, in reply to a question, said that we needed to break up the huge communication conglomerates - at least in terms of news organizations - so we would have more diverse sources of news. The corporate media didn't take that very well.

:(

[karynnj]

161. That should not have impacted Iowa

In Iowa, there were orange hatted people everywhere by various accounts. It was a state, where like this year, all the candidates spent a huge amount of time. Kerry won 38% of the vote to Dean's 18%. Kerry was gradually improving in the tracking polls and pulled ahead only about a week before the caucus - then reunited with the guy that Kerry saved a few days before the election.

Dean had already lost some support to Clark in NN and Kerry was already improving before IA. Kerry got a big bounce from IA. I actually think the Dean Scream hurt Kerry and to some degree Edwards as well as Dean. If not for that scream, what would have been on TV that night and the next day. Most likely Kerry's victory speech with the fireman and veterans surrounding the tall smiling candidate. What better mental image to convey someone who could save America? There would also have been more discussion of the last weeks of the campaign - including the Rassman meeting that had reporters tearing up.

Kerry himself had actually written legislation in mid 2003 that was designed to reverse the consolidation in the media. In fact, Kerry anmd Obama wrote a joint op-ed on the issue earlier this year.

[Bucky]

119. Obama isn't just a "hot" candidate.

He's white hot!

Um, so to speak.

[smiley_glad_hands]

48. Nice problem to have.

There will be plenty of time to get the grassroots and volunteers organized as soon as HRC gets the hint.

[Tatiana]

51. Oh I can't stop laughing!!!!!!!!!!!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

WELL DONE!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

53. I ask myself if I can support a candidate who can't keep his volunteers in potato salad?

Houston is an important city. It was very wise to gather such a HUGE ground force working the area.

But the potato salad issue should be addressed is a disgrace! :9

[thoughtcrime1984]

56. Two words: KOOL AID

And it's delicious!! :D

[Speciesamused]

69. Too funny!!!

[MzShellG]

168. I bet they didn't run out of that, eh....

:rofl:

[TexasLady]

57. aww buckup bucky!

there'll be another day for potato salad! :P

[hisownpetard]

58. Terrific post. Made me laugh - but also gave me the chills. How amazing

is this?
People actually care again.

Thanks for doing the work, and for the great OP!

[Raine]

59. TERRIFIC!!!

:thumbsup:

[Richard D]

62. Over on the left coast . . .

. . . they tell volunteers to bring their cell phones.

[TheDonkey]

63. Hillary was right. Obama needs to stop with the grand speeches, big rallies, recruiting support

and all that excitement. It's time America got real, politics is supposed to be a little boring, negative, and ultimately unfulfilling. Why can't we wake up from this FAIRY TALE!

[blm]

64. hehehehe....good job, B.

.

[George II]

65. I wouldn't call this a "complete meltdown of Obama's Texas campaign"

Welcome to grassroots politics!!! That's not much less organized than almost every local grassroots campaign I've ever been involved in.

Since you didn't get around to helping yourself to the potato salad until after it was gone is part of that "meltdown"? Was everyone there to help get the vote out or fill up on free food?

[Bucky]

73. George, I've been doing locale precinct level politics for over 20 years

The Obama campaign is, hands down, the very best organized campaign I've ever seen. The level of talent is stunning.

The post was meant to be moderately spoofy.

[George II]

91. Sorry, I realized that halfway down the post list.....

...I guess I've just been sensitized to all the blatant attack posts here lately. Sometimes I think I'd prefer not even reading posts until after the nominee is chosen.

My mistake!!

[VolcanoJen]

66. At Cincinnati HQ the other night, we ran out of tables...

... upon which to place the food. Food galore, I tell you. Volunteers were bringing in crockpots full of Cincinnati Chili for the out-of-town staff to dig into. One volunteer brought a pot full of the best beef stew I have ever tasted.

As the day wore on, local restaurants started dropping off food. One restauranter brought an entire roasted turkey with all the fixings. A famous local chef had his pastry chef create these gorgeous creme brulees with the Obama logo on top. (Those were gone pretty quick.) A local Subway shop dropped off six of those gigantic sandwiches.

I am going to gain 25 freaking pounds before Tuesday!! DAMN YOU, OBAMA!!! DAMN YOU!!!

:-)

"Something Is Happening In America."

[babylonsister]

71. I'm shaking my head in awe! Yes We Can! nt

[Debi]

86. Damn the volunteers with their foodstuffs!!!

Who said you could EAT???? :mad:

[Bucky]

120. Marie Antoinette

said we could eat. She even provided a menu. But don't worry... she'll be out of the White House in 11 months.

Eleven very long months

[KLee]

105. LOLLLLL n/t

[Buzz Clik]

144. At the Clinton campaign headquarters, they ran out of puppies to eat.

:evilgrin:

[Speciesamused]

68. What? What ? What?

It is just great that
all these people have gathered
together for a cause. It has been a long
time since we have seen such an out pour.
So what if it wasn't totally organized. It
is all volunteers how can you compare it
to a working system of government?
Peace.

[BuyingThyme]

70. I saw you there.

That was Taco Bell.

[Bucky]

74. Were you the chihuahua?

[madmom]

72. a word of caution tho....

"It turns out Obama has four or five "captains" for my precinct alone--all of whom are working furiously to ensure a big turnout for our precinct caucus Tuesday."

it's been my experience that people DO get turned off if they keep getting "bugged" by telephone calls all for the same thing or person.

[silverweb]

75. LOL... beautiful.

A few days ago, my daughter was agonizing over whether she could take another week off from school in NorCal to go help campaign in Texas.

I think it's okay to tell her now that Texas is managing without her. :D

[Bucky]

121. once again

Obama promotes education

[silverweb]

127. True, true!

:D

[Oilwellian]

76. Tee hee

And to think I dreaded clicking your post due to your headline. I'm so glad I got the gumption to finally peek in. (Making note to self...Bucky posts with tongue squarely in cheek.) :D

[AtomicKitten]

78. Obama is totally screwn!!!! Too many volunteers!! Whatta noobie!!

Great post! K&R :)

[grantcart]

79. well I just talked to my precinct captain in San Diego and she

is so screwed up she is in Texas right now.


Apparently she got on a plane and when she got off there she was in the middle of Texas. She is now coordinating more than 120 California volunteers that have been similarly lost and are now in Texas from California.

They are still looking for specialized folks to come in - for example hispanic reserve officers to work near the bases.

If you have either airmiles or hotel points pls email here [e-mail]

[AtomicKitten]

85. Same thing happened to me.

I don't know how Obama does it, you know. I was minding my own business only to find myself, a resident San Franciscan, canvassing for him in Nevada before that primary. That's some freaky voodoo magic wand he waves.

[TomClash]

81. Bucky!

Your post is either flippant and witty or you're a serious idiot. I vote for the former! :-)

[Bucky]

87. I am a serious idiot... with experience!

I'm ready to be a serious idiot on day one

[Laelth]

82. Oh, my! A complete meltdown!

I guess Obama should just go ahead and throw in the towel. :sarcasm:

:rofl:

If things keep going like this, we'll win 40 states! Nice report. Thanks!

:dem:

-Laelth

[pjt7]

83. So your report basically says that there

are too many volunters & people wanting to help Obama. What a problem.

[NOLALady]

84. Cute.

:toast:

[Scurrilous]

88. K & R

:thumbsup:

[NewHampshireDem]

89. Great post

When I saw the subject line I thought 'Here we go again ... more hating.' Thanks for the good news, though!

I have to say, however, that what I like even better than your post is your sig line! Can I borrow it? :)

BTW, why are the new DU'ers so irony impaired? :P

[Bucky]

122. 'tis yours

feel free to plagiarize me ;)

[texastoast]

92. Bless your heart

I know. Sometimes this volunteering stuff is as organized as a soup sandwich.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/willrogers103742.html

[sonias]

94. They got game

And it's totally impressive.

We have 6 PCT captains in my pct working for Obama.


Sonia

[Khaotic]

95. The Humanity!

Sounds like Iowa down in Texas.

Some advice from someone who has already been through it.

On caucus night it really gets completely crazy.

The big supporters turn out. The media turn out.

There's champaign bottles ... and yes even a keg!

People hugging, smiling, crying, celebrating ... the madness and insanity is contagious.

Prepare yourself now ... it's like nothing you've ever experienced!!! :-)

Wish I could be down in Texas to share ... I'll be having a cold brew at my house unless I can find a watch party here in Davenport, Iowa.

Go OBAMA!!!!

[Aviation Pro]

96. Sounds like a big fucking party to me....

...keggers, too many people, no food. Good luck with all that when the cold hard reality of DC, and special interests, hits President Obama's administration and staff.

Oh, and don't hold your breath for a plum book appointment, trust me, they're already spoken for.

[apocalypsehow]

97. Heh.

:thumbsup:

[MindMatter]

99. Come on over to the Hillary office. No waiting

And we have better food. We have paid consultants to advise you which wine to take with each course of our buffet.

I can't believe how screwed up those Obamiots are. We do campaigning right in Hillary-town.

[CreekDog]

100. Nobody supports Obama anymore

it's too crowded.

:evilgrin:

[Canuckistanian]

101. No potato salad? All right, that tears it - Obama is a lousy salad organizer

Could you imagine if he's in high-level talks with world leaders and the avocado salad runs out?

Pandemonium! Outrage!

[mckara]

102. WE'RE DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait until January 20, 2009! :toast:

[mistertrickster]

103. That's what we had too . . . in red state KANSAS. All those Indy's and moderate Repubs were

just waiting for a Dem leader to welcome them into the party.

Obama finally did.

[enid602]

104. uber good

I always feel I am looking at a newsreel of a rally from the Sportspalast in the early '30's when I read this drivel.

[stillcool]

106. too funny...

thanks!

[catagory5]

109. OP are you sure

you were not harrasing the people you were calling so they just said "i am voting obama" to shut you up and get off the phone?

Just a thought.

[Bucky]

123. I worked 10 years in market research doing telephone polls

I think I know what I was doing.

[grantcart]

209. as opposed to the post that you were referring to who cannot even spell his name lol

category

[Political Heretic]

113. lol, wut?

[Scooter24]

115. ONOZ!!

[Tab]

116. Not that I was for Obama anyway

but I live in New Hampshire. We were the first hit with promotions, as you know. I never told anyone who I was voting for in the Democratic primary, and we were just beseiged with phone calls, but Obama's was the worst. Maybe your post explains why. It actually was a turnoff. I want to know about the candidates, but his volunteers practically hounded us to death, particularly in the weekend before the election. We just stopped answering the phone.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

117. Um, you had me at "Not that I was for Obama anyway". nt

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

124. $ + $

:beer: :popcorn:

[Jim Sagle]

126. Ya like to rub it in, doncha Bucky?

Edwards could've used this kind of meltdown. ;(

[rosetta627]

128. Great post Bucky

And thanks for getting actively involved in things that really matter.

[riverwalker]

129. wow!

I phone banked for Kerry right before the election in '04 and only two other people showed up. I felt the apathy towards elections was a mountain we would never get over. I am so excited to be wrong. :bounce:

[meow mix]

130. hahah great post man

:woohoo:

[Occam Bandage]

131. LMAO. Great post, man. Great.

[indimuse]

132. lol...

....at one time...he needs better servers fo sho then....

[psychopomp]

133. Fondue party?

[the grey area]

136. That is a GOOD problem!!

Do you really not understand how that is a good problem. One cannot expect some random volunteers to run a city headquarters properly with the overwhelming support for Obama's campaign. Seriously...every Democrat needs to stop finding faults to complain about in regards to this campaign. This election year is a record breaker and that my friends, is an amazing thing! Let's focus on what positive things we can do to win back our Whitehouse and our country.


-A

[IndyOp]

140. Welcome to DU grey area! The author of the OP was kidding...

S/he should've put a sarcasm tag on the post perhaps, but s/he was kidding...

:sarcasm:

[Bucky]

208. There's a reason I don't put the sarcasm tag on my posts

I don't write for idiots.

[hogwyld]

138. Everybody, Quick

Donate $100 so the poor people can get cell phones and potato(e) salad!!

[Deep13]

139. You pretty much described our campaign HQ for the '04 GE. nt

[IndyOp]

142. Where were you working in the '04 GE? (n/t)

[Deep13]

147. I forget I don't have the Ohio flag avatar anymore.

It was in a suburban-to-rural county in Ohio at the Dem. county campaign HQ. We were calling. ACT was calling. Other interest groups were calling. Frankly, the voters were sick of hearing from us. Our lists were purged so we know not to call known Bush supporters. People were walking in off the street asking what they could do. Our DA, divorce judge and one of our two felony judges were calling. (The other was an R.) We could not have done a more thorough job getting out the vote. As far as I could see, the R. campaign HQ (they rent space all year long) had an empty parking lot.

We lost 60-40.

[IndyOp]

149. I am in Indiana - and from one red stater to a neighbor - I think

we just have to remember that it will take election after election to turn our states blue. I think it can be done - I think you are closer than we are - it can be discouraging though.

:hi:

[Deep13]

154. At least most of our executive offices are blue now.

All but one. Even so, Gov. Strickland is pretty conservative for a D. And the state supreme court has R. unanimity and the legislature has a majority in both houses.

We made the first step. That's all. Oddly, we have Bush to thank for that. He has a way for turning undeclared voters into D.'s and R.'s into undeclared.

[adoraz]

141. LMAO

[Buzz Clik]

143. You can't argue with success.

(Great OP by the way. I loved the part where every person you called was already supporting Obama.)

[gristy]

145. Great post!

I laughed out loud :D

[caseycoon]

148. This whole thread is

hilarious! :rofl:

I LOVE IT!
But you rotten people are even getting ME excited about Obama now.
I have been supporting him since DK dropped out & JE suspended.
Not wholeheartedly, but in the last few days I've felt a fever comin' on. This thread has got me. I give up!
:toast:

[sybylla]

200. Same here caseycoon

I'm feeling the mo.

[grantcart]

210. this will help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYwfi3_KyAw

[FogerRox]

150. Rec # 100, kickin too

[NCarolinawoman]

152. Psssst, Bucky........

As a fellow Clarkie/Bidenite, I thought I should tell you that General Clark will be in Texas on Friday and Saturday.....Waco, El Paso, Lubbock, Galveston, Texarkana...

I don't know the geography of Texas, but I hear that the General still enjoys visiting with Clarkie/Obama people. :)

[Bucky]

181. THANKS!!

Yes, Galveston is about an hour away. Everyplace else you mentioned woul be like driving from Mayberry to DC. But Galveston is doable; thanks

[Lisa0825]

153. The Galveston Office is in trouble too!

They didn't have enough phones or toilet paper! eek!!! :wow:

I did my part to try to help by dropping off 4 new phones and a pack of jumbo rolls of Northern. I sure hope things settle down there now that the crisis is over!

[jillan]

155. hehe!

Great post :)

[parkeradison]

156. Obama Texas meltdown

Hey, I'd say those kinds of problems are nice ones to have--everyone already supporting Obama, and too many volunteers. I'd say he's in good shape in Texas.

[ekwhite]

157. I'll be phone banking to Texas on Sunday

And bringing my own cell phone ;-)

[Politicalboi]

158. Haven't they heard

Obama's middle name is Hussein? Run for the hills. Looks like that wall is no longer fireproof.

[AZBlue]

159. No more potato salad? I'm voting for McCain!!!!!!!!!!!

[knixphan]

160. my middle name is now Hussein as well!

Who's sane now?

[Gonnuts]

162. Well, what do ya know ...

... you CAN fool some of the people all of the time

[goclark]

163. Then go to his website and volunteer to make calls

That is what I've been doing from my house and using my sweet little cell phone.

It has been working for me for 3 days and 120 phone call as of this date.

:bounce:

[spag68]

164. Try not being so obvious

when you want to rah-rah your candidate.

[orleans]

165. HAPPY NOW?

[defendandprotect]

166. Sounds like successful chaos --- !!! Too much of a good thing?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

167. On the bright side - things are going very well in Waco. The team

is very organized - and the phone call program shows you what the last response was to a call - maybe they were just too overwhelmed with all the volunteers to show you.

[Plaid Adder]

169. OH THE HUMANITY!

I have to say, as an embittered former Edwards supporter, this is the funniest GD thread I have read in DU in months.

Good luck to all you knuckleheads. I hope those poor confused people from California will be able to find their way home!

The Plaid Adder

[Gonnuts]

170. I don't mean to rain on any one's parade, but ...

... we're talking Barrack Obama, polished, wordsmith, politician. Obama, who doesn't have a real progressive record. The man who says he'll increase military spending. Who refuses to even think of taking insurance companies out of health care. Who totes Brezhnev Bersinski as his foreign policy advisor. Who hasn't said one word about impeachment or 9/11. This is the man you're going gaga over?

Why?

I won't enjoy it, but if indeed Obama should become POTUS, coming in here this time next year and witnessing the posts after your hearts have been broken yet again. When there's still 100,000+ soldiers in Iraq and we're had "surgical strikes" on Iran and Pakistan. When we're deep in a depression and none of the measures Obama takes seems to pull us out of our economic abyss. Believe me, I will get no measure of pleasure witnessing what might happen.

Be careful what you wish for ... you just might get it

[Bucky]

178. Your stirring caveat has swayed me, I'm switching my support to Clinton

Thank you. You've saved me from making a terrible mistake.

[Lisa0825]

187. I'd rather elect Obama with the chance of being disappointed than Clinton

with whom there is NO DOUBT I would be disappointed.

[barack the house]

171. Barack's America is going to be a great place to live.=)

[pauldg0]

172. Bunch of college kids

Running it too I noticed!!!! Must be smarter than us!!!

[endelfam]

175. Cut yer grouching! It could be worse.

;-)

I guess I live in the wrong precinct.... I'm also a Houston precinct captain. There are two of us in 255. We've still got 900 phone calls to make so I don't think we're going to make it all the way through the list. I'm hitting a goodly number of Obama supporters (yeah!), a few for Hillary, and, worst of all, some stray renegades who are choosing to vote for McCain. And I don't even get potato salad since I'm slogging away at home with my cell phone in front of a computer. Can't wait for next Tuesday when we go to caucus.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

202. You kids git outta our yard!

[MidwestTransplant]

174. Good to hear. Don't forget free cell phone minutes after 9 and on weekends!

[Vinca]

179. Damn volunteers - whatever happened to apathy?

:rofl:

[Pryderi]

182. How to Organize Chaos

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/training

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/nightschool

DFA Night School is the DFA Training Academy's free interactive online training program. In each DFA Night School 'semester' we have covered different organizing topics such as Working with the Media, Fundraising, Precinct Organizing and more.

The DFA Training Academy brings hundreds of local activists, campaign staff and candidates together for 2 days of intensive campaign training. Experienced campaign professionals lead sessions in voter contact, fundraising, communications and much more to empower progressive activists with the skills to win in November.

2008 DFA Training Academy Schedule

* Seattle, WA Feburary 23-24
* East Bay, CA March 1-2
* Tuscaloosa, AL March 8-9
* Dallas, TX March 15-16
* Norman, OK March 29-30
* San Diego, CA April 5-6
* Charleston, SC April 12-13
* Somerville, NJ April 26-27
* Rochester, NY May 3-4
* Cincinnati, OH May 10-11
* Missoula, MT May 17-18
* Pittsburgh, PA May 30-June 1
* Lansing, MI JuneCrowd at DFA Training in Tampa, FL. 7-8
* Kansas City, MO June 14-15
* Albuquerque, NM June 21-22
* Miami, FL July 12-13
* Austin, TX -Netroots Nation July 17-20
* Milwaukee, WI July 26-27
* Dulles, VA - Democracyfest August 16-17
* Denver, CO-DNC Convention August 27-31

[GoneOffShore]

183. Did they at least have egg salad!?

No potato salad? That is series!1!


:rofl:

[Angry Mollusk]

185. You had me going there for a minute...

Now i get it....

[spiritual_gunfighter]

186. Proud

This sort of story makes me proud to be an Obama cultist.

[AlertLurker]

188. If only Kucinich could have had these problems two months ago!

Too many supporters, too many volunteers, a problem???

Wow.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

190. Horrible. Just awful. If Obama's not careful he's going to win this election!

Great post :D

[madwivoter]

192. I volunteered for the Obama campaign in Wisconsin as well...

It was also a complete meltdown :sarcasm:

Sounds like it was a good experience :applause:

[NastyDiaper]

194. Sounds like a Crazy-good time in TX for PDems!

great post!

[txaslftist]

196. LOL. Great Post.

[LSK]

197. K&R

[CaliforniaDreaming]

198. LOL! Great post! n/t

[gasperc]

199. chaos? sounds like overwhelming support

one person's chaos may be another person's surging support

[Radical Activist]

204. awesome

good to hear.

[Tom Joad]

205. I think it boils down to this Hillary quote:

"If the most important thing to any of you is choosing someone who did not cast that vote or has said his vote was a mistake, then there are others to choose from."

HELL YES, there are others to choose from. fuck that war and your war vote, Hillary Clinton, but god bless her, she has been an inspiration to many. People sure are choosing someone else.

[Gman]

206. Sounds like a classic Democratic Party primary campaign

You never know how or why, but it ends up working in the long run.