En campaña con Obama

Durante la campaña, los candidatos suelen aparecer por las oficinas en el terreno a saludar a los voluntarios y activistas. Mis colegas que siguen a Obama trabajan en 'pool' y envian sus escritos a los demás. Es así como nos enteramos de lo que va pasando. Son crónicas factuales y con mucho color. Esta me acaba de entrar hace unos momentos y la comparto con ustedes. Es así como, muchas veces, sin estar en el local, nos vamos enterando de lo que sucede.

Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 06:14 PM
To: Cunnane, Pat
Subject: Pool report #2

President Obama entered the Henderson OFA field office shortly after 2pm carrying six pizzas. He was greeted outside and escorted by Casey Adams, Obama campaign regional field director who was wearing an Obama-Biden pin on his blue button-up shirt.

"Oh my God!" several of the campaign workers squealed. They were lined up in the back of the room, looking out the open door to the office as POTUS made his way to the entrance. There were about 20 of them, mostly women. They cheered and clapped as POTUS walked into the room, which was quite tidy and had all sorts of Obama campaign trappings on the walls and displayed on browing folding tables. There was also a life-sized cardboard POTUS near the door. They had put an "I (heart) NV" hat on the cardboard head.

"What's going on everybody?" asked POTUS, who was wearing a blue and white checked button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tan slacks and brown dress shoes. 

He told them he had brought them some "outstanding" pizza. "I'm going to go around. I want to meet every single person," he said. "Yeah!" A few of them replied.

POTUS then took a page from the first lady's playbook and hugged each one of them as he worked down the line. He asked them their names.

"Hi, I'm so excited. I love Michelle," one woman told him.

Another woman had a photo of him speaking at a podium. He said he'd sign it but kept working down the line.

After greeting them all, he gave them a little pep talk.

"I know everybody has been working really hard," he said. "And we've got - what is it, 34?" he said, looking around. "36, 36," one of the workers told him. "36 days," POTUS said. "So whatever it is, it's really coming up quick and obviously Nevada is going to be critical to this fight. Nevada's going to be close. It's going to be close all across the country. And obviously we've got the debates coming up. There are going to be a number of other things we can't expect over the next couple of weeks."

The one thing they have to do is make sure they're reaching out to voters, knocking on doors, he said. So, he said, the work they're doing is very important because it matters in terms of his policy agenda, which he ticked off: Wall Street regulations, winding down Afghanistan war, housing.

"I don't mean to put too much on your shoulders," POTUS joked.

He said people sometimes ask him how he keeps the pace "I don't want to let you down," he said. "And hopefully you're having some fun along the way," he added, saying they're making friendships and forming bonds.

"We're gonna get this done. We're gonna win," Mr. Obama said

He then took 2 sets of photos, with the group.

Mr. Obama then sat down at a table with 2 silver flip cell phones to make calls to volunteers. Mr. Adams sat to his left. Their names, in order of calls: Donna Hodges, Schelia Shinno and Andrea Stinger.

"This is very exciting," Mr. Obama said as he dialed.

"Hi, Donna. This is Barack Obama, how are you. ... You've been so helpful. You've been working so hard even though you've got some health issues," he said. "Hopefully I get to see you in person sometime." POTUS then sat there with the phone to his ear, chewing gum, for about 30 seconds as Donna talked. She then talked some more. "Alright well we've got 36 more days," Mr. Obama said before hanging up.

He then called Schelia Shinno. "She has a very cute dog," one of the workers told him. POTUS asked her dog's name. He was told it's Phoenix. "I've neever seen Schelia spelled like this," he said as he waited for her to answer. "Scheila might not be home."

"Ok, I'm gonna leave a message. That's cool. Because then they can replay it."

"What's her dog's name?" he asked.

"Phoenix," he was told.

"Hey Scheila this is Barack Obama. And I'm calling from the South Henderson office. Everybody's been telling me what incredible work you've been doing..."

Meanwhile, one of the female workers was whispering into her cell phone: "Scheila, the president..."

POTUS, realizing she's on the phone, said, "well let me talk to her there" and took the other phone.

"Scheila I was just leaving a message for you ... Nobody picked up the phone." He told her he wanted to thank her for her work as a team leader and to see how Phoenix is doing. He joked about Phoenix canvassing and said he needed to have Phoenix talk to Bo "because Bo is just loafing around."

"You are the backbone of this campaign," he told her before hanging up.

He then called Andrea.

"Hi this is Barack Obama. How are you?" he said. "I'm doing good and I'm over here in one of the offices and everybody's telling me what an outstanding volunteer you are and I figured I'd call you up and say thanks."

Pause.

"Well I love you back," POTUS said.

"This is my last campaign so we want to leave it all on the table and work as hard as we can... I hope I get a chance to thank you in person sometime," he told her.

She seemed to ask him about debate prep

"We had a great prep, and it was a lot of fun. ... It's very nice. Although basically they're keeping me indoors all the time. It's a drag. They're making me do my homework," POTUS said

Some color from the office:

It's set in a shopping center with various stores,including a Pooches and Pals and a travel agency.

Lots of Latinos for Obama signs in the office.

Eight computers on a table along the wall, with talking points posted above - Affordable Care Act, etc.

A table with buttons saying register to vote with me, and some literature was near the entrance.

There was a giant calendar on the wall with volunteer schedules, with the words "volunteer post it" and "stick to it."

One handmade banner had a POTUS quote on it: "We are the change that we seek" Barack Obama - 

There were three paper tickers near the cardboard Obama: 5 days to voter registration; 19 days to early vote; 36 days to election day.

Pool was ushered out after the third call and as POTUS said he was making 2 more. Motorcade left at 2:33pm. Arrived back at resort at 2:53pm.

Gaggle with Carney and Psaki starting shortly.

Carol Lee
The Wall Street Journal