Are You Fired Up? Are You Ready To Go?*
It is deadly hot this weekend in New York City. Temperatures have risen to 28 degrees Celsius, with tropical storms coming and going.
OFA (Organizing For America) New York is going to change its headquarters next week, moving uptown from a building on 21st street and Park. In the office, which starts to be packed at around noon, young people from New York City are busy with different activities: some are organizing phone banks - calling people to ask if they want to volunteer - others are preparing for canvassing - asking people on the streets to participate. At this point of the campaign, the main activity is to build-up the so called “Neighborhood teams”: groups of volunteers in the various neighborhoods in New York City who are willing to do some work for the campaign.
The “Fellows”, a team of volunteers who have passed a special selection and are willing to give their time and energy for the campaign, run the office with professional speed and military organization. There is some space for chitchatting and political discussion: but the main goal is to do - to call, to collect data, to canvas. An electoral campaign, seen from that perspective, looks like an organization of a big event.
Barack Obama is a charismatic leader, a man who can drag people alongside and push them to give their best: I keep thinking I am a victim to his “aura”, while I dial the 55th phone number of the day, getting another answerphone (which is not unusual, given the time of the day).
On June 2nd, we’re going to Pennsylvania to knock at the doors and to register voters: a bus will take us to this key swing state. Pennsylvania is crucial: if he doesn't win this state, the President’s re-election could be seriously at stake.
Numerous questions come to my mind: how will the American voters react to the slow pace of the economic recovery? Will they understand that the President has tried to fix the mistakes of an irresponsible Republican administration? Will the equation “Obama=government spending” find its way into the citizens’ souls? But there is no time to think about the answers. I have to make phone calls and I have to make them quickly.
In the evening, when I get home after a day of work, I am happy and energized. Working for Obama is demanding but fulfilling. You have the idea that you’re fighting for a good cause.
The New York night looks fascinating from up here, but I need to stay concentrated: I read some articles from the New York Times. Some Romney supporter has driven 40.000 kilometres around the US to follow his idol.
We need to be up to the challenge...
*Copyright: Barack Obama.
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