Catch-Up

I started a second, paying, job at Applebee's which has greatly reduced the amount of time I spend at the Democratic office each week. I am still doing things around here though.

Some recent developments include taking over more of the office operations - like making sure it stays clean and that we have all the supplies we need - tending Pottsie's candidate while she does call time (calling people to ask them for money). I've also started on more community outreach projects - like the college research, but this time focusing on senior populations. Pretty exciting.

What's actually exciting is that there's been some major reorganizing of staff and a dramatic increase in the number of political staffers in our office. The drama was that the Obama for America campaign took over the Coordinated Campaign of the Democratic Party. Those of us who used to work for the Coordinated are now Obama staffers (or out of a job, cause that happened too, just not in our office). This demonstrates a shift in focus for the party. Instead of having a campaign dedicated to mobilizing voters for all candidates, we now are focused on growing and riding the wave of increased political interest Obama has been able to stir in voters since the primaries. The hope is if people are mobilized because they want to vote for Obama, there will be a trickle-down effect of mobilization for the local races as well. The office is a mix of various levels of pessimism, indifference, and optimism for this new plan of action. Now we have 12 staffers plus canvassers and two part-time junior interns. A complete list of characters follows:

Nymphadora, Campaign Manager for state house

Bro', (formerly J.), Campaign Manager for 2 state senate candidates

Pottsie, Campaign Manager for state house (easiest candidate to manage)

P-Fen, Pottsie's intern

D., formerly the IDP Coordinated Campaign Regional Field Director, now the Obama RFD and my boss

Obamapapa, Canvasser and now a regional Obama staffer (and kindof an Obama fanatic)

Newbie, Campaign Manager for a very young, boyish-looking state house candidate

C., canvass team leader

Semi-Colin, formerly a Coordinated Campaign Field Organizer, now an Obama FO

JKR, formerly a Coordinated Campaign Field Organizer, now an Obama FO

Escritora, I think she's a third Obama FO, but I'm not sure; we just met today.

Buttercup and Grey are the two high school interns. Buttercup does my job in the evenings when I can't be here and does data entry for the FOs. Grey is supposed to do things for the FOs, but has sort of been monopolized by Pottsie. One of the unfortunate consequences of the loosey-goosey thing our office has going on (which we usually enjoy) is that those sorts of misunderstandings sometimes happen. Grey's been able to do some things for other campaigns recently though.

I gotsta go to the 'Bees now though... more updates later.