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.

Water, water, everywhere

I haven't been in the office since last Wednesday. Cedar Rapids flooded and I got sent home at about noon on Wednesday so I could get back to the west side of the river before the bridges closed. I called on Thursday and they told me to stay home... And check in on Sunday.

After pulling my hair out and watching the same episode of L&O: Criminal Intent three times over four days, I went home today to shower and do laundry, since I couldn't in Cedar Rapids. It was pretty fun to surprise my family for Father's Day and it was a great ride with KTB. Took us a bit of extra time to skirt the flood waters, but we made it. We also both felt kinda bad ditching our current home when it needed able-bodied volunteers, but we also both were going crazy... It was the first time I had been able to venture to the east side of the river since Wednesday.

These floods are so devistating. It's terrible. I don't know how the state is going to recover. Between tornados and floods... The state party postponed the state Democratic Convention. It was supposed to be yesterday, and I don't know when they'll hold it instead. Because really, a couple weeks isn't going to make much difference for people. Many of the festivals and parades we were going to campaign at are also cancelled or postponed. It's suddenly looking like a rough summer.

What follows here is an email I recieved from Democratic Senator (seeking reelection) Tom Harkin:

"Dear Heather :

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the tens of thousands of Iowans around the state who have had to evacuate their homes and businesses due to the severe weather damage and record flooding in communities and neighborhoods across our state. In addition, my heart and my sincere sympathies go out to the victims, families and friends of the boy scouts who were affected by the tornado that swept through the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Turin.

"The news that we lost four young boy scouts was both shocking and heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who are grieving for their children. The teamwork and the swift disaster preparedness skills deployed by the boy scouts and local officials responding to the incident helped lessen the impact of that disaster, and for that I am grateful.

"Since the tornado hit Little Sioux Scout Ranch, large parts of Iowa have experienced immense flooding that has forced communities in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines to evacuate. My thoughts and prayers are also with these Iowans and I hope that their displacement is not prolonged and that they are able to return with their homes and businesses largely intact.

"I am touring our state with our Congressional Delegation and with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Administration to help coordinate relief efforts and I am confident that Iowa will emerge from this natural disaster stronger than ever. I know this because I have seen the strength of our communities as they have banded together to endure the devastation. Soon the waters will recede and we will begin the process of rebuilding and I will make sure that the federal government plays a robust role to help Iowans recover and rebuild.

"Iowans affected by recent tornadoes and floods are urged to call the 24-hour Iowa Concern Hotline for financial and emotional assistance at (800) 447-1985.

"Citizens who want to donate monetarily to help the victims of the storms can do so through service organizations including, but not limited to: Red Cross, United Way, and the Salvation Army.

"Due to the immense flooding and storm damage in Iowa, I have postponed the voting deadline for the final round of our "Building Blue " contest for Iowa State House and State Senate candidates. The contest - and the final round of balloting - will now run through the end of the month.

"Please keep our fellow Iowans in your thoughts and prayers and please support them if you are able. I know Iowa will emerge from the floods of 2008 stronger than ever.

"Senator Tom Harkin"


For more information on Building Blue, visit www.tomharkin.com/action/building-blue (Candidates Gretchen Lawyer and Swati Dandekar have their campaigns based in my office).

Goals and Plans

I have three goals I am working to accomplish during my internship experience:

1. Gain an understanding of campaign and party functioning

2. Increase my speed on data entry, without sacrificing accuracy

3. Better develop my prioritizing and time management skills

It's this last goal that I'm most concerned about.  Deadlines and I have never really gotten along, and I'm worried this will get in my way later in life.  I feel like if I get better at prioritizing and focusing on one thing at a time, step by step approaches, I'll get better.  D is helping a lot with this too.  Whenever he gives me a list of things to do, he usually puts it in some type of priority order as well as giving deadlines.  

I'm already well on my way to accomplishing the first goal as well.  Last night I attended the Linn County Central Committee meeting.  It was mildly reminiscent of a student senate meeting.  The whole "Robert's Rules of Order" thing.  But interesting still.  It was an abbreviated meeting, because they had a candidate forum first, so I don't know that I really understand a whole lot, but it seemed interesting and I'd like to go again.  The CC is LARGE.  That's really all I got from it. 

Today I've been doing more computer setup, more data entry.  It's kinda data entry crunch time because theres a bunch of stuff we need done before the FOs (M and JR) start on the 3rd.  D also got me information on  the GLBT/Stonewall Caucus - an organization for GLBT rights within the Democratic party.  I think I'm going to join, or at least go to some meetings and learn about it.  I'm trying to come up with a nickname for D that means benevolent boss-man, because he's great. SP (aka Pottsie) is back today.  It's been so much louder and social around here as a result.  Love it!  Pottsie's such a flirt.  Man... :)  Oh, and if anyone wants to help him fundraise, he's looking for help (an intern).

One of the candidates brought us a big bag of popcorn this morning.  Also amazing.  S's candidate is getting in trouble for not working hard enough.  S has been talking all day about how other candidates and current elected peeps are calling the IDP to talk about her candidate.  Hopefully, this is effective, 'cause we want him to do well... but he's gotta work for it.