Obama's Florida ground game four times as many staffers as McCain

[madfloridian]

Not a lot of fanfare, but just plain hard work.

The Obama McCain machines get cranking.

Doesn't sound like the McCain one is even crawling along.

Bill Bunkley of Tampa brought up the stark difference between this year's effort and the one from 2004 while talking with listeners on his WTBN Christian radio show: "I'm not seeing the chain e-mails, or the kind of activity we saw four years ago from the Bush campaign.''

The worry by Florida Republicans is justified 90 days out from election day, with the huge Obama operation under way here. It's also probably premature, given signs that the GOP machine is revving up with more canvassing events and phone banks like the one where Riley works.

But with well over 200 full-time staffers in Florida — four times as many as McCain and the Republicans — and some 150,000 Florida volunteers registered online, Obama is building a Democratic campaign machine that could finally challenge the GOP's mastery of ground-game tactics.

"In a volunteer-driven movement like this, our role in a lot of ways is customer service oriented. We have to make this campaign as accessible to regular voters who want to help Barack Obama as we can,'' said Steve Schale, the veteran Florida strategist leading Obama's Florida campaign. "Our challenge really is how to structure the campaign in a way to empower people who want to help Obama but not get in their way."

That means not only paid organizers and offices in non­traditional places like Sebring and Destin, but a vast social networking system and online tools that help supporters organize their own activities and track them at the same time. Volunteers earn points in the Obama system and top earners win perks, like those in Orlando who got to meet the candidate himself earlier this month.

Offices are where you never would expect them, volunteers are being housed.

[HockeyMom]

1. Pleasantly surprised at the support for Obama

here in Florida where I live; a supposedly Republican strong hold. There are so many signs and bumper stickers! I stopped at a very rural convenience store off the road the other day and saw an old pickup truck with an Obama 2008 sticker on it. I happened to be wearing my Obama Mama tshirt. When the owner of that truck saw me and my shirt, he smiled and gave me a thumbs up sign!!!!

[madfloridian]

2. Yes, there is a lot of it....catches me off guard sometimes.

:hi:

[madfloridian]

3. Kick for Obama's FL ground game

:kick:

[JCMach1]

5. I just hope it works out

:)

[writes3000]

4. This is fantastic news. Thanks for sharing, madfloridian! I'd love FL to go blue.

On the issues alone, Florida should go blue.

I hope the people there make the right choice.