Obama’s campaign arm antes up for Specter

[Freddie Stubbs]

Despite President Obama’s decision not to make a late-game campaign stop for Senator Arlen Specter, the White House has made a Specter victory on Tuesday one of the top priorities for Obama’s political organization.

Organizing for America, Obama’s arm of the Democratic National Committee, had poured about two dozen staffers into Pennsylvania during the closing days of the campaign, according to Democrats familiar with the effort. The organization also has field staff working on the 12th District special election to succeed John Murtha, but making sure Specter tops primary challenger Joe Sestak is priority No. 1. The staffers, who are helping coordinate get-out-the-vote and other field operations, are heavily concentrated in the Philadelphia region, where Specter is counting on a large turnout to give him the edge in a close race.

A superior ground game can often swing a close race a few points in either direction, so OFA staffers have deployed throughout the area, staying in the houses and apartments of Democratic operatives and activists.

“By sending these field people, that’s really the most useful thing the White House could have done,” one Democrat familiar with OFA’s efforts said. “There’s a feeling of optimism, and some of the comments about the White House writing off are very overblown, because this is all about turnout.”

more: http://www.pa2010.com/2010/05/obamas-campaign-arm-antes-up-for-specter/