On the evening of January 3, 2008 I'll be watching with anticipation the results of the Iowa Caucus. Like many of you, I'll be pulling my hair out as the results come trickling in wondering why I drank all of the champagne before all the counties closed. Fortunately for me and my candidate, the statistics are on our side so the earlier than expected hangover is well worth it:
A couple weeks ago I had the chance of canvassing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and saw up close the impressive ground operation that Barack Obama has in place. What I experienced was a confident field staff and a well organized canvassing plan. I was really impressed that the staff had a thorough knowledge of the people on the list and the area as a whole. These were not out of state campaign staffers, these were Iowa lifers who have worked on Kerry, Edwards, and Dean campaigns in Iowa.
I tried to explain the impressive level of organization to friends and to people here at DailyKos but in the blogosphere it is really hard to convey what I had seen. That changed when I saw the footage of Obama's organization and support before and during the Jefferson & Jackson Dinner. It was the embodiment of what I witnessed while I was in Cedar Rapids. A huge number of volunteers + Experienced Iowa campaign management + Obama = A direction changing moment in a campaign.
Out of curiousity I started digging for any information on all the campaigns in Iowa and what type of infrastructure was in place to push the candidate and get out the vote on January 3rd.
What I found:
As of October 27th
John Edwards only has 14 field offices in Iowa
Hillary Clinton has 24 field offices with no indication of staff at a majority of offices. I assume that she now has staff in these offices since she put up an ad in Craigslist.
Barack Obama has 31 field offices fully staffed.
I've heard a lot of arguments recently that the race shouldn't be about money but that evil stuff really seems to be the glue that holds a campaign together in an early state. This is no AUCTION, this is a way of organizing effectively. I was really shocked that the myth of John Edwards having a strong organization in Iowa only had 14 offices to cover 99 counties. How does he plan to orchestrate a statewide GOTV (get out the vote) when each office is responsible for 7 counties? Compare that to 3 counties for each of Obama's offices and you'll see who has an advantage.
To people on the ground in Iowa, the writing is on the wall for those who originally decided to work for Edwards and are now wondering if he has the money to compete. We are hearing about Precinct captains and endorsers stepping away from Edwards and I really think it has to do with Edwards' cash problems.
More from Obama's well funded organization:
Obama, in particular, has invested heavily in a ground campaign in Iowa and other early voting states.
The senator from Illinois has opened 31 field offices across the state, more than any other candidate, establishing local headquarters everywhere from Des Moines to tiny Elkader, population 1,374. Recent campaign filings showed Obama outspending Clinton in Iowa by 20 percent, and by larger margins in the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.
In an organizational feat that required busing in people from across the state, the Obama campaign says it drew 3,000 supporters to rally at Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry last month, an event that traditionally serves as the informal kickoff to the race here. And while the campaign would not disclose the size of its paid staff in Iowa, Democratic activists unaffiliated with any candidate said it is clear Obama has by far the most employees in the state.
Campaign officials say Obama's emphasis on ground organization reflects the nature of a campaign that styles itself a popular movement and the preferences of a man whose early career was spent as a street-level community organizer.
I once thought that the "bought campaign" argument was valid until I witnessed Barack Obama raising millions from grassroots donors only to turn it around and spend that money to make sure the grassroots has the tools to win a campaign. This money isn't being spent on high priced lobbyist/campaign managers it is being spent on people like you and me who want to do something locally.
Obama is going to win this and change the shape of grassroots politics blending on-line support with meat-space action. Something that Dean couldn't pull off.