Monday, April 21, 2008
Final push is on in Pennsylvania
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Standing on the stairs in Sen. Barack Obama's Harrisburg presidential campaign headquarters, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy did his best Knute Rockne "win one for the gipper" imitation Sunday morning.
In town with fellow Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania to fire up Obama campaign volunteers, Kennedy, D-Mass., told the crowd jammed into the small room and hallway that "Barack Obama has done everything a candidate can possibly do. ... Now it is up to you.
"In 44 hours the polls open. Now we're down to serious business," Kennedy said. "These next 44 hours are the most important 44 hours of our lives."
A half block away, at the Second Street headquarters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, similar efforts were in full swing as both camps gave one final push before Tuesday's primary.
There were no big names at the Clinton headquarters. That didn't lessen Clinton supporters' enthusiasm. "While they are listening to Kennedy and Casey give speeches, we're out knocking on doors," one unidentified volunteer said.
Dozens of volunteers from both campaigns hit the streets despite the sometimes heavy rain. At least as many will be out knocking on doors again today.
"We're knocking on thousands of doors across the state, making thousands of phone calls," said Dana Edelstein, a Clinton campaign spokeswoman. "Most of it is to get out the vote. But there are still some people undecided up to the last minute."
"It's crucial," said Debbie Mesloh, Edelstein's counterpart with the Obama camp. "Primary after primary we find people make their decision in the last few days.
That would include Dan Edwards, 64, of Steelton, who was one of the dozens of registered Democrats visited by Obama volunteer Atefeh Yazdi, 27, of Harrisburg.
Edwards still had not decided which candidate would get his vote, but he was certain he would go to the polls. Any doubt had been wiped out by Yazdi's visit.
"All this getting out, knocking on doors, getting people involved, it shows how important this is," Edwards said. "I really think my vote is going to make a difference."
It is a high-tech, well-organized effort on both sides. Canvassers decide which households to visit by using sophisticated databases that help them identify voters who might be swayed and are likely to vote. They hit the streets armed with Mapquest printouts of directions to targeted neighborhoods.
Those directions are important. Although both campaigns have lots of local volunteers, the pivotal nature of Pennsylvania's primary has drawn volunteers from other states. Yazdi hit the streets of Steelton accompanied by two people from the Bronx, N.Y. In Swatara Twp., Melissa Van Eck, 33, of West Hanover Twp., worked to get out the Clinton vote with a volunteer from Vermont and another from New York.
It was Van Eck's third straight day of door-to-door walking and talking on Clinton's behalf. In the evenings she has been helping to staff a phone bank set up in her law office.
"Most of the neighborhoods I've walked, the people were excited we were in their neighborhood talking to them," she said. "It energizes them and makes them want to get out and vote."
Not everybody was glad to see Van Eck. Nancy Potteiger, 57, had been identified as undecided by the Clinton campaign. But by the time Van Eck visited her Sunday afternoon, Potteiger had made up her mind. She would not be supporting Clinton, Potteiger told Van Eck.
Potteiger didn't appreciate the visit. "I don't really like it. I get enough phone calls," she said.
Potteiger seemed to be in a minority.
George Charney of Swatara Twp. wouldn't tell Van Eck whom he supported, but he did tell her someone else had stopped by Saturday.
Charney said he was glad to see people finally getting so interested in an election that they were willing to walk door-to-door in the rain to aid their candidates. "It is long overdue," he said.
CHRIS A. COUROGEN: 255-8112 or ccourogen@patriot-news.com
RELATED LINKS:
Kennedy: Obama inspires people, works tirelessly
Kennedy hits Harrisburg to fire up Obama volunteers (Blog post)
Ted Kennedy interview (audio)
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