While Obama has thousands and thousands of eager volunteers, McCain is reduced to getting his ground troops from temp agencies. In some cases, the people he hires are actually Obama supporters.
McCain mercenaries actually support ObamaTwo women walk out of John McCain’s Mid-West headquarters carrying a pile of voter canvassing sheets, one sports a baseball hat declaring her a “team leader” of the Republican campaign. And both are black — an unusual sight in an election where Barack Obama’s support among African Americans is almost monolithic.
Are they volunteers? They look at each other sheepishly. “Not exactly,” replies one. “We work for an employment agency,” says the other. Who are they voting for? “I don’t want to say,” says the first woman. “Obama — of course!” whispers the braver of the pair.
They laugh, then look over their shoulders at the office behind them. “Don’t give him your name, he’ll put it in the paper,” says the cautious one, explaining that they cannot afford to lose their $10-an-hour (£6) jobs. “This is embarrassing. We’re doing this because we have to live. At least none of our friends can see us. We’re from Chicago — like Obama.”
Republicans have had to hire mercenaries for this ground war. And, if the experience outside the McCain headquarters was any guide, they may not all be shooting in the same direction.
Mr Obama, by comparison, has enough resources to spread his forces out like an invading army. In a dozen battlefield states, including Iowa, he has more than 700 offices, staffed with thousands of field organisers and hundreds of thousands of volunteers.
Isn't it odd that McCain, who claims all this support, has to hire people to knock on doors and can only get 900 people to a rally while Obama gets 100,000 plus -- and the polls are still trying to tell us it's close. Bah!
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
