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Obama: Zeal Will Win State

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By WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 16, 2008

TAMPA - Barack Obama intends to use a huge organization involving "thousands" of volunteers, along with thousands of new voters, to win Florida, his campaign manager told some of those volunteers during a trip to Florida this week.

David Plouffe, head of the Obama campaign, made a swing through Tallahassee on Thursday evening and Friday, holding a conference call for campaign volunteers, a fundraiser at the home of a supporter and a news conference call for reporters Friday.

Enthusiasm, he said, will make the difference for Obama in Florida.

"The hundreds of people who show up at our office openings, the thousands who make phone calls for us, that's the story of the campaign, that's the story of this election. That's how we're going to win Florida," he said.

Impressive, But Unconfirmed, Numbers

The Obama campaign has 40 offices open in the state, including a field office and state headquarters in Tampa and offices in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the campaign said during this visit.

It boasted that more than 1,000 volunteers in a two-day phone bank challenge completed telephone calls to 180,000 voters - numbers that are impressive, but can't be independently confirmed.

And, it said, there are more than 5 million eligible, unregistered voters in Florida, of whom a million are young or black, Obama's best target audience.

The McCain campaign responded that it won't be outworked by any Obama field team.

"We are implementing a proven strategy that was successful in 2000 and 2004 and our team is being led by experienced operatives and volunteers who know how to win elections in Florida," said spokesman Mario Diaz. "We are directly contacting thousands of Florida voters every day both over the phone and in person. We know how to get out the vote on Election Day."
Florida Democrats have been unusually successful at registering new voters this year, outpacing Republicans by about 5 to 1, figures from the state Division of Election showed recently.

'One Door-Knock At A Time'

But will those new voters show up at the polls on Election Day?

"That's the big challenge for the Democrats," said University of Central Florida political scientist Aubrey Jewett.

Voters who are young, single, uneducated, poor, unemployed and minorities, particularly Hispanic, are less likely to go to the polls, he said.

Nonvoters, he said, tend not to feel connected to the political system. "They don't feel their vote makes a difference, they're unsure how to participate, or, for young people, their lives are busy and they don't feel they have that much at stake.

"In 10 or 15 years, when they're married, have a few kids and a house and are paying taxes, they'll vote."

University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus added something else that could turn out the reticent voters: "If somebody reaches out to them personally - somebody they already know," such as a celebrity.

Plouffe said the campaign is banking on that outreach, "we're going to win one door-knock at a time," and on the unusual enthusiasm for his candidate.

Plouffe also repeated the campaign's insistence that they intend to fight and win in Florida - not simply concede it to McCain or try to "head fake" their opponent into spending money and time here.

"Every poll shows that Florida is once again the premier battleground state in the country," said Obama state director Steve Schale.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.

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