From the Homer News:
Homer Alaska - News -
Obama backers reach out to 'on-the-fence' voters
By Aaron Selbig
Staff Writer
It's been 44 years since Alaska gave its three electoral votes to a Democratic nominee for president Lyndon Johnson took them en route to a lopsided victory over Barry Goldwater in 1964 but that's not stopping Sen. Barack Obama from campaigning hard throughout the 49th state.
Photo by Aaron Selbig, Homer News
Obama campaign field organizer Saumya Nerichania (left) gives instructions to volunteers gathered at the Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery and Cafe.
Obama has five campaign offices in Alaska two in Anchorage and one each in Palmer, Fairbanks and Juneau and, according to Nate Osburn, Obama's deputy communications director for Alaska, there are plans to open another somewhere on the Kenai Peninsula.
Last Saturday, Obama's nationwide "Campaign For Change" made it all the way to the end of the road, when about 20 volunteers met at the Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery and Caf on Ocean Drive to receive training on "canvassing" the fine art of political door-to-door sales from field organizer Saumya Narechania, and then took to Homer streets to spread the word about their favorite candidate.
"He will bring respect for America back to the world," said Obama supporter Judy Nester, who proudly displayed her blue "Obama '08" T-shirt at the event.
Homer fisherman Josiah Campbell said he likes Obama's ideas on health care and economics.
"Obama's tax plan helps me out as a commercial fisherman. He has said that he supports sustainable fisheries and I understand that the Republicans want to open federal waters to farm fishing," said Campbell.
Campbell and the other volunteers received campaign literature, maps, scripts and lists of addresses from Narechania, who advised the group to "stick with it" even though they might get a door or two slammed in their faces.
"The first five doors will be tough but after that it should be smooth sailing," Narechania told the eager group.
The lists of addresses were designed to exclude "hardcore McCain supporters," said Narechania, and contained basic voting information about residents, such as their party affiliation and whether they had donated to a particular campaign. The scripts were designed purely as a guide, he added, and volunteers were free to ad lib in their conversations with prospective voters. Volunteers were asked by Narechania to be respectful at all times and to avoid "Bush-bashing" while talking to their neighbors.
Campbell and his friend Anna Bosin piled into Campbell's Subaru and headed up to Mountain View Drive to start knocking on doors. After about an hour and a half of canvassing, they reported not a single door slammed in their faces.
"We're running into more supporters than non-supporters. People around here are relatively friendly," reported Bosin.
"We hope we did some good," said Campbell, as he and Bosin headed off to Bayview Avenue to continue their efforts.
Statewide, about 350 canvassers participated in the effort to reach "on the fence" voters on behalf of the Obama campaign, according to Osburn.
They covered ground in 16 Alaska cities and towns, he said.
"It went really well. We had good turnout and knocked on thousands of doors," said Osburn, adding that the Obama campaign has placed paid staff members in all 50 states and is putting extra effort into 18 identified "battleground" states, of which Alaska is one.
"People are excited that Barack Obama cares enough about Alaska to send a staff person to Homer. It shows that Homer matters," said Campbell.
The campaign for Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has not sent paid staff members to Alaska, nor do they have an office in the state. They do have a Web site devoted to Alaska, www.alaska.johnmccain.com, but contact information on the site refers users to McCain's West Regional Headquarters in Henderson, Nev.
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