Obama Begins To Appoint State Directors

[Omaha Steve]

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/06/obama_begins_to_appoint_state.php

Obama Begins To Appoint State Directors

13 Jun 2008 11:48 am

Barack Obama is making public the first of its campaign state director hires.

Mitch Stewart will be the Virginia State Director. He ran the coordinated campaign for the DFL in MN in '06 and was Sen. Tom Daschle's re-election field director in '04.

Buffy Wicks will be the Missouri State Director. She helped to put together the campaign's winning primary field teams and served as field director in California and deputy field director in Texas. Before that, she worked as an organizer for the UFCW union and cut her teeth on Howard Dean's presidential campaign.

Today is Ray Rivera's first day as Colorado State Director. He was Obama's CO state director for the Feb 5 caucuses and worked as a political director and organizer for AFSCME.

As Chris Cillizza notes, the team bears the imprint of Sen. Tom Daschle's extended universe. That's because Steve Hilderband, Obama's deputy campaign manager and field general -- he's the Tommy Franks in this metaphor -- ok, the Schwarzkopf? The Wes Clark? -- is one of Daschle's closest advisers.

[MrModerate]

1. I'm not in the States so I'm not getting the informal buzz . . .

(e.g., "water cooler conversation"), but it seems that -- regardless of the merits of the candidate -- Obama (and the people he's selected) are running a very professional, low-error-rate campaign.

[babylonsister]

2. Yes he is! He's going to have campaign staff in all 50 states! Here's

two links for you:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=108x132603

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=108x132371