McCaskill on Obama's chances in MO: "We're Gonna Surprise You" (details on the ground game)

[usregimechange]

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McCaskill: "We're Gonna Surprise You"

Sen. Claire McCaskill warned reporters against assuming that Barack Obama can't win Missouri Friday and claimed that John McCain should be holding a bigger lead right now.

McCaskill made the comments in a conference call with reporters, in an effort to remind the media that Obama shouldn't be counted out in the Show-Me State. The call was also designed to showcase Team Obama's confidence in their groundgame effort with workers and volunteers.

"You'd think the polls would be going up, instead you see the polls going in the opposite direction," McCaskill said. "John McCain is losing ground." "I'm so proud the polling is closing in our favor. All of you thinking Barack Obama can't win Missouri, we're going to surprise you," McCaskill said.

Ground game

Obama National Field Director Jon Carson said be believes the strongest factor in why someone may vote for his candidate is what they hear from neighbors. "Word of mouth, one-on-one conversations," Carson said. He called Missouri "one of the most important states," and added that they've sent some of the best field staffers to work here.

State Director Buffy Wicks said that they are basing their turnout projections on the 2000 presidential race and not 2004, because four years ago John Kerry pulled out of the state with three weeks to go, "and that's something we won't be doing in this state."
Wicks explained that each neighborhood in the state has five Obama volunteers that manages 8 to 12 precincts. Wicks said right now Obama's Missouri campaign has about 2,000 volunteers serving as team leaders. She said volunteers hit 30,000 doors statewide this past weekend alone. She also said the goal of Team Obama is to register 75,000 new voters in Missouri. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has reported 200,000 new voters have registered so far. Wicks thinks that's a good sign for Democrats. "We're not ceding any ground in this state at all. We're borrowing Sen. McCaskill's 2006 strategy. Of our 40 offices statewide, 27 serve rural communities," Wicks said.

http://ky3.blogspot.com/2008/09/claire-call.html

[FrenchieCat]

I think Obama is going to suprise a whole lot of

folks. :)

and he better, cause I'm fucking scared otherwise. The other ticket is ape shit crazy! :crazy:

[Katha]

1. Thank you, Sen. McCaskill!

She's been such a great surrogate for Obama. We're lucky to have her fighting for our team.

[nam78_two]

2. K&R-this is VERY encouraging

Thanks for posting :toast:!

[TlalocW]

3. I think there will be a few surprises in the Obama column - even for us

The media are either behind the game, or they're deliberately trying to throw it to make it look like a barn burner.

TlalocW

[BlooInBloo]

4. It would be nice, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[GrizzlyMan]

10. I wrote it off a couple of weeks ago

But now I think it COULD happen. They need heavy turnout in east St. Louis and the rest of St. Louis proper. The suburbs and the rural areas are solid Fundie though their could be a few votes to be had in the college towns. If Obama did win it would be the squeaker of all squeakers.

[wildflowergardener]

15. East St. Louis

East St. louis is in Illinois, so it won't make any difference for Missouri. The rural areas maybe are but the suburbs are not solid republican - at least around where I am - Webster Groves. St. Louis County went for McCaskill. If enough people vote in St. Louis county and Kansas City, they can overtake the rural voters, and did with McCaskill.

I was at a fair yesterday in Kirkwood and they said they'd gone through 200 yard signs in one day - and you have to pay $5 for them.

Meg

[CitizenPatriot]

5. His ground game is ON

and it's intense

it's going to shock a lot of people in unexpected areas:-)

[swishyfeet]

6. Good news. Great post!

[Shine]

7. This election is going to see unprecedented voter turnout in ALL states.

THAT much is certain.

:bounce:

Team Obama's ground game for GOTV is a key component of that winning strategy.

Remember: 31 million registered Republicans and 42 million registered Democrats....

with MORE on the way!

Those huge numbers, combined with high voter turnout will tip the balance in our favor and there will be NO WAY this election can be stolen.

:toast:

[Imagevision]

8. Obama also by "Word of mouth, and one-on-one conversations,"

[pinto]

9. kick

:kick:

[LonelyLRLiberal]

11. They are recruiting for Arkansans to work in Missouri, too.

When I signed up for Arkansas, one of the questions was whether you could work in Missouri.

[fujiyama]

12. Democrats have registered many

but these people need to be mobilized and many need transportation, especially poorer folks, and elderly African Americans that may or may not have identification and that could cause problems after the SC ruling. As we know, republicans will do everything they can to depress African American turnout. Obama better fight harder than Kerry did. So far, his ads haven't given me enough confidence but I think Obama is better organized and has a better ground game. I'm hoping this will play dividends.

I'm hopeful about MO, but if by some miracle he won the state, it would be a real squeaker. But it would indicate that this election is going our way.

[amborin]

13. transportation is a huge issue

doing GOTV in low income Las Vegas neighborhoods in '04, so many folks need rides to the polls

and the rides just weren't available

maybe O's going to have this better organized?

[wildflowergardener]

14. St. Louis County

I was very pleased to see Obama signs popping up all over the place here in St. Louis county - the two towns I frequent often - Kirkwood and Webster. There is a McCain sign here or there but very few. This is contrasting 4 years ago when it was about half and half.

Meg