FiveThirtyEight: The Big Empty (McCain campaign offices)

[ProSense]

The Big Empty

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The busiest McCain office we saw was in Arlington, at the national HQ, but tight security prevented us from getting any pictures. Ironically, that was our first full office, in our 11th battleground state.

Offices in Troy, Ohio were closed on Saturday October 11. With perfect coincidental timing, two elderly women dropped by to volunteer but found the office shut. At Republican state headquarters in Columbus later the same day, one lonely dialer sat in a sea of unoccupied chairs. In Des Moines on September 25, another empty office. In Santa Fe on September 17, one dialer made calls while six chatted amongst themselves about how they didn't like Obama. In Raleigh this past Saturday, ten days before the election with early voting already open, two women dialed and a male staffer watched the Georgia-LSU game. In Durango, Colorado on September 20, the Republican office was locked and closed. Indiana didn't have McCain Victory offices when we were there in early October.

When the offices are open, they have reduced hours. We can confidently plan to get evening good-light photographs of a town after we visit the local McCain office, because we know it will be closing by 5 pm, as the office in Wilmington, North Carolina was this past Sunday. The plan is, get to inevitably closed/closing McCain office, get an hour of photos near sunset, then visit the bustling local Obama office.

In Cortez, CO, we had Republican volunteers pose for action-shot photos. The same in Española, New Mexico. Posed. For some time at the outset, we were willing to give Republicans the benefit of the doubt. They convinced us they were really working, and that we had just had unfortunate timing. It wasn't until the pattern of "just missed it" started to sound like a drumbeat in our ears that we began to grow skeptical. We never "just missed" any of the Obama volunteer work, because it goes on nonstop, every day, in every office, in every corner of America.

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Closed, Durango:


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Closed, Grand Junction:


Des Moines, empty of volunteers:


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Sterling, VA, closing at 5, one dialer:


Empty, Fredericksburg, VA:


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Wilmington, NC, closing at 5 and yawny, empty:

[progressivebydesign]

1. That's rich! I saw the thread this week about the temps HIRED to canvass for him.

Sad when you have to pay for your street team. That's why I can't believe the race could be even within 10 points.

[Blondiegrrl]

2. Bwahaha! I knew it! The McCain office in my town keeps banker's hours too.

By contrast, the Obama HQ is ALWAYS bustling, up until the late hours of the evening.

[Blondiegrrl]

3. P.S. -- Are these the kind of hours McCain would keep, were he to

somehow become president? I'd rather have a president who's willing to work more than 9 to 5 Monday through Friday with holidays off.

[ProSense]

4. Similar to the hours he keeps in the Senate,

which is actually worse.

[Blondiegrrl]

6. Apparently he's taking a cue from The Most Vacationing President Ever. nt

[roguevalley]

12. we don't have a mccain office in our town.

[backscatter712]

5. Wow. McCain's gonna get destroyed in his GOTV efforts.

Every single time I've gone to my local Obama campaign HQ, it's been a hive of activity, with at least a couple dozen people there.

For my neighborhood team, we're looking to get hundreds of volunteers phone-banking or canvassing. Unpaid. We didn't have to hire our canvassers.

[Kixel]

11. That...

And our paid field organizers are busting there butts working 80 hour weeks. The passion and the drive is fantastic. My organizer is surviving on no sleep because he cares about this election-in Minnesota. It's about Al and the rest of the ticket. That failing GOP GOTV is has to be a huge worry for the whole ticket.

[ACTION BASTARD]

7. No young people? Everyone looks old and tired. Just like McSame

Their discouragement and tears of frustration feeds and delights me.

[chollybocker]

8. File under: Picture = 1,000 Words

[LisaLynne]

9. Wow! Here in Indiana, the Dem office is BUSTING AT THE SEAMS!

I wonder if McCain has given up or just knows the fix is in! Seriously, I think he knows it's useless.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. K&R!

[chalky]

13. Ha! Love this comment left at the link:

"Frankly, I'm appalled at the blatant journalism that is evident in this story. It's almost as though you've gone around the country actually observing what is going on in terms of the ground game, and reported on it. Typical lefties."

[ProSense]

14. LOL! n/t

[Schulzz]

15. I love the last picture.

He looks like he has just watched one of McCains speeches :evilgrin:

[rvablue]

16. But, but, but....I thought Bible Spice had rallied the base!!! NOT! n/t

[Phoonzang]

17. That almost makes me feel sorry for them.

Almost...but not quite. So fuck them.

[progressoid]

18. Wooooooow.

That's sad...and damn funny :)