Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Obama abandoning Virginia? No

Soren Dayton lives in Virginia and got a message from Team Obama asking him to help in Pennsylvania. Soren asks: Does this mean Obama's abandoning Virginia? No, because I live in Maryland and got this message from Team Obama:

Drive for Change in Virginia
Here's how the Virginia Drive for Change program works:
Sign up using the form to the right.
Campaign for Change staff will help match you with other folks from your area.
Then we'll help you all find an area in Virginia for you to reach out to.
No prior experience is needed, so sign up today to be part of our Drive for Change. A staff member will be in touch with you to coordinate your trip. Housing: If you are coming for longer than a day and need housing we will work to arrange for housing for you during your stay in Virginia. An organizer will call you to discuss your housing needs.
Transportation: Having a car will be crucial, especially when asked to canvass precincts. If you are willing to carpool, it will help to know how many people you can fit in your vehicle. If you don't have a car we will try to help you find other volunteers coming from your area to Virginia to carpool with.
We understand that some of you may have a strong preference for where you want to volunteer within a state; however, whenever possible, it would be best if we could direct you to the region where you are most needed!

So, apparently, the folks in Chicago mistook Soren's place of residence, or something like that. The left hand doesn't know what the far-left hand is doing, I guess.

UPDATE: Linked by Insty -- thanks. Really, it wouldn't make any sense at all for Obama to pull resources out of Virginia -- he's doing better in the polls there than he is in Ohio.

UPDATE II: Liberal blogger Oliver Willis, also a Maryland resident, got the same "Drive for Change in Virginia" e-mail. So why did Soren Dayton get the Pennsylvania e-mail? Did he provide the Obama campaign with his correct ZIP code? Was he maybe living somewhere else when he signed up on their e-mail list? New Jersey, Delaware or New York maybe?

Despite the false alarm, there's still something strategically interesting here. I live about 10 miles south of the Pennsylvania line (it's about 15 miles from my house to Waynesboro, Pa.), whereas I'm more than 50 miles from Winchester, Va. It would be easier for me to campaign in Pennsylvania than Virginia, and I'm sure that's true of a lot of Maryland residents.

So the fact that Marylanders are being asked to go to Virginia, rather than to Pennsylvania, may indeed indicate something about Team Obama's strategy. In other words, maybe they feel they've got enough volunteers (and enough votes) to hold Pennsylvania, but they need extra help in Virginia.

UPDATE III: Linked by Hot Air. Thanks!

8 comments:

  1. It appears that the geography of the 57 States has Team Obama believing that Maryland is closer to Virginia than Virginia is and Virginia is closer to Pennsylvania than Maryland is. Here in California I'm awaiting my orders to go to New Hampshire while those in Maine are sent to Nevada. It's all so confusing. Sigh!

    The Obama campaign could use a few adults.

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  2. Let us not forget about the state of New Pennsylvania where the Nitally Lions play. Perhaps some volunteers should be redirected there

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  3. Maybe they should have people from Delaware help out in Virginia, since Tim Kaine clains the states are connected.

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  4. I understand that Marylanders have been uncaringly pulling the lever for Democrats since before the Civil War, against any logic, better judgment or even the base impulse of self preservation. But it would actually make more sense to send people from Pennsylvania to Virginia. Otherwise it's like sending someone from Cuba to lecture us on economics or North Koreans to tell us about freedom of the press.
    To anyone actually living in Maryland that isn't a criminal, politician or union boss, good god people, get a grip on yourselves and move to Pennsylvania or West Virginia or something! Show some pride in yourselves, and if not for yourselves, think of the children.

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  5. Is New Pennsylvania one of the 57 states BO cited?

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  6. Personally, I think McCain should go ahead and let Obama spend money on Virginia.

    If McCain can pick up Pennsylvania, and keep Ohio, then the election is over, and Virginia is a non-factor.

    No amount of volunteers are going to make those bitter, bible and gun clinging Conservative Democrats all of a sudden shed their values to support Obama.

    I say McCain should make the play for PA, and let VA fall where it does.

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  7. I live in DC and got the same Pennsylvania email. Glad to know I don't have to travel to Philly instead of 5 minutes across Key Bridge.

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