From Up Front - Davidson College Athletics

By Robert O'Donnell

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*Related Links* Wildcats' Roar The View From Press Row From Up Front Will In Turn	Picking up Momentum Columbus, Ohio Feb. 26, 2008 Hey, it is Rob O’Donnell checking back in. A lot has changed since my last post: the dynamic of the democratic primary as well as my geographic location. Since my last post, I have been in Richmond, Va., Chevy Chase, Md., and now Columbus, Ohio. As you all, hopefully, know by now, Senator Obama swept the Potomac Primary by a resounding margin in all three states. I was based out of Richmond, Va., at our campaign headquarters working in our communications department. I set up conference calls with reporters, booked national surrogates, such as Master P, Susan Rice, Tom Daschelle, Chris Tucker, and Edward Norton, on the local Virginia radio stations, and even booked Senator Obama on a few radio stations throughout the D.C. metro area. It was a great opportunity to expand my understanding of how a campaign is run, aside from working in the field. Since Virginia, I traveled home for two days so that I could get my cast taken off my left wrist from an injury sustained this past fall in soccer. I then traveled to Columbus, Ohio, where I am currently working as a field organizer in downtown Columbus. The people in Ohio have been great providing us with their time and commitment. We are developing an aggressive grassroots campaign as we head into the final, critical phase before the Ohio primary on March 4th. We were given a boost with the decisive victories in both Wisconsin in Hawaii, which make it 10 primary contests in a row where Senator Obama has been the victor. Anyways, we feel very strongly that we can and will compete in Ohio to win the primary and potentially solidify our status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. I hope things are well back at Davidson and I will make sure to check back in before the Ohio primary to give an update on how things are looking. P.S. Here’s a picture of me with Senator Obama at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Richmond, Virginia. I was given the unbelievable opportunity to meet the Senator before he spoke to the crowd of 6,000 people. Senator Obama was engaging as well as impressive in person, and he personally thanked me for working on the campaign, which definitely was the highlight of my night!
	Super Tuesday, The Aftermath Richmond, Va. Feb. 6, 2008 Hey, it’s Rob O’Donnell checking in from Richmond at the Virginia for Obama campaign headquarters. I’d quickly like to give a shout out to Christian Hambleton who due to injury will no longer be able to play soccer for the Wildcats. Christian has helped lead the Cats on and off the field, he has represented Davidson with courage and conviction, and most importantly he has been a trusted and loyal friend. He will be missed, and I would personally like to say, on behalf of Davidson Soccer and the entire student body, thank you for your dedication and hard work over the past two years. As for the Democratic presidential primary, today marks the first day after Super Tuesday where 22 states voted on who would be the Democratic nominee. Senator Obama won 14 of the 22 states, while Senator Clinton won only 8. The delegates won by each candidate were much closer however, with Senator Obama narrowly edging out Senator Clinton. The focus of the Democratic primary will now turn to the February 9th caucuses and the Feb. 12th primaries. Virginia, where I am stationed out of, has its primary on February 12th when the Chesapeake states: VA, D.C., and MD all cast their ballots. There is no word on what polling data looks like for the region, but we have a very strong grassroots base here in the commonwealth. We have hosted organizational meetings for supporters across the state, and we are planning an extremely aggressive grassroots campaign. I’m working in the press office helping to coordinate surrogate visits as well as deal with the media in Virginia. It’s been a great opportunity to broaden my understanding of how a campaign works outside of the field aspect of it. I'm finally getting used to consistently being on the road, but the hours are still long. Anyways, now that the spotlight is on us, it is time to get back to work. I’ll check in at a later date. Hope things are well at school. -Rob O’Donnell
	Sweet Victory Charleston, S.C. Jan. 30, 2008 Hey, it’s Robert O’Donnell checking back in. Sorry it’s been over a week since my last post, but I’ve been on the road for the last few days. But first I’ll address Senator Obama’s decisive 28-point victory in the Palmetto State, South Carolina. The last few days before the election were extremely long days filled with a lot of back and forth between both the Clinton and Obama campaigns. There was a heated debate where all three candidates claimed to be the victor following it, and all three candidates spent significant time campaigning throughout South Carolina. But in the end, our superior field organization and message carried the day to one of the most historic victories in South Carolina history. It was an incredible day where all the planning and preparation we had put into recruiting volunteers, opening up offices, and reaching out to communities came together in one seamless Get Out The Vote operation. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Barack supporters flooded to the polls, breaking turnout records. Senator Obama received more votes than people who actually voted in the Democratic primary in 2004. He even beat John McCain who won the Republican primary in vote totals by over 100,000 in a state that is historically Republican leaning. The entire staff was overjoyed when the called the election at 7 p.m. when the polls closed. We all gathered together at a local restaurant to celebrate the victory. Anyways, I have just arrived in Richmond, Virginia to work on the February 12th primary. We have a lot of work to do, but we are extremely excited about the opportunity to work here in Richmond and the surrounding areas. However, it is now time to get some rest, I’ll check back in later in the week to give you a feel of how we are doing in Virginia. -Rob O’Donnell
	South Carolina in the Balance Charleston, S.C. Jan. 19, 2008 Hey, it’s Robert O’Donnell checking back in from Charleston, South Carolina. I’d like to quickly say hello to my boys on the soccer team and wish them luck as they start preparing for the upcoming spring season. I haven’t forgotten about you guys. But as for the Democratic Presidential Primary in South Carolina, we have just under six days before the voting begins. My task, along with the rest of our South Carolina field staff, over these next six days will be to meticulously prepare and plan for the upcoming primary. The days are getting longer and the pressure is on to perform. The feeling among the Obama team is very similar to that of a sports team heading into a big game, where you know your season hangs in the balance. Our focus is on staying positive and executing the game plan that has gotten us into the great position we are in now. I’ve also had the opportunity to get to know people, in and outside of the campaign, of all different geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds, giving me a great perspective not only on the political process but also on the social landscape of South Carolina. From the big city of Charleston, to small rural towns in the Low Country, the people in South Carolina have been extremely accommodating and generous by bringing food to the office and allowing staffers to stay in their house. It has really shown me the true meaning of Southern Hospitality. By all accounts, the race is just heating up and Getting Out the Vote will probably be the deciding factor in the outcome. We’ve developed an incredible grass-roots structure for the campaign where much of the state is relying on volunteers to lead our efforts. The New Hampshire primary gave me great insights on how to deal with the pre-voting day expectations and making sure I don’t buy into the media hype prior to Election Day. My focus is getting as many Obama supporters to the polls as possible. Anyways, I’m sure there’s another 500 voters to contact tonight, so I’m going to get back to that. I hope things are well at Davidson, and I wish all the Winter sports team the best of luck in the rest of their seasons. -Rob O’Donnell
	Gearing up for South Carolina Charleston, S.C. Jan. 15, 2008 I'm Robert O'Donnell from Chevy Chase, Md. Over the last three weeks I've been an intern and, more recently, part of the field staff for the Obama for America campaign. I started my internship in Manchester, N. H., a few days after Christmas. I came to New Hampshire with the intentions of returning to school this Spring, but I admittedly got the campaign bug and decided to stay on through the Democratic primary process. In New Hampshire, I focused on the GOTV (get out the vote) effort in the headquarters at Manchester. I called thousands of people, knocked on hundreds of doors in preparation for the primary Day on the 8th. A few days after I had arrived, Senator Obama had a huge victory in the Iowa caucus. We felt good about our chances going into the New Hampshire primary where we had battled back from a 20 point deficit in just over a month a half. On primary day, I ran a staging location in a small town outside of Manchester called Francestown. We set up phone banks, put up signs, and urged people to Get Out the Vote. However, victory was not to be our’s; we lost by a slim margin of only two percent of the total electorate. What was more astounding was that New Hampshire broke the record for the number of voters in the Democratic primary. Following the tough loss, much of the staff regrouped and caravanned nearly 20 hours down to South Carolina to help bolster our ranks for the January 26th primary. The South Carolina primary will be a pivotal moment in the primary and could even be a defining moment in the campaign. We have spent the last couple days getting our bearings, and I have spent time being trained as a field organizer. I'm working out of Charleston as we move towards primary day, and the campaign’s spirits are high. I'll have more to report on South Carolina in my next post, and I'll make sure to spice things up a bit in regards to stories about New Hampshire voters and the Southern hospitality down south, including a story about a flat tire and a toll booth debacle. Anyways, I need to get some sleep, I'll be up in five hours. -Rob O'Donnell