Organizing for America | Norman Kelsey's Obama-Rama Blog: Uncomfortable at Valley HQ

Post from Norman Kelsey's Obama-Rama Blog:

Uncomfortable at Valley HQ

By Norman Kelsey - Jan 23rd, 2008 at 11:43 am EST

Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

I went to the "Grand Opening" of the Obama HQ in the valley last night. Man, was that uncomfortable. I'm already down with BHO. You don't have to put on the high pressure to phone bank when I tell you I'm just stopping in because I was invited to "check it out." It was very cultish and unfriendly. I was planning on buying Obama merch, because mine hasn't arrived after 12 days, but I didn't even want to do that. Everyone was aggro & patronizing and they had no idea about me or my experience. My wife who is undecided said she was equally creeped out.

Bad start Valley HQ. Bad start.

Reader Comments	Comments RSS
Comments are closed for this post.

Greetings from Iowa | Report to Admin

By Hussein The Hope Monger Jan 23rd 2008 at 11:48 am EST

Sorry you and your wife had a bad experience. Even as a Republican with my now-voting-age children, I was welcomed here. So much so that I changed my registration to Dem to STAND UP for Sen Obama in our caucuses.

Re | Report to Admin

By hopeful visions Jan 23rd 2008 at 11:53 am EST

most staffers are running on 4 hours of sleep or less on not their own beds trying to keep up wit hthe numbers demanded by "historically successful campaigns" and it gives a weird culture

sorry about your experience. the campaign is stretched to the limit and as supporters our role is not to tax it.

good feedback, thanks | Report to Admin

By Michael Blackburn Jan 23rd 2008 at 11:57 am EST

Hey Norman,
Thanks for the feedback. That's not been my experience at my local Obama HQ, but I can totally see how that would happen. It's easy to lose perspective at the ground level like that. When people get deeply involved in these "quests" they can get a little overwrought. There's especially a lot of pressure in CA, with the enormous delegate pool at stake. The culture in a new office is pretty plastic, so hopefully we will get our people straightened out there and not scare off anyone else.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just another volunteer, but I've got a buddy in CA, so I'll forward this on and maybe get everyone to take a breath.

Have a good one,
Michael

+do not stop | Report to Admin

By CZARINA BJ in Chicago who has had ENOUGH of all this Partisan Bickering, who stands with her favorite POTUS Barack Obama Jan 23rd 2008 at 12:00 pm EST

Go back and work, it will be all right, everyone is just on edge, so much is at stake.

I am here in Chicago, and I can not help yet, but I do what I can by way of the internet.

If I had the chance to work at the HQ, I wouldn't care how they acted. Just get the vote out!

You have picked the right man!

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.