Iowa Caucuses: Grunt work is campaign gold

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10220709

Published Monday | December 31, 2007

BY C. DAVID KOTOK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

COUNCIL BLUFFS — The Oval Office aspirations of Hillary and Mitt, Barack and John rest on the willingness of volunteers to work for doughnuts and weak coffee.

And if it snows on caucus night, here's Hillary Clinton's secret weapon: a stack of shovels delivered to her Council Bluffs headquarters. A "Blizzard Brigade" of volunteers is prepared to dig people out if necessary to get them to Thursday's caucuses.


Maggie Koziol has her hands full — of shovels, that is. If it snows on caucus night, the Hillary Clinton campaign staffer will work with a "Blizzard Brigade" of volunteers to dig out Council Bluffs residents who want to attend caucuses.


In Iowa, the first test of the 2008 presidential campaign, nothing is more powerful than what neighbor tells neighbor about the presidential candidates.

"This feels more like a local election than any campaign I've ever worked," said Megan Wilbur, Clinton's regional field director. "We love our volunteers. We can't do it without them."

Real commitment is required by the Iowa volunteers. They do more than go to rallies and pass out literature.

They make the calls, pound the signs, organize their friends and work the caucuses.

FULL story at link.