Meeting the Clintons (Staffers)

For the last few days the posting has been light as I've been getting settled in NH. As the search for housing continues (thought I had it locked down today, but it slipped by) I've started attending events and talking with the campaigns. Tonight I stopped by the Clinton campaign HQ to meet up with members of the Senator's communications team.

In 2004 I paid pretty close attention to the presidential election and the process, but not nearly this close of scrutiny this far out.

The Clinton campaign office, like most campaigns, has one office established in Manchester, NH and a handful of offices hundreds of miles east in Iowa. I showed the picture to one of my friends I've been staying with and his reaction was kind of funny:

"that's it? They don't have any more locations in New Hampshire?"
"Yup Joe, that's it. As the campaign goes along they'll get more regional offices throughout NH, but like everybody else, they've got to keep performing well to open up more locations."

A couple of years ago a journalist at the New Yorker named Malcom Gladwell wrote a book that got rave reviews called "The Tipping Point." The book is as simple as the title, it's about our power as individuals to create "positive epidemics" for change - any change - and the point at which they take hold. Gladwell's book came to mind as I was walking past the drooping the bushes on the way the campaign's front door. It's just odd when you think about how this small little office out in the middle of New Hampshire could have such an enormous impact on the entire direction of our country. They're trying to create that tipping point.

As I waited to meet Kathleen Strand, the campaign's New Hampshire communications director, I took a few shots of the lobby. From having served on a campaign myself, I know how busy Kathleen had to of been. It really says a lot about how serious a campaign takes the emerging internet media when their senior staffers take a moment, even a small one, to meet with us.

After talking with Kathleen, a nice young lady named Sarah Foy (Director of Online Organizing) gave me a tour of the office. Sarah's an experienced Democratic staffer having worked the '04 cycle, with the DNC, and for Senator Kerry. Sarah's job, among other things, is to manage communication via email and maintain Hillary's New Hampshire website. Other prezzies out there, take note! The state specific webpages are AWESOME. As I told Sarah, the Clinton folks have been some of the most responsive people out there while I've been contacting candidates to set up meetings. There's a reason for that - instead of just putting up contact forms, the Clinton folks have individuals listed and information for their various offices. I'm looking forward to when the rest of the campaigns have stuff like this online.

The meeting went really well and it seems like the campaign is enthusiastic about bloggers poking around. Hillary's got a lot to talk about, from her health care ideas to ending the war in Iraq and her campaign "gets it" that we want to help. I've been around a lot of staffers, and I've got their expressions down pat. There's the "I don't really care, but I'm giving you my sympathy" furrowed brow, to the "I'm going to throw you on the phone bank as soon as you stop talking" nod. I didn't get the feeling that Clinton staffers were placating me or feeding me any lines. They were just nice, good people who are enthusiastic about their candidate. It's refreshing.

Tomorrow I'm headed out to a small barbershop in Plymouth, NH to hear a state Senator endorse Senator Clinton. Small barbershop - that's the quaint sort of stuff I picture when I think of the NH primary so I'm pretty excited. I'm still working on getting through to some of the other campaigns, hopefully I'll be able to make contact soon. Later this weekend I'm going to the New Hampshire Democratic Party convention, and then on Sunday there's a debate. So much fun - so little time.