Obama Campaign Concentrates On The 'Ground Game'
DENVER (CBS4)- President Barack Obama's campaign is concentrating on getting a good turnout among supporters as they head into the final days before the election.
The ground game waged in every neighborhood that squeezes out the last few votes is what some believe this election will come down to.
For all the candidate visits, multi-million dollar ad buys and glitzy mailers, nothing turns out the vote better than volunteers on the ground, making calls and knocking on doors.
This year the Obama campaign said their ground game is unprecedented. They've turned 400 homes and garages in the Denver metro area into staging locations.
Volunteers will congregate in those homes to make calls, pick up canvassing material and canvass neighborhoods.
"We have field organizers that are staying with us and they kind of sneak in the wee hours of the night and are gone before we even get up in the morning," said Obama volunteer Charmaine Rose.
It's grassroots at its base level, a ground game run by volunteers who live in the community and know the voters.
"That's the best quality connection you can get besides the candidate themselves asking you in person for a vote," said Obama Consultant Mike Stratton.
Stratton said it's all about turnout in the final days leading up to the election. He said they know exactly who they need.
"Many of those doors are being hit for a fifth, sixth, seventh time," said Stratton.
Especially in swing counties like Jefferson County where the Obama campaign has four field offices.
"I think the main reason that I'm volunteering is because my daughter was turned down for health insurance coverage when she was four years old because she had asthma," said Obama volunteer Alicia Watson, a mother of two.
"People who have been at this for a while believe that if you have a really good get out the vote operation it could be worth two to four percent," said Stratton.
"I think we all feel a little bit antsy but we're feeling strong and we really feel like we're making a difference," said Rose.
