Posted on 12/25/2007 5:20:18 PM PST by tcrlaf
DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - A clash between Christmas vacations and the U.S. election calendar has left presidential campaigns in Iowa struggling with a shortage of student volunteers to call voters, distribute pamphlets and drive people to the polls.
The first-in-the-nation nominating caucuses are on January 3, the earliest ever, meaning that many students have gone home for the holidays just as candidates seek to ramp up their vote drive in the final days before the crucial contest.
That hasn't stopped campaigns, which rely heavily on students' enthusiasm and free labor, from trying to persuade many to drop their holiday plans for the cause of winning over undecided voters.
"We'll capture the enthusiasm that would have been on campus and will have them apply it in their home towns," said Tim Albrecht, a spokesman for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who had been leading in the state until recently.
"As far as out-of-state students, we will take any and all who want to come here to volunteer for the caucuses," he said
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
"Grinnell College, a private liberal arts school whose students are on winter break until January 21, agreed to open its athletics facility to about 140 students so they could participate on January 3 and have a place to sleep.
MORE: "The college chose to make these special arrangements so Grinnell students can participate because Grinnell students are very active," said Cindy Deppe, Grinnell's director of media relations.
The head of the University of Iowa Democrats said he had commitments from 10 to 15 members to spend part of their winter break calling and e-mailing reminders to some 4,000 college students who had signed cards pledging to participate in the caucuses.
"In terms of our organization, we're a little bit in a tough position because it's over break," said Atul Nakhasi, head of the university organization. Still, "we're seeing massive commitments by students, not just to vote but to work for these campaigns."
There are a SEVERAL MAJOR dynamics at work in Iowa that everyone is missing...
1) The Universities will be CLOSED on Election Day, so there will be no ready pool of “New, Young Voters” and volunteers for any of the campaigns to rely on...
2) This will be the FIRST Election coming DIRECTLY on the heels of large family gatherings.
How much are those “Family Arguments” at Holiday time going to influence the voters?
3) Many Iowans will be on the road, and away from home during the runup and decision phase of this campaign. How is being OUTSIDE of the Iowa Media bubble going to affect thier opinions?
4) It’s DEEP WINTER...
How will the weather affect the older, “Boomer” Democrats and Republicans abilities to get to the polls?
5) I’ve only seen ONE poll that has taken SECOND CHOICES, a critical element of the Iowa Caucus’s...
I doubt if this will be much of a hindrance to the Paul campaign. One thing he has no shortage of is enthusiastic self-organizing supporters. He has a bit of money too.
These types of volunteers are not free, normally they are given room, board and transportation. In some cases their travel is covered.
Good points. Could you add more details, especially on your #5 please?
Looks like the dems are going to get a little help from Vanderbilt:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071226/NEWS0206/712260437/1001
Isimply do not understand the direction of this thread: wah-wah-wah, blue danube, #5, I wasn’t on the thread before but I’d be willing to add details, as requested.
Huckabee has surged because he won a couple of debates and he’s got evangelical support. If a quick rise can happen to the liberal pro-life evangelical Huckster, it can happen to the conservative pro-life evangelical Hunter.
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According to Intrade, the winner of the December 12th GOP debate was... Duncan Hunter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1938773/posts
Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
Dems depend on free labor from young college students, and as an old and conservative college student, I’m singing to them, this time. Got it now? Don’t make me record and post an MP3 of the song, FRiend. You wouldn’t like it. (nobody likes my singing, for some reason. Maybe it’s because of how big a bucket I need to carry a tune, and that it MUST be printed on paper for me to carry it, even in a bucket.)
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