Barack Obama Campaign in Madison
Gearing up for the final stretch
Gearing up for the final stretch
By Jonathan Gramling
On October 19, the local Barack Obama for President campaign team was gearing up for what was
to be an appearance by Obama at a Madison rally the following Thursday, which was cancelled when
Obama went to Hawaii to visit his ailing grandmother. Volunteers packed the High Noon Saloon on E.
Washington Avenue to make plans.
Bradley Whitford, a Madison native who played deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman in the series The
West Wing, was on hand to boost the morale of the volunteers. “I don’t trust these people at all,” the
outspoken Whitford said of the opposition. “I want the margins to be things you can’t argue about. And
there is a real danger of complacency when you are feeling as positive as we are. Don’t get into that.
How fortunate we are at this very, very difficult time to be living in a country where you can walk into a
booth, pull the lever and overthrow the government. So I thank you all for doing the real work. Listen to
these guys; they know what they are talking about. It’s such a wonderfully organized campaign, which is
an interesting thing for the Democrats to experience as opposed to these circular firing squads that it
usually is. So go out there.”
After his appearance, Whitford spent a few minutes in an interview with The Capital City Hues.
Whitford is no stranger to presidential campaigns. He appeared in Madison in 200 for Al Gore and 2004
for John Kerry. “I am a veteran of these campaigns,” Whitford said. “I think this time there is a sense of
opportunity and urgency that we haven’t felt in a long time although I thought it was pretty urgent in
2000 and of course in 2004. These last eight years have been just disastrous for our country and the
world. Madison plays a pivotal role in carrying Wisconsin and tipping this election to the place it needs
to be. My biggest fear is that people will become too complacent about how they perceive we are
doing in the polls.”
While Whitford has close ties to Madison, his campaigning isn’t tied to just Madison. “Over the
years, I’ve been to Oregon,” Whitford said. “I’m going tomorrow to Virginia. I’ll be going to New Mexico,
California, all over the place.”
Whitford has been pretty impressed with the campaign’s level of organization. “I don’t do scientific
studies, but I can tell you that just through their dealings with me — a guy who wears make-up for a
living — they have been far more organized in terms of getting every one together and making sure
everyone is on point,” Whitford emphasized. “They are far more organized.”
When asked what we could expect from an Obama administration, Whitford emphasized that
Obama has a different perspective than the Bush administration has had over the past eight years.
“Unfortunately, the bar is pretty low given the last eight years,” Whitford said. “I was at a thing today
where these kids had put up Post-Its about why they wanted Obama to be President. And a kid said
‘Because he believes in science.’ It is so pathetic that it will be a relief for us to have a president who
acknowledges the fact of evolution and an intellect at the top who can deal appropriately with a
complicated world. The world is shrinking so fast. None of these issues, global warming, terrorism, none
of them stay within our borders. We are completely intertwined. One of the things I am most frustrated
with the Bush Administration is as the world shrinks, as these problems become more and more dire, they
act more
In other Obama Campaign developments, on October 25, it opened a campaign office in South
Madison at 1216 S. Park Street in the strip mall next to Copp’s grocery store. The office is open 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m. through Election Day, November 4. People can volunteer to do neighborhood canvassing or
to staff their phone bank.
On October 19, the local Barack Obama for President campaign team was gearing up for what was
to be an appearance by Obama at a Madison rally the following Thursday, which was cancelled when
Obama went to Hawaii to visit his ailing grandmother. Volunteers packed the High Noon Saloon on E.
Washington Avenue to make plans.
Bradley Whitford, a Madison native who played deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman in the series The
West Wing, was on hand to boost the morale of the volunteers. “I don’t trust these people at all,” the
outspoken Whitford said of the opposition. “I want the margins to be things you can’t argue about. And
there is a real danger of complacency when you are feeling as positive as we are. Don’t get into that.
How fortunate we are at this very, very difficult time to be living in a country where you can walk into a
booth, pull the lever and overthrow the government. So I thank you all for doing the real work. Listen to
these guys; they know what they are talking about. It’s such a wonderfully organized campaign, which is
an interesting thing for the Democrats to experience as opposed to these circular firing squads that it
usually is. So go out there.”
After his appearance, Whitford spent a few minutes in an interview with The Capital City Hues.
Whitford is no stranger to presidential campaigns. He appeared in Madison in 200 for Al Gore and 2004
for John Kerry. “I am a veteran of these campaigns,” Whitford said. “I think this time there is a sense of
opportunity and urgency that we haven’t felt in a long time although I thought it was pretty urgent in
2000 and of course in 2004. These last eight years have been just disastrous for our country and the
world. Madison plays a pivotal role in carrying Wisconsin and tipping this election to the place it needs
to be. My biggest fear is that people will become too complacent about how they perceive we are
doing in the polls.”
While Whitford has close ties to Madison, his campaigning isn’t tied to just Madison. “Over the
years, I’ve been to Oregon,” Whitford said. “I’m going tomorrow to Virginia. I’ll be going to New Mexico,
California, all over the place.”
Whitford has been pretty impressed with the campaign’s level of organization. “I don’t do scientific
studies, but I can tell you that just through their dealings with me — a guy who wears make-up for a
living — they have been far more organized in terms of getting every one together and making sure
everyone is on point,” Whitford emphasized. “They are far more organized.”
When asked what we could expect from an Obama administration, Whitford emphasized that
Obama has a different perspective than the Bush administration has had over the past eight years.
“Unfortunately, the bar is pretty low given the last eight years,” Whitford said. “I was at a thing today
where these kids had put up Post-Its about why they wanted Obama to be President. And a kid said
‘Because he believes in science.’ It is so pathetic that it will be a relief for us to have a president who
acknowledges the fact of evolution and an intellect at the top who can deal appropriately with a
complicated world. The world is shrinking so fast. None of these issues, global warming, terrorism, none
of them stay within our borders. We are completely intertwined. One of the things I am most frustrated
with the Bush Administration is as the world shrinks, as these problems become more and more dire, they
act more
In other Obama Campaign developments, on October 25, it opened a campaign office in South
Madison at 1216 S. Park Street in the strip mall next to Copp’s grocery store. The office is open 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m. through Election Day, November 4. People can volunteer to do neighborhood canvassing or
to staff their phone bank.
(From top) Actor Bradlet Whitford has been out on the
campaign trail stomping for Barack Obama;
Volunteers from around the region gathered at the
grand opening of the Obama Campaign office on S.
Park Street October 24.
campaign trail stomping for Barack Obama;
Volunteers from around the region gathered at the
grand opening of the Obama Campaign office on S.
Park Street October 24.