A Short Interview with Delaware Obama Volunteer Robert Carver

Robert Carver has been an Obama volunteer since before Obama announced his run for the White House. As the race enters the final stretch I wondered what his take would be on the lay of the land. He was good enough to meet (via email) and answer some questions.

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ME: You have to feel good about the way things are going, is it getting difficult to attract new volunteers for the Obama campaign with everyone knowing that the Obama/Biden ticket is going to crush here in Delaware?

[Robert Carver] The wonderful people who continue to show up and help out never ceases to amaze me. Since we opened our doors at our State Campaign headquarters at the Riverfront Shipyard Shops in Wilmington about a month ago and our Newark office last week, the number of volunteers has continued to grow each and every day! Not just from New Castle County but from all over the state. No one is resting on their laurels either –we know that Delaware looks good right now but Pennsylvania is still a battleground and we are committed to helping out our sister state. Over 200 Delawareans went to Pennsylvania last weekend to knock on doors and we plan to increase that number each weekend between now and November. We only win if Pennsylvania wins too!

ME: Did you see a surge of volunteers when McCain picked Palin?

[Robert Carver]I don’t think there was any noticeable increase in the number of volunteers coming out to help after Palin was added by the Republican party to their ticket. However, I will say that there was a big increase in volunteers after the condescending remarks made by Giuliani and Palin about community organizers. That really got people a little ticked off and motivated to come help.

ME: There does seem to be a lot of enthusiasm on the Delaware for Obama discussion boards. How solid are your plans to turn that into GOTV work on election day?

[Robert Carver] We have an awful lot of volunteers prepared to help on Election day not only here in Delaware but also in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The enthusiasm you see on the discussion boards is just the tip of the iceberg.

ME: From my perspective, this campaign has been doing everything right for a long time. Do you still get a little worried when watching Obama or Biden debate or are you pretty chill right now?

[Robert Carver] Not as chill as they are but I feel comfortable enough watching the debates. We need a calm, cool and collected President to face the tough problems that lie ahead. We have had enough cowboy leadership and erratic behavior. Obama and Biden are clearly demonstrating their readiness to lead while McCain and Palin are too busy calling people names.

ME: Can I get you to make a prediction about the Obama/Biden vote share in Delaware?

[Robert Carver] No! But I feel good about our chances.

ME: Thanks. Keep kicking ass!