It was during the presidential campaign of 2004 that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s campaign more or less gave up on Missouri, shutting down several campaign operations and pulling out staff members. The campaign of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama insists that is not going to happen in 2008.
Obama’s Missouri campaign will open 24 offices, this weekend, to serve rural communities throughout the state. An additional 21 offices will open, later, in the state’s metropolitan areas. The purpose of this reaching out to the rural communities is to build a strong statewide grassroots organization bringing Obama’s message to voters.
Among the notables taking part in the weekend openings is former U.S. Senator Jean Carnahan (D-MO), who will take part in events Saturday in Union and in Rolla. Other locations in which offices will open, this weekend, include Bolivar, Camdenton, Kennett, Maryville, and West Plains. Carnahan acknowledges there was a lot of disappointment when the Kerry campaign basically closed up shop in Missouri in 2004. She says Obama is doing something that no presidential candidate – Democratic or Republican – has done by creating a presence in so many rural communities.
Carnahan says the Obama campaign is going into areas that had previously been thought of as safe Republican areas. She says no area of the state will be written off.