I wanted to give you a glimpse into the lives of our volunteers here in Southern California, and how they are contributing to the Richardson for President campaign from a pure grassroots level.  We understand the focus is on the four early primary states for now; but also recognize that California is not only in the West, and therefore part of Governor Richardson’s “Western Strategy”; but has more delegates than any of the other states.  With our February 5th Primary, we know we are key to the Governor’s chances in getting the nomination.

For the moment, we see our responsibilities as fourfold:  First, keeping the message of Governor Richardson and the Richardson for President campaign in the forefront of Democratic voters.  Second, support the campaign team and Governor Richardson whenever he is in the area, in whatever way is needed.  Third, engage and recruit volunteers to help canvass in our sister state, Nevada.  Las Vegas is often called LA’s backyard, and we take that nickname to heart; as we believe we have responsibility for what happens in Nevada.  Our new slogan is, “What happens in Vegas, does not stay in Vegas, but spreads to California, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, and Texas.”  Finally, we believe we have a responsibility to help fuel the engine of the campaign through direct and indirect fundraising efforts.

Four weeks ago, our volunteers gathered as a group to provide information and sign up opportunities for the California Democratic Council Convention.  The Convention, which brought together all the Democratic Clubs in the state, was a target-rich environment, and gave our volunteers a chance to hone their message, meet each other in a campaign setting, and fine tune their tabling and event skills.  The event was a success, both in terms of visibility, and the number of people who expressed interest in the Richardson candidacy.  As these were Democratic activists, each person who indicated support will be leveraged as volunteers, and persons of influence within their Democratic Party organizations.

The middle of the following week found us providing a strong show of support at the HRC debates.  Our group descended on the site where the Forum was being broadcast, with signs and banners on the street as Governor Richardson arrived.  We immediately redeployed to the various debate watching parties being hosted in the area, again with signs and banners, and passing out lapel stickers.  Our volunteers, well versed in Governor Richardson’s record on equality for all Americans, were able to address those who had concerns after the “choice” comment; and provided the necessary background for the Governor’s subsequent clarification.

Two days later, we set up a booth for the annual Sunset Junction Festival.  This event, in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake area, celebrates the diversity of the community.  Approximately 30,000 people attend the two day event.  Our volunteer team, buoyed by their previous successes, set to work in earnest to have a first class presence for Governor Richardson.  Tabling and Event documents were created by Erica Waddell and Mary Ann Cherry, training our team in do’s and don’ts of tabling and presenting the Richardson message, as well as the logistics of events – from how to set up the tables to a checklist of things to bring (including Sun Block and aspirin!).

Our placement for the Sunset Junction Festival was perfect, as we were on the main street, next to the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and across from the food court (in comparison, the only other presidential candidate with a booth was down at the end of a side street – I am sure SHE would not have been happy with the location.).  The three main issues for the Festival attendees were the War in Iraq, Equality for All Americans, and Health Care.  We used the issue papers from the website, and enhanced the Equality page by adding Governor Richardson’s clarification from the HRC forum on the reverse side, and below the clarification, the statement from Rep. Barney Frank.  It was a very effective piece and served to counterbalance and address many of the concerns of the LGBT community.

On the Thursday following the Festival, Diana Faust, Kathy Miller and I headed to the Palm Springs area to assist the campaign with the Prez on the Rez event.  This was not only a great event for Governor Richardson; it was a chance for a couple of our volunteers to be an integral part of a campaign event, and to be energized by the support and accolades Bill Richardson received from our Native American constituency.  Make no mistake, Governor Richardson’s record on Indian Affairs truly made this group his constituency – it was a love fest in recognition of his accomplishments.  Our team signed in tribal elders and leaders in Indian Country, registered the press, and distributed papers on the Governor’s record and position to the Forum.

Last Saturday, we held a BBQ for Bill at the home of Anna Josenhans-Hayden, in the shadows of the famous HOLLYWOOD sign.  This informal, but informative event gave our volunteers a chance to regroup, recharge their batteries, and share their enthusiasm for the Richardson for President campaign with their friends and neighbors in an informal setting.  We gained a few supporters, passed around the hat and raised $750 for the campaign, and renewed ourselves for the weeks and months ahead.

As I am writing this, I am trying to “recover” from the Labor Day Weekend, where once again our volunteers set the gold standard for tabling at major events.  Fiesta Hermosa is a major three day event (held twice a year on Memorial and Labor Day weekends), and draws tens of thousands of people to view arts and crafts, food vendors, and enjoy the beach.  We signed up for the free speech area, and were assigned a booth space next to a U.S. Senator from Illinois who is also running from President and across the street from a former U.S. Senator also trying for the Democratic nomination.

Although we are in the middle of a major heat wave (can anyone spell Global Climate Change??), our volunteers were up to task.  We were not only happy at the number of people who stopped by to get information and sign up for campaign updates, but also at the number people walking by, looking at our booth, and commenting, “I like Bill Richardson.”  It showed us just how skewed the national and state polls are in rating our candidate.  In spite of the fact the campaign in California has not even begun in earnest, Governor Richardson is known and liked by Californians.  The diversity of Los Angeles County was nowhere more apparent than when we compared this event to our last Festival.  In Hermosa Beach, in the heart of the aerospace industry in Southern California, the main issues were Iraq, the Environment, Health Care, and Jobs and Economy.  We also got a strong showing of support for the Governor’s courageous stand for medical marijuana.  With a large populations of veterans in the South Bay area, the Governor's proposal to create a "Heroes Health Card" was a hit!

The biggest question of the weekend was, “Can Governor Richardson win the nomination?”, and our volunteers were able to answer this question with a reasoned explanation of the primary process and the fluidity of the race.  Visitors to the booth began to understand that Bill Richardson is the one Democratic candidate who can change the electoral map in November.  The most amusing aspect of the weekend was watching the other two presidential candidate booths attempt to mimic our display in order to get the same impact.  They tried hard, but seem to fall short of the mark.  It was the Obama and Edwards groups who dubbed our booth the “gold standard” in how to present our candidate effectively.

While we were anchored in Hermosa Beach for three days, our State Volunteer Coordinator, Thom O’Shaughnessy was speaking in Moreno Valley and Riverside at campaign events; and distributing materials to other volunteers throughout Southern California. 

So goes a picture of 30 days in the life of a Richardson volunteer.  What’s next?  We are anxious to hear Governor Richardson this Friday dedicate Las Memorias, the AIDS Wall in East Los Angeles.  Early Saturday morning, a group will be heading to Las Vegas to canvass and celebrate the opening of the East Las Vegas headquarters.  The following weekend will see  more visibility events and another group off to assist in Las Vegas.  In fact, we are calendaring events now for almost every weekend through the end of the year.