State Directors

Barack Obama announces a bunch of state directors:

Jackie Norris, Senior Advisor to Obama during the Iowa Caucuses will serve as the Iowa State Director. Mike Dorsey, who served as Obama’s Midwest Political Director in the fall and state director in Missouri, is heading to Montana. Adrian Saenz, the state director for Texas primary and caucuses, will lead the New Mexico campaign. Kat Pustay, an Alaska native who served as state director for the caucuses, has returned to Anchorage. Rob Hill, who directed the Oregon primary, will be staying in Portland.

I don't really know anything about any of those people, but Kat Pustay "who served as state director for the caucuses" seems to have done an excellent job so it's interesting that they're sending her back to her native Alaska rather than to a more traditional swing state.

Comments

Her biggest asset for the Alaska caucuses was probably her knowledge of Alaska.

Posted by Anonymous | June 25, 2008 3:05 PM

The general election is not conducted by caucus. Demonstrated competence may sometimes be transferable, but Obama's campaign seems to have a surplus of that.

Posted by phil | June 25, 2008 3:09 PM

A) Alaska seems to be at least somewhat in play.

B) We tend to be somewhat parochial up here, so sending an actual Alaskan makes good sense.

Posted by Pooh | June 25, 2008 3:13 PM

If I'm not mistaken, Jackie Norris is a very well-respected Iowa operative, who is widely credited with pulling out a victory for Vilsack in '02 gubernatorial race. I believe her husband, who ran for Congress in '02, ran the caucuses for Kerry.

Posted by Bart Acocella | June 25, 2008 3:19 PM

I think they are quite serious about competing in Alaska, which makes sense because of downticket issues as well.

Posted by DTM | June 25, 2008 3:21 PM

If I'm not mistaken, Jackie Norris is a very well-respected Iowa operative, who is widely credited with pulling out a victory for Vilsack in '02 gubernatorial race. I believe her husband, who ran for Congress in '02, ran the caucuses for Kerry.

Posted by Bart Acocella | June 25, 2008 3:22 PM

an Alaska native who served as state director for the caucuses

I think this means "state director for the caucuses in Alaska" and not that she was some sort of majordomo for all the caucus states. So they're not really "sending her back" so much as leaving her where she's done well.

Posted by southpaw | June 25, 2008 3:23 PM

She'll probably be moved somewhere competitive once McCain chooses Gov. Palin for his running mate.

Posted by Al | June 25, 2008 3:24 PM

If I'm not mistaken, Jackie Norris is a very well-respected Iowa operative, who is widely credited with pulling out a victory for Vilsack in '02 gubernatorial race. I believe her husband, who ran for Congress in '02, ran the caucuses for Kerry.

Posted by Bart Acocella | June 25, 2008 3:26 PM

She'll probably be moved somewhere competitive once McCain chooses Gov. Palin for his running mate.

Posted by Al | June 25, 2008 3:24 PM

...if only McCain could choose a VP in every state in which he's in trouble.

Posted by goethean | June 25, 2008 4:07 PM

Hopefully she can help end the Senate career of Ted Stevens. That would surely be more important than the electoral votes.

Posted by Dan W. | June 25, 2008 4:29 PM

I think they are quite serious about competing in Alaska, which makes sense because of downticket issues as well.

I think they are serious, too, and with good reason given the current polling there. Yeah,t he downticket issues resonate -- elements of the Republican party are so completely corrupt there that it really does mesh with Obama's overall message of change, reform, and that sort of thing. I think they have other advantages in terms of the very high youth population and Obama's overwhelming edge there; the more civil libertarian bent of the state and how much that dovetails with Obama's own image (and how it contrasts with McCain's authoritarian nature); the potential strength of Bob Barr in the state.

Hopefully she can help end the Senate career of Ted Stevens. That would surely be more important than the electoral votes.

They're both important. Increasing the success of the state's caucus builds the party apparatus in there; getting an incumbent senator AND winning a presidential election in the state are both key follow-ups that can ride off the party's increasing strength this year and into the future. Yeah, if forced to pick, I'd go with Sen. Begich over the 3 EVs, but I don't think it's necessary to do so -- Begich and Obama can make a good team together in competing for the state and making it more fertile for Democrats now and in the future, so I want both.

Posted by jbryan | June 25, 2008 4:52 PM

Al,

You really want McCain to pick Palin as his running mate? I'll trade 3 EV's for the shellacking he'll get nationwide should he do so. (She is so not ready for primetime, it wouldn't be funny, Pawlenty is SOOOO much better a choice...)

Posted by Pooh | June 25, 2008 6:36 PM

Funny, I was at a cook out for Obama volunteers here in Appleton, Wisconsin and I talked to a few paid organizers who are settling here for a few weeks. One young guy who had a lot of experience in the recent primaries was psyched because he was on his way to Alaska to help out with organizing there. That surprised me but then some of the comments here seem to explain that people are taking Alaska seriously..

Posted by Martyn | June 25, 2008 9:27 PM

Funny, I was at a cookout for Obama volunteers here in Appleton, Wisconsin and I talked to a few paid organizers who are settling here for a few weeks. One young guy who had a lot of experience in the recent primaries was psyched because he was on his way to Alaska to help out with organizing there. That surprised me but then some of the comments here seem to explain that people are taking Alaska seriously..

Posted by Martyn | June 25, 2008 9:30 PM

Why did they take the Missouri guy and move him to Montana?

Posted by Phoebe | June 26, 2008 1:28 AM