Unique times call for unique measures. At least that’s the message of Democrats who say they have developed a “hybrid model” for coordinating what’s expected to be a massive push in Colorado by Barack Obama with the state’s other key campaigns, including those for U.S. Senate and Congress.
While those federal campaigns are typically coordinated under a single umbrella, this year, there will be two parallel organizations that will be registering new voters and reaching out to existing ones. Obama will control one. A combination of national and state party leaders will control the other.
That may be significant, given the expected size of Obama’s operation here. The Democratic presidential candidate is expected to open offices in dozens of Colorado counties, sending a small army of volunteers into neighborhoods to register voters and drive home his message.
Steve Hildebrand, Obama’s deputy campaign director, said a primary reason for the split is that Obama has promised not to take money from PACs or lobbyists. Because the state party’s coordinating campaign has no such restriction, the two had to be kept separate.
But some Democrats say that model is likely to be wasteful. Sensitive to that criticism, Democratic officials emphasized Wednesday that the staff of both will talk on a regular basis, coordinating closely under the auspices of the state party.
“Part of the reason it’s hard to describe this is that in the past, we weren’t a target state at all,” said Colorado Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak.
“What we’re trying to do is craft something that is very integrated, yet appeals to all the different constituencies we have,” she said.
In the end, political experts say this may be another way Obama is breaking traditional political models.
Obama’s campaign expects to raise as much as $300 million for the general election, and this structure will give it more control over its field effort and message.
