Jan. 23, 2000

Volunteers accelerate pace
in final stretch of caucus campaigning

By Madelaine Jerousek
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University

DES MOINES, Iowa--At campaign headquarters around the city Sunday afternoon, the scene was the same.

The campaigning in the Iowa caucuses became frenzied over the weekend, as volunteers made last-minute phone calls and distributed final batches of campaign literature.

At Texas Gov. George W. Bush's Clive headquarters, phones rang incessantly, as volunteers scurried from table to table. Piles of leaflets proclaiming "Bush 2000" were stacked near the door. TV crews set up equipment in a back corner. In another corner, a group of volunteers in matching navy Bush T-shirts met together before hitting the streets to distribute packets of campaign material.

"We can barely keep up with all these phone calls," said Amanda Dean, one of a 50-person delegation that arrived from Texas last week.

"Every person counts," said Bush campaign spokesman Eric Woolson. "The things we're doing in these last few days are the most crucial."

Except for the signs reading "Iowa Stands With Al Gore," the scene at Vice President Al Gore's headquarters was the same. Phones seemed to ring at every corner of the Ingersoll storefront, and media from around the country stood watch.

Hundreds of volunteers were on hand to answer the constantly ringing phones, make last-minute calls to caucus-goers, distribute campaign material door-to-door and stuff envelopes. Some looked like they were too young to vote, while others had probably been voting for dozens of years.

Laura Thompson, a 46-year-old Gore volunteer from Des Moines, said she couldn't think of any better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. "This is so much fun for me," she said. "I love the fast-paced atmosphere. Everyone's working together for a great cause."

Volunteers fielded phone calls from media from around the world.

"About 80 percent of the calls we get are from media," said Gore spokesman Jud Lounsbury. "The rest are from people with questions about volunteering or caucusing."

Despite the hectic activities, there was an air of excitement at both campaign headquarters.

"The atmosphere here is just really positive," Dean said. "Everyone's excited to be part of this."