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Supporters Rally at New Obama Campaign Headquarters
Hub City now one of thousands of home bases popping up across the U.S. in support of senator’s presidential bid

By Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin Staff Writer

COMPTON – “I knew he’d be the one.”

That’s what Emily Hart Holifield has to say of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and his presumed clenching of next month’s Democratic Party nomination for the November presidential election.

“I’ve been involved with him ever since he announced his candidacy, but he’s actually been on my mind since I heard him speak at the Democratic National Convention,” said Hart Holifield Saturday, July 19 at the grand opening of the Obama ’08 campaign headquarters on Compton Boulevard.

Throughout the afternoon, a stream of Obama supporters, media representatives and curious residents visited the new office located at 1100 W. Compton Blvd. Volunteer workers passed out election info, collected donations and distributed lawn signs as well as registered individuals to vote.

On hand for a portion of the day was Obama staffer Robert Cole, who stressed the need for grassroots volunteerism in order to get out the vote.

“Right now, a lot of people are asking, ‘What can we do?’,” said Cole. “Right now, we have a big need for voter registration. There are a lot of people in California who are not registered to vote because they’ve moved or their last name changed.”

Hart Holifield, the precinct captain, said she earlier that day registered a 64-year-old who had never been registered before. He expressed to her that this was the first time he felt his vote was important, Hart Holifield said.

A volunteer from the Torrance headquarters, Hope, said she recently registered an 87-year-old woman who also had never been registered or cared to vote.

Both pointed to Obama’s historical bid for the presidency and his message of progressive change as being a catalyst for bringing those who don’t usually vote out of the woodwork.

“Fourty-eight years ago, people died just so people can vote,” said Cole, the state director for African-American Outreach for Obama’s campaign, hitting the message home. “People marched so that people can vote. People went to jail just so that people can vote.”

Shana McClendon, 23, of Los Angeles said she learned of the Compton event on the Obama Website and attended because she needed to reregister to vote and is interested in volunteering.

“Everybody is talking about hope, but I think it’s about action,” said the 23-year-old who recently graduated from USC with a degree in kinesiology.

She’s throwing her support behind Obama for a number of reasons, but mostly because she believes he has the power to heal a severely divided nation.

“He has the power to bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans,” she said. “He knows that you have to work with the other side.”