Obama's Iowa Volunteers Come From All Over
DES MOINES, IOWA -- At a Barack Obama campaign call center in Des Moines, volunteers phoned supporters to make sure that they will caucus for their candidate.
"We need all the support we can get, this is a very tight race," one volunteer told a supporter, "If you have any questions if you need child care, if you need a ride, don't hesitate to call."
There was a diverse group of volunteers at the call center, some of who flew in from other states. They say that if Obama wins in Iowa, he will be more likely to win the nomination.
"It's a snowball effect," Aaron Luce said, "If Barack wins here, he has a better chance of winning in New Hampshire, and if he wins New Hampshire, he could win South Carolina." Luce is a student from Maryland and a volunteer for the Obama campaign at American University.
"If I just waited for him to come to Maryland, Hillary Clinton might come instead as the nominee," Luce said.
Nancy Koppelman from Southern California has volunteered in Iowa since December.
"As an American I understand how important the caucus system is," she said, "There's just no place in the world where we would rather be."
Koppelman said she's met people from New York and Virginia who are volunteering but that she has also met many Iowans. "There's a lot of grassroots support here."
Many students who live in neighboring states but attend school in Iowa are volunteering as well. Sarah Kramer, a student at Drake University, is from Wisconsin but said she understands the importance of the Iowa caucuses.
"No where else, besides New Hampshire and Iowa, no one else gets to know the candidates like they do," she said.