Allen, Webb Camps Shift Focus to Turnout
2006-10-31
Source: Washington Post
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rss feedA group of 20-somethings who were huddled around four computers at Democrat James Webb's campaign headquarters in Clarendon yesterday think they hold the key to determining Virginia's next U.S. senator.
The volunteers are extracting data, crunching numbers and directing an estimated 15,000 Webb workers to their "get-out-the-vote" assignments between now and the Nov. 7 election.
"We got computer people who are totally geeked out to get things done," said Josh Chernila, Webb's grass-roots coordinator. "They can drill down by precinct, by age, by area, by congressional district. Whatever I say, the people here can do and direct people to where they need to be."
A few miles away at Allen headquarters near Shirlington, Allen supporters are just as confident their skills will translate into hundreds of thousands of votes for the Republican.
"We certainly know the drill and know what we need to do," said Juanita Balenger, Allen's Fairfax County coordinator, an Allen loyalist since his 1993 bid for governor. "I have certainly built our contacts over the years and know how to reach people through the phone and e-mail."
After weeks of expensive television ads and a fight over character, the close Virginia Senate race could hinge on which candidate does a better job getting his voters to the polls. Each side is amassing an army of supporters who will hit the streets and phone lines over the next week to persuade its supporters to show up Nov. 7.
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