TAKING ACTION
one comment Creighton sometimes hears
that provides evidence that Corvallis has not
completely shed its conservative tag. Some
drivers shout, “Go back to Eugene!”
CANVASSING THE OVERPASSES
Three weeks later, a dozen Dean support-
ers from Corvallis are huddled along the
Albany overpass waving campaign signs at
southbound traffic. This is an idea they had
discussed at the Nov. 5 meetup. Dean groups
throughout the state coordinated an “I-5 vis-
ibility day” in the hours before the Civil War
game. The groups decided to canvas the
overpasses from Portland to Ashland with
campaign signs and supporters. It seemed
like a great idea from the cozy confines of
the Tunnison Community Center. That was
before anyone knew Nov. 22 would be one of
the most frigid days of the year.
Nonetheless, drivers headed southbound
toward Eugene are greeted by a red, white
and blue banner reading “Dean Not
Deception” when they pass through Albany.
Bob Hughes and Sandy Bryce had the sign
printed just for the occasion, and are among
the first to show up on the overpass. Swartley
and others follow in parkas and knit caps,
sporting Dean signs and jugs of coffee and
chai. They are greeted by a mixed response
from passers-by that comes in three common
gestures; the thumbs up, thumbs down and
middle finger.
As John Wolcott grips a sign that reads
“the doctor is in” between his gloved hands,
he remarks that the effort might not be such
a statement if it were a sunny afternoon, but
standing on a narrow sidewalk 30 feet above
the highway in freezing temperatures “says
something.” Wolcott is on to something.
Hanging out on overpasses guzzling chai tea
and being flipped off by motorists, organiz-
ing statewide events over the Internet with-
out the help of a central campaign, organiz-
ing bus trips to Iowa to canvas the streets in
support of their candidate — this doesn’t
seem like a typical presidential campaign.
Perhaps it’s because the people here don’t
seem like typical volunteers. There are those
who have never campaigned before, some
who are former Republicans, and the head of
the Oregon State College Libertarians, to
name a few. Interesting characters like
Swartley are the norm in this campaign. If
these meetup groups weren’t lead by a band
of determined, independent individuals, they
wouldn’t work.
Each meetup begins with a pre-taped
message from the candidate. While few in
the room have heard him speak live, Dean’s
no-nonsense style is largely what has per-
suaded his backers in Corvallis to donate
their time to helping the campaign. The
direct style is not unlike many of those in the
local effort, who pepper each meeting with a
healthy dose of debate about the direction of
the local campaign. Swartley sums it up well.
“Dean delivers a common sense message,”
he says, “and he’s talking to people who are
really sick of all the B.S.”
ew
Anthony Roberts is a graduate student in the
professional masters program at the UO
School of Journalism and Communication.
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DECEMBER 11, 2003 13