By Suzanne Charlé
This is the sixth in our series profiling women in key positions with the Obama campaign. Suzanne Charlé , a supporter in New York City - an independent writer and editor - has volunteered her time and talent to conduct the interviews.
Iowa State Director Jackie Norris is a highly respected figure in the state’s political universe – a universe that, because of the state’s early Presidential caucus, spreads its influence across the nation. Norris first came to Iowa in 1998 after seven years in Washington. She worked on Tom Vilsack’s first gubernatorial campaign, and Vilsack won – the first Democrat to do so in 30 years. The next year, Norris was tapped to serve as political director for Al Gore’s Iowa caucus campaign (she had worked for the vice president in D.C.), and chalked up another win. This year, Norris was the senior advisor on the Obama campaign’s breakthrough victory in the Iowa caucus.
How did you first get interested in politics?I grew up in New York, in Ossining just north of the Bronx. After college, my first job was working for Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. It was 1992, and it was my first experience in politics with a strong woman. In those days, there weren’t the number of women there are now in politics, and I learned a lot from her. To this day, my favorite story is how Representative Slaughter went to a budget meeting, led by men of course, and she started to talk about the lack of money devoted to women’s health care, even though money was budgeted for men’s health care. She proceeded to list what was needed: PAP smears, mammograms, on and on. The men squirmed – and they made a line for women’s health. Representative Slaughter went on to work with the Congressional Women’s Caucus to get more funding for women’s health care and other issues. How did you decide to move to Iowa?I had been working in D.C. for seven years: on Capitol Hill, then for Vice President Al Gore, scheduling events, and following that, at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I was 30 and everything was perfect. And then, one day, I woke up and realized I was tired of the transience in the city – I wanted to get my hands dirty, I wanted to work somewhere for someone running for the right reason. I looked over the field of candidates and came to Iowa to work as the finance director for Tom Vilsack in his campaign for governor. Along the way, I met my future husband, John Norris, who was chairman of the Democrat State Committee. I stayed. What is the campaign strategy here in Iowa? Does it differ from other states? Typically Iowa turn out is very high: At 76 percent, it’s one of the highest in the nation. But we’re not assuming a high turn out. We’re going after votes, precinct by precinct, voter by voter. There are two types of voters that we’re focusing on right now. Many Democrats like to vote early, by absentee ballot. We’re offering them rides.There are also the “persuadables.” We’re using databases that let us know where the undecided voters are, and we’re contacting them through the mail, through personal calls, and also robocalls.Surrogates are also a big part of the picture. Barack came in before the convention, to an event with undecided voters. I think that was very effective. As state director, what is an average day like?Typically, it starts at 6 a.m. – I run three to five miles around my neighborhood – it gives me time to think about the upcoming day. Back home, I get the kids ready for school.At 9 a.m. there’s a meeting, including all the staff in headquarters. I think it’s good for everyone to be involved, they learn the process by watching. Much of the day, I’m involved in talking with headquarters and meeting with people: members of the Democratic state caucus, field directors, activists who are upset about something, volunteers so that I can say “thank you.”There’s also an internal staff meeting, in which we plan what will happen the next day and the next week. Much of this revolves around the press. We have a press staff of six. The communications staff in Chicago discusses the day’s the national message. Locally, there will be press conferences, letters to the editors. One of the great things about the campaign is that it’s very dedicated to the use of new media – we’re learning to capitalize on the use of new media. How important are women in the campaign?Women are very important in the overall persuasion program. Over 60 percent of the “persuadables” are women. Local Women for Obama make the calls, they find out what issues impact women most. Throughout the state, there are many women-to-women conversations, over coffees and teas at houses, in diners, at campaign offices.The Women for Obama have frequent conference calls – one recent one was with Michelle Obama. Recently, the Women for Obama bought an ad in the paper in Ames, Iowa, and local women signed a statement, detailing their reasons for supporting Obama. It was a very public, very local show of support. How have others been involved?There are many ways. The Iowa Democratic Party is making great use of the Internet. They have a site called McCain vs. Iowa, that details ways McCain’s votes have hurt Iowa’s interests. [See: http://mccainvsiowa.com ] On the annual cross-state RAGBRAI bike tour, cyclists blogged for Obama and students made signs for Obama that mimic the old Burma Shave blue-and-white ads. [See: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/zachedwards/gGx7xz ] It’s all about knowing the geography, knowing the people, knowing the fit of messages with the state. How can people get involved?Over the next two weeks, there will be many house parties, with supporters inviting their neighbors – including those who are undecided.And of course, they can go into one of the 41 offices or contact on line at iowa.barackobama.com
How did you first get interested in politics?
I grew up in New York, in Ossining just north of the Bronx. After college, my first job was working for Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. It was 1992, and it was my first experience in politics with a strong woman. In those days, there weren’t the number of women there are now in politics, and I learned a lot from her. To this day, my favorite story is how Representative Slaughter went to a budget meeting, led by men of course, and she started to talk about the lack of money devoted to women’s health care, even though money was budgeted for men’s health care. She proceeded to list what was needed: PAP smears, mammograms, on and on. The men squirmed – and they made a line for women’s health. Representative Slaughter went on to work with the Congressional Women’s Caucus to get more funding for women’s health care and other issues.
How did you decide to move to Iowa?
I had been working in D.C. for seven years: on Capitol Hill, then for Vice President Al Gore, scheduling events, and following that, at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I was 30 and everything was perfect. And then, one day, I woke up and realized I was tired of the transience in the city – I wanted to get my hands dirty, I wanted to work somewhere for someone running for the right reason. I looked over the field of candidates and came to Iowa to work as the finance director for Tom Vilsack in his campaign for governor. Along the way, I met my future husband, John Norris, who was chairman of the Democrat State Committee. I stayed.
What is the campaign strategy here in Iowa? Does it differ from other states?
Typically Iowa turn out is very high: At 76 percent, it’s one of the highest in the nation. But we’re not assuming a high turn out. We’re going after votes, precinct by precinct, voter by voter.
There are two types of voters that we’re focusing on right now. Many Democrats like to vote early, by absentee ballot. We’re offering them rides.
There are also the “persuadables.” We’re using databases that let us know where the undecided voters are, and we’re contacting them through the mail, through personal calls, and also robocalls.
Surrogates are also a big part of the picture. Barack came in before the convention, to an event with undecided voters. I think that was very effective.
As state director, what is an average day like?
Typically, it starts at 6 a.m. – I run three to five miles around my neighborhood – it gives me time to think about the upcoming day. Back home, I get the kids ready for school.
At 9 a.m. there’s a meeting, including all the staff in headquarters. I think it’s good for everyone to be involved, they learn the process by watching.
Much of the day, I’m involved in talking with headquarters and meeting with people: members of the Democratic state caucus, field directors, activists who are upset about something, volunteers so that I can say “thank you.”
There’s also an internal staff meeting, in which we plan what will happen the next day and the next week. Much of this revolves around the press. We have a press staff of six. The communications staff in Chicago discusses the day’s the national message. Locally, there will be press conferences, letters to the editors. One of the great things about the campaign is that it’s very dedicated to the use of new media – we’re learning to capitalize on the use of new media.
How important are women in the campaign?
Women are very important in the overall persuasion program. Over 60 percent of the “persuadables” are women. Local Women for Obama make the calls, they find out what issues impact women most. Throughout the state, there are many women-to-women conversations, over coffees and teas at houses, in diners, at campaign offices.
The Women for Obama have frequent conference calls – one recent one was with Michelle Obama. Recently, the Women for Obama bought an ad in the paper in Ames, Iowa, and local women signed a statement, detailing their reasons for supporting Obama. It was a very public, very local show of support.
How have others been involved?
There are many ways. The Iowa Democratic Party is making great use of the Internet. They have a site called McCain vs. Iowa, that details ways McCain’s votes have hurt Iowa’s interests. [See: http://mccainvsiowa.com ]
On the annual cross-state RAGBRAI bike tour, cyclists blogged for Obama and students made signs for Obama that mimic the old Burma Shave blue-and-white ads. [See: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/zachedwards/gGx7xz ] It’s all about knowing the geography, knowing the people, knowing the fit of messages with the state.
How can people get involved?
Over the next two weeks, there will be many house parties, with supporters inviting their neighbors – including those who are undecided.
And of course, they can go into one of the 41 offices or contact on line at iowa.barackobama.com
Jackie with Sam at work.
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