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On the Obama trail: Caffeine and long days for Obama organizer Matt Ratner
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BY: ELLEN SCHUR BROWN Editor, Family Section
“I had completely given up drinking soda before I started working on this campaign,” laments Matt Ratner, 23, drinking a very large Starbucks.
“Oh, this is a latte,” he offers, as if that were a defense.
Ratner has been living on lots of caffeine and adrenaline for the past few months, working as an organizer for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. It’s a paid position, although not well paid, he qualifies.
The Shaker Heights High School alumnus says he’s always been attuned to politics. He graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 and planned on doing humanitarian work in Argentina. After a few months of working first in Colorado, he and his parents, Deborah and Ronald Ratner, met Obama at a fundraiser in Cleveland. They all “walked out slack-jawed,” and he called the candidate’s Illinois office the next day to say, “Sign me up.” Ratner then worked as an unpaid volunteer for several months.
Days were long and frustrating and cold, he admits, as he knocked on doors, campaigning in Iowa.
People invited him in to chat, told him they wanted to help the campaign. Some admitted that their parents would “roll over in their graves” to know they were supporting a Democrat. Others said they just couldn’t vote for an African-American. And a few slammed doors in his face.
“It’s hand-to-hand, and every person (you meet) makes a difference.” Quoting the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, Ratner says, “All politics is local. It’s true.”
Overall, the young organizer was impressed by Iowa voters and how knowledgeable they were politically. “Barack Obama gave a speech in a barn, and you’d assume he’d get questions about ethanol. Someone asked about Burmese dissidents.”
Conference calls were scheduled at 11:30 at night.
“You end up eating late, often something resembling garbage. A lot of people put on a ton of weight,” comments Ratner, although he sports a fit, athletic build. One week, thoughtful supporters brought in home-cooked food and rolls for the Obama staff.
“There’s not a lot of matzah ball soup in Iowa,” he says wryly.
Working on the Illinois campaign in Chicago, Ratner recruited lawyers, judges and deans of law schools to support Obama or to assist in fundraising or to aid the campaign’s voter protection strategy.
With the campaign now in Ohio, a typical day might involve looking for office space in Lakewood, talking with elected officials about potential endorsements, or distributing lawn signs. (A huge shipment of signs comes in this week!)
Other days, he ferries people to and from Cleveland Hopkins airport: actor Don Cheadle; Tony Lake, Bill Clinton’s national security adviser; and Dick Durbin, senator from Illinois and majority whip.
Besides caffeine and junk food, the other occupational hazard of this job is the near constant BlackBerry-checking, says Ratner.
People call because they want a yard sign or they want the senator to read a book. “People assume we play gin together every night,” he jokes.
Not quite. Ratner might see Obama at several events in a row or not at all for weeks.
“He is the most genuine person I’ve ever met, in or out of politics,” says Ratner. “I’m not delusional enough to think that I’m going to win Ohio single-handedly, but I’m definitely part of something here.”
“Sen. Clinton has youth support, too,” Ratner adds graciously.
With the Ohio primary coming up March 4, Ratner hopes other young people will join one of the campaigns, whether it’s Obama’s, Hillary Clinton’s or John McCain’s. “The eyes of the nation are turning to Ohio, and there’s a role for us to play. The young Jewish population should be engaged.
“I don’t entirely buy that my generation is apathetic,” he continues. “We just direct our energies toward Darfur,” or, he adds, “Argentina.”
For the first time, he observes his friends want to talk about politics. College students don’t like the direction the country is going, and they want to do something about it.
“It isn’t out of our hands. The world can be as we want it to be,” he says, “and the best way is to show up at the polls.”
ebrown@cjn.org
“Oh, this is a latte,” he offers, as if that were a defense.
Ratner has been living on lots of caffeine and adrenaline for the past few months, working as an organizer for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. It’s a paid position, although not well paid, he qualifies.
The Shaker Heights High School alumnus says he’s always been attuned to politics. He graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 and planned on doing humanitarian work in Argentina. After a few months of working first in Colorado, he and his parents, Deborah and Ronald Ratner, met Obama at a fundraiser in Cleveland. They all “walked out slack-jawed,” and he called the candidate’s Illinois office the next day to say, “Sign me up.” Ratner then worked as an unpaid volunteer for several months.
Days were long and frustrating and cold, he admits, as he knocked on doors, campaigning in Iowa.
People invited him in to chat, told him they wanted to help the campaign. Some admitted that their parents would “roll over in their graves” to know they were supporting a Democrat. Others said they just couldn’t vote for an African-American. And a few slammed doors in his face.
“It’s hand-to-hand, and every person (you meet) makes a difference.” Quoting the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, Ratner says, “All politics is local. It’s true.”
Overall, the young organizer was impressed by Iowa voters and how knowledgeable they were politically. “Barack Obama gave a speech in a barn, and you’d assume he’d get questions about ethanol. Someone asked about Burmese dissidents.”
Conference calls were scheduled at 11:30 at night.
“You end up eating late, often something resembling garbage. A lot of people put on a ton of weight,” comments Ratner, although he sports a fit, athletic build. One week, thoughtful supporters brought in home-cooked food and rolls for the Obama staff.
“There’s not a lot of matzah ball soup in Iowa,” he says wryly.
Working on the Illinois campaign in Chicago, Ratner recruited lawyers, judges and deans of law schools to support Obama or to assist in fundraising or to aid the campaign’s voter protection strategy.
With the campaign now in Ohio, a typical day might involve looking for office space in Lakewood, talking with elected officials about potential endorsements, or distributing lawn signs. (A huge shipment of signs comes in this week!)
Other days, he ferries people to and from Cleveland Hopkins airport: actor Don Cheadle; Tony Lake, Bill Clinton’s national security adviser; and Dick Durbin, senator from Illinois and majority whip.
Besides caffeine and junk food, the other occupational hazard of this job is the near constant BlackBerry-checking, says Ratner.
People call because they want a yard sign or they want the senator to read a book. “People assume we play gin together every night,” he jokes.
Not quite. Ratner might see Obama at several events in a row or not at all for weeks.
“He is the most genuine person I’ve ever met, in or out of politics,” says Ratner. “I’m not delusional enough to think that I’m going to win Ohio single-handedly, but I’m definitely part of something here.”
“Sen. Clinton has youth support, too,” Ratner adds graciously.
With the Ohio primary coming up March 4, Ratner hopes other young people will join one of the campaigns, whether it’s Obama’s, Hillary Clinton’s or John McCain’s. “The eyes of the nation are turning to Ohio, and there’s a role for us to play. The young Jewish population should be engaged.
“I don’t entirely buy that my generation is apathetic,” he continues. “We just direct our energies toward Darfur,” or, he adds, “Argentina.”
For the first time, he observes his friends want to talk about politics. College students don’t like the direction the country is going, and they want to do something about it.
“It isn’t out of our hands. The world can be as we want it to be,” he says, “and the best way is to show up at the polls.”
ebrown@cjn.org
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