By MIKE CAPUTO
Obama was not scheduled to appear that afternoon, and organizers said a surprise visit was highly unlikely because the candidate was prepping for the debate that would take place later that evening.
That did not discourage attendees, especially Obama supporters like Beverly Freeman Costello, a Lakeview resident who was attending her first political rally.
“Maybe he will show up tonight,” Costello said as she watched organizers make final preparations on stage shortly before the rally began at 3 p.m. “Even if he doesn’t show up, I feel that I am in the vicinity of his presence.”
Costello and the rest of the audience was entertained by an afternoon of free musical performances and inspirational speeches to boost support for the Democratic candidate for president.
But a major theme of the afternoon was to become or remain involved with the campaign, even more so as Election Day approaches.
Mark Cronin, an event coordinator, said plans for Obama’s Long Island campaign began before the primaries with eight people meeting around a dining room table. Since New York is not considered to be a swing state, Cronin said, Long Island campaigners also help to spread the word to voters in other states.
Cronin, grassroots coordinator for Long Island for Obama, smiled as he looked at a booth of volunteers encouraging supporters to make phone calls to undecided voters in swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
“This is a true grassroots campaign,” Cronin said. “Those are the people who really grew the campaign.”
Cronin noted that volunteers help in a variety of ways, and don’t necessarily have to place phone calls to make an impact. For example, Cronin organizes car pools each weekend for volunteers to travel to swing states and rally up support for their candidate.
Kate Waters, a Huntington resident and longtime campaign volunteer for the Democrats, signed up attendees for the phone bank. Using their cell phones and a script as a guide, volunteers were asked to make 10 phone calls to undecided voters in the swing states.
Waters, who routinely participates in phone banks, said the first call is usually the hardest one to make, but volunteers have a detailed guide to refer to during the conversation. She said one of her favorite parts of phone banking is listening to the person on the other end of the conversation.
“Every individual has a story to tell,” Waters said.
Moments later, one phone banker announced that within three calls to Ohio, three undecided voters had said they would support Obama and even offered to volunteer within their own communities.
Suffolk County Leg. Jon Cooper, an Obama campaign leader, and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi both split time as hosts of the rally. They introduced a spirited group of guest speakers, including a slate of local elected officials, union leaders, and musicians who vouched their support for Obama. Notable classic rock musicians David Crosby and Graham Nash closed out the evening’s festivities.
Bob Young, a Merrick community leader and local campaign coordinator, emphasized that recent voter registration figures have shown that Democratic support on Long Island is the highest in recent memory.
Young, who began planning for the rally during the summer months, did not appear surprised at the large turnout.
“We felt if we built it, people would come,” he said.
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