Grassroots Oregon

In a Eugene church parking lot, Kento Azegami gave advice to three first-time canvassers as part of a nationwide grassroots campaign.

As the Portland State Democrats퀨͌�?? President, Azegami and the other three were among 30 College Democrats who met in Eugene over the weekend to gain votes for the increasingly close Oregon gubernatorial race.

Azegami said it is difficult to retain volunteers, especially this late in the election season.

퀨͌�?����People are pretty tapped out,퀨͌�?? Azegami said. To avoid this happening to him, Azegami said he lives on what he calls 퀨͌�?����the three M퀨͌�??s퀨͌�??: McDonalds, Menthols, and Mochas.

After a brief training session, carloads of College Democrats were sent out to various areas of Eugene with a map and a target list of about 50 houses to visit.

Azegami, who trains canvassers routinely, made sure to speak with his group of virgin canvassers in more detail than had been done at the Democratic office. After running through his advice and asking if there were any questions, Azegami let them go. 퀨͌�?����The first door is always the hardest,퀨͌�?? he said.

The meeting of the College Democrats, which drew representatives from the University of Oregon, Lewis and Clark Law School and Portland State, showcased a College Democrats of America national canvassing campaign called 퀨͌�?����Campaign Invasion,퀨͌�?? aimed at aiding Democratic candidates in wavering states.

The event in Eugene was held to push non-voters and newly registered Democrats toward reelecting Governor Ted Kulongoski and Eugene-based State Senator Vicki Walker.

Held at the Headquarters for the Democratic Party of Lane County, Oregon was one of five states that held 퀨͌�?����campaign invasions퀨͌�?? this weekend. Eugene was specifically selected because of the neck-and-neck race between Kulongoski and Republican challenger Ron Saxton. The latest polls show Kulongoski with a marginal lead over Saxton.

Less than half of the Democrats present had ever gone door to door canvassing before.

College Republicans were also organized in Eugene Saturday to campaign for Walker퀨͌�??s opponent for the district seven Senate seat, Jim Torrey.

In a speech given right before canvassing began, Democratic Party of Lane County Chair Valerie Hoyle told the group of College Democrats her idea of their mission.

퀨͌�?����As Democrats we need to fight hard, we need to fight fair, and we need to fight back,퀨͌�?? Hoyle said.

Azegami said that Democrats must use grassroots tactics in order to compete because he believes Republican candidates rely on big money campaigns and expensive television ads. He said the most effective way to get people to vote is to approach them.

퀨͌�?����You are doing some of the most important work that can be done,퀨͌�?? Azegami said. 퀨͌�?����This is how Democrats win elections.퀨͌�??

Azegami said people are pretty receptive when he goes to their door and that he always goes with a strict set of rules. If he sees a dog, he does not go to the door, and if he thinks someone is likely to get upset, he will leave.

He said negative and violent reactions are rare, but bothersome for many.

퀨͌�?����When they do go off on you, it퀨͌�??s so affecting. That퀨͌�??s what you remember,퀨͌�?? Azegami said. 퀨͌�?����You just have to put it behind you.퀨͌�??

Azegami said he canvasses about three times a week. On top of school and two jobs – his role as president of the PSU Democrats and at the return desk at Target – he said he is so busy he practically lives out of his car.

He said he will not slow down before the election. 퀨͌�?����It퀨͌�??s a sign of how bad you want it,퀨͌�?? he said.

Although they only went to registered Democrats퀨͌�?? doors Saturday and Sunday, the Democratic National Committee, chaired by Howard Dean, outlined a 퀨͌�?����50-state strategy퀨͌�?? for the 2006 election. The Democratic Party퀨͌�??s goal is to take the Democratic message not only to recognized Democratic areas, but also to notoriously Republican areas.

Azegami said the strategy is not likely to work for this election, but is a long-term plan. He said the benefits of the strategy will be felt five or 10 years down the line, but not necessarily in the next three weeks.

Azegami was the only PSU student at the event, which consisted mostly of University of Oregon Democrats. The Oregon Federation of College Democrats executive board consists almost entirely of University of Oregon students, including President Ben Lenet.

Previous Vice President Amanda Crawford, the sole Portland State representative on the board, recently left her position.

Azegami said it does not worry him that Portland State does not have a representative on the board. He said the number of University of Oregon students makes sense considering Eugene퀨͌�??s centralized location.