Obama relentlessly pursues Iowan

Wooing of influential Democrat reveals tenacity

Endorsements of presidential candidates are often meant to: provide Hollywood glamor, as in Barbra Streisand's support of Hillary Clinton; initiate buzz, as in Oprah's embrace of Barack Obama or endow the candidate with a macho patina, as in Chuck Norris' endorsement of Republican contender Mike Huckabee.

But when endorsements come from politicians or party activists, the intention often is to gather other politicos into a candidate's fold. Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack's imprimatur on Clinton's candidacy, for instance, was meant in part to engage his supporters to flock to her side.

But Vilsack's promotion of Clinton's candidacy wasn't persuasive enough to bring Gordon and Monica Fischer on board, even though Monica, a consultant to nonprofits, had worked in Vilsack's administration. They ended up supporting Barack Obama, who pulled out all the stops to woo them: he badly wanted Gordon's Rolodex.

Gordon, a 42-year-old employment lawyer, was the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party from 2002 to 2004. He knows a lot of people around Des Moines and from across the state.

Besides that, Gordon is a breezy, jocose man, maybe not a party guy, but one who enjoys a dinner with reporters and loves political banter.

When Obama discovered what Gordon could bring to the table, he became relentless in his pursuit of the Fischers' endorsement. And Obama can be relentless. Terry McAuliffe, who chairs Clinton's campaign, once told Time Magazine that Obama "works the phones like a dog ... No matter who I call, he has already called them three or four times."

Obama also recruited a close friend of Gordon's, a young lawyer named Lola Velasquez, to snare him. "She has always been an Obama fan," Gordon said. "The Obama camp knew that and sicced her on me."

When Gordon was at work one day, Velasquez put up photos of Obama around Gordon and Monica's house. One photo was the cover of GQ magazine featuring Obama, and Velasquez wrote on it: "You look terrific, have you signed a support card yet?" There were Obama photos on the mirrors and inside closets.

The Obama campaign also encouraged former Illinois Sen. Paul Simon's son-in-law to phone Gordon. "One of my political heroes was Paul Simon," Gordon said.

And so a blitz began. Obama supporters who knew the Fischers phoned; Obama invited the Fischers out to dinner two or three times; Obama adviser David Axelrod talked to the Fischers. Gordon, who has been writing a political blog for three years, was invited on one of the bus trips Obama took through Iowa. It became harder and harder to choose.

"There was pressure from all sides," Gordon allows, from those like Vilsack who are on Clinton's train, to others who support former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Edwards himself phoned five or six times. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut requested an interview, and Gordon went to several of his events as he did with Clinton. But "ultimately, I liked Barack the best. ... I could have supported any of the six candidates without reservation. They are all good, but I felt drawn to Sen. Obama. I think he is the most electable, that he will bring in young people and Republicans to the party."

Over the past few weeks, as the Iowa caucuses draw near, Gordon put his law work on hold to work full time on the Obama campaign, manning the telephones in the Des Moines headquarters, going door-to-door, pressuring his friends who are still undecided. He is working seven days a week.

This also means speaking as a surrogate for Obama at breakfast events; doing a video for Obama's Web site on how to caucus, giving pro-Obama interviews to the press. "Politics is brutal," Gordon says. "You win or you lose. But I really believe Obama can win.

"And Iowa will have a huge slingshot effect so that the candidates who do well here will determine the race for the states to come."

When you see all the White Sox paraphernalia in Gordon's office, you realize he and Obama, also a White Sox fan, were on the same side before they ever met.

White Sox fans are very serious about their game.