news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Sen. Barack Obama's new downtown Greensboro headquarters looks like a coffee shop more than a war room.

A dozen or so young people sit by the windows at 318 S. Elm St., laptops propped on tables in front of them and foam cups in hand.

The small, hand-lettered "Obama Headquarters" sign in the window is the giveaway that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's general election operation is under way in Greensboro.

With help from the community already engaged, Obama's campaign is registering voters and signing up volunteers.

Deborah Compton-Holt, who recently organized a voter registration drive at Greensboro's Juneteenth celebration, said she intends to volunteer at the new headquarters.

"I plan on being a part of the whole thing," Compton-Holt said, adding that a foot injury prevented her from attending Sunday's headquarters debut.

The small staff left its temporary meeting spot at Elm Street's Cheesecakes by Alex and reopened Sunday across the street.

Brent Woodcox, communications director for the N.C. Republican Party, said the state GOP and Sen. John McCain's campaign will open "victory offices" across the state soon.

"In the next couple of weeks, we'll be unveiling a statewide victory plan," Woodcox said. "We're not ready just yet."

Obama's launch virtually coincided with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's announcement of a voter registration bus tour of the South to promote the Democrats' candidate.

The tour, which begins Thursday in Texas, will include three stops in North Carolina.

Kerra Bolton, communications director for the state Democratic Party, said times and locations of Dean's planned July 25 visits to Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte will be announced soon.

Obama has said he can reverse the South's Republican voting trend in presidential elections and that North Carolina is one red state he'll win in November.

The state was among 18 chosen for Obama's first general election television ad. The same battleground states will show a newly released leadership ad.

The state Republican Party fired back Tuesday with a news release downplaying the tour's impact and declaring Dean and Obama out of touch with Southern voters.

"It doesn't surprise me that Barack Obama would send Howard Dean to the South to do his bidding," said state GOP Chairwoman Linda Daves, according to the release. "Dean might want to be careful though.

"There is a distinct possibility that in rural North Carolina he may run into those bitter voters who cling to their guns and religion, the ones Barack Obama has talked about in the past."

Contact Emily Stephenson at 373-7080 or emily.stephenson@news-record.com