This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah Democrats found a nice distraction Tuesday during the Republican National Convention: they held a grand opening for the new Salt Lake City campaign headquarters for President Barack Obama at 175 W. 200 South.
"We didn't really plan it for during the convention. We just picked a day when everyone could do it," said Jackie Morgan, a 16-year-old volunteer from Salt Lake City whom the campaign chose to be spokeswoman for the event.
"We made 3,000 calls through our phone banks to invite people, and used FaceBook, Twitter, email and even chalk on the sidewalk," she said. "We're trying to sign up as many volunteers here as possible to help us," and used homemade treats and pizza as a draw.
Another volunteer, Maureen Haley, of Salt Lake City, said, "It's certain that Utah will be going red this election. But it's nice to feel the spirit here in working with others who support President Obama. And we're focusing a lot of our efforts on helping in Colorado," a nearby battleground state.
"But we haven't given up totally on Utah," said volunteer James Williams of Centerville. "We have 10 phone banks calling people in Utah, and are working on voter registration. It's a long-term project to turn Utah blue."
Lee Davidson