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BY LARRY GRARD
Staff Writer 06/05/2008

Staff Writer

As the trickle of superdelegates put Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over the top, Kelley Smith shared in the excitement, switching from one cable news network to the next.

"Everyone's very excited that we've come to this point," Smith said Wednesday from his parents' home in Massachusetts.

"We've come a long way to help get him to this point where he has the opportunity to change things. We were 20 points down."

Smith, a 2007 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington and an Obama campaign worker, was referring to national polls that had Obama trailing Hillary Clinton, prior to Obama's big win in the Iowa caucus.

"I was really proud to be part of what has become a movement in a lot of ways," Smith said. "It's not just about Obama."

Since those early days of the campaign, Smith has driven his parents' Subaru Forester some 60,000 miles on the campaign swing. He has visited South Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Maine.

When not on the road, he has maintained a campaign office in Manchester, N.H.

Smith said he believes Democrats will unite for the general-election campaign against John McCain.

"I have no worries that we'll be there," he said. "The long campaign was good. Every state has had an opportunity to see both candidates, to lift up the hood and kick the tires a little bit, as the senator would say."

As a paid junior staffer, Smith rarely gets to speak with Obama. He will staff the Manchester office for the next few weeks and hope to hook up with the general-election campaign.

"The resume is not the thing," he said. "It was the guy who I wanted to work for."

Smith said he relished seeing new people and places along the campaign. He drove, for the most part, alone. The longest trip was a 23-hour junket to Kentucky.

"But when you're doing it for the right reason, it makes it all worthwhile," he said.

In the Maine caucuses, Obama won 15 delegates to Clinton's 9. Smith helped organize Obama's delegates during the state convention. As such, he helped county captains choose the delegates who will represent Obama in the Aug. 25-28 national convention, in Denver.

"It was good to be back in Maine," Smith said. "I was doing field work, making sure all of our people know what to do."

The city of Waterville followed Maine's lead. More than 700 city Democrats showed up to caucus on a snowy Feb. 10.

Henry Beck, vice chairman of the Waterville City Democratic Committee, publicly caucused for Clinton, who won in his Ward 2 North End neighborhood.

Beck said Wednesday it's now clear that Obama will be the nominee, but it also is important to allow Clinton time to collect herself following the grueling campaign.

"In a couple of days, it's not going to matter if she suspended her campaign (Tuesday) night or in the next couple of days," said Beck, a Colby College senior. "I expect Sen. Obama to be the nominee and support him fully, and believe the party can unite behind him."

Beck downplayed the fact that race and gender were such issues in the protracted primary.

"The Democratic party is a big family and families have disagreements," he said. "We have to put those disagreements aside. Senator Obama has a true ability and desire to bring people together. He was a community organizer and he came from humble beginnings."

Larry Grard -- 861- 9239

lgrard@centralmaine.com

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