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On the campaign trail

Kenny Thompson ’03 has dream gig of working on the presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

On the campaign trail

Kenny Thompson ’03 has dream gig of working on the presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

Kenny Thompson ’03 has been racking up the frequent flier miles this year, logging so much time on the road that he doesn’t even have a home address.

But he doesn’t mind. “This is exactly what I wanted to do all my life,” he said. “I just never knew it would come so early in my career. It’s been an incredible experience.”

The political science major’s dream gig is working on a presidential campaign — that of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Thompson, is one of the 40 or so members of the Illinois Senator’s advance team, charged with coordinating the candidate’s appearances and managing the logistics at various campaign stops with law enforcement including the Secret Service, area supporters and the media.

“My job is to make sure that when the senator arrives, everything goes smoothly,” he said.
Since joining the Obama campaign in July 2007, Thompson’s duties have also included managing the crowds drawn to his stump speeches and even selecting warm-up songs set up on his MacBook such as U2’s “City of Blinding Lights” and Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”

At TCU, the Austin native played centerfield for the Horned Frogs baseball team and majored in political science. After graduating, he was accepted to the Emily’s List Campaign Corps program, which specifically helps pro-choice, Democratic women running for office, and in 2004 was sent to Florida to help Betty Castor’s run for the U.S. Senate as a regional field director.

The following year he returned to his hometown to work for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, he was named policy director for Austin City Council Member Sheryl Cole, but couldn’t resist the lure of joining a presidential campaign when the primaries rolled around.

“A national campaign like this is everything a person interested in politics lives for,” he said. “It’s a great time no matter what your politics are.”

He said his favorite part of the job is watching people’s reactions when they meet Sen. Obama. He said the job has also given him renewed appreciation for the time and effort put in by political representatives.

“Democrat or Republican, public servants are doing the best job they can do,” he said. “They are sacrificing themselves to help others.”

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