Word: nugen
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Ever the mellow guy, there is only one point where Nugen tenses up during our conversation and that's when I ask about news reports saying the Clintons planned to raise money at the convention to help pay off her debt. "I'm not going to get into details of those conversations," Nugen says...
...Nugen has experience working on conventions, serving as deputy chief operating officer for the 2000 convention in Los Angeles and lending a hand in Boston in 2004 from his perch as deputy national field director at the DNC, a post he assumed after working on Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman's failed bid. Nugen rose through the ranks at the DNC, ultimately becoming director of the chairman's office. He turned down a job helping to run the convention from the DNC side to work for the Obama campaign...
...Nugen also has spent years working with the actual delegates - not just 852 superdelegates but those obscure folks who are elected to represent their districts at the convention. "One of the things is having been on the Obama staff during the primaries doing politics he knows who needs what, who needs to be stroked more, who needs little extra care there," says Jamal Simmons, a strategist who managed regional press for Al Gore in 2000 and met Nugen at that year's convention. "He knows that all delegates are equal but some delegates are more equal than others...
Those delegates are all arriving now and the show is on the road. The man behind the curtain isn't too worried. "You can't plan for every option or any problem that might come up," Nugen says. "But we have a really crack team, a very talented team with years of convention experience. They've left no detail unturned...
...guests Nugen is excited about seeing are his parents, who will make their first visit to a convention ever. Such a hectic life hasn't left a lot of time for a personal life. To Nugen, a good time is grabbing a beer after a later night at work with colleagues. He hopes to take a vacation in November and, maybe, find a girlfriend. Still, he's hoping to yet again defer that business degree and work in the next administration if Obama wins. In the meantime, he plans on returning to Chicago once the convention is over, though...