If you were a campaign’s field director and learned that 18,000 people eager to vote for the first time were gathering in one spot, you’d probably show up with at least a few clipboard-wielding volunteers to register them, right? Yet John McCain’s supporters were nowhere to be found Friday morning as the first of three naturalization ceremonies was underway at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Maybe they decided to leave it to county registrar employees who registered people as they sat and waited for their row to be dismissed after the ceremony. Or perhaps they asked themselves “why bother?” after reading the latest Rasmussen poll showing Barack Obama holds a more than comfortable 28 point lead in the state. Since more than half of the new citizens are Latino, and Obama has a 2-to-1 edge over McCain among Latinos, maybe it just wasn’t worth their time. Or maybe McCain supporters, who swear California is in play, hit the snooze button at 9:00a.m. but made it downtown for the 1:00p.m. and 4:30p.m. ceremonies.

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