Barbara Carroll, 73, is working on a political campaign for the first time. During her round of about 50 phone calls seeking support of Sen. Barack Obama, she only had two people who said they wouldn't support the Democratic presidential hopeful.

"I was very surprised," she said Sunday from Obama's downtown Charleston headquarters. "I think he's the best man. I was leaning toward Hillary [Clinton]. But once I met him, I changed my mind."

Obama will make his first visit to West Virginia today since March 20, speaking at the Civic Center at 12:15 p.m.

On Sunday, a line stretched down the sidewalk outside of Obama's headquarters well before the 9 a.m. start of ticket giveaways, Obama staffers said. By 1 p.m., the tickets were all gone.

Still, the office was buzzing Sunday afternoon. Volunteers and staffers were manning the phones, gathering leaflets and organizing a canvass. Wet Obama fliers were stuck on car windshields outside the headquarters.

"Oh. The rain makes it very hard to canvass," Obama spokeswoman Adora Andy said as she looked out the door of the office at the pouring rain. Still, volunteers would still be out, she said.

"People are really excited," she said. "We have had a steady line of folks come here all day."

When people arrive to get their tickets to the Obama event at the Civic Center, they were also asked to volunteer, she said. "We make sure to put them to work," she said with a smile.

Andy admitted that Obama has a fight ahead of him in the West Virginia primary. The Clintons, including Hillary, Bill and daughter Chelsea, spent last week all over the state.

Barbara Carroll, 73, is working on a political campaign for the first time. During her round of about 50 phone calls seeking support of Sen. Barack Obama, she only had two people who said they wouldn't support the Democratic presidential hopeful.

"I was very surprised," she said Sunday from Obama's downtown Charleston headquarters. "I think he's the best man. I was leaning toward Hillary [Clinton]. But once I met him, I changed my mind."

Obama will make his first visit to West Virginia today since March 20, speaking at the Civic Center at 12:15 p.m.

On Sunday, a line stretched down the sidewalk outside of Obama's headquarters well before the 9 a.m. start of ticket giveaways, Obama staffers said. By 1 p.m., the tickets were all gone.

Still, the office was buzzing Sunday afternoon. Volunteers and staffers were manning the phones, gathering leaflets and organizing a canvass. Wet Obama fliers were stuck on car windshields outside the headquarters.

"Oh. The rain makes it very hard to canvass," Obama spokeswoman Adora Andy said as she looked out the door of the office at the pouring rain. Still, volunteers would still be out, she said.

"People are really excited," she said. "We have had a steady line of folks come here all day."

When people arrive to get their tickets to the Obama event at the Civic Center, they were also asked to volunteer, she said. "We make sure to put them to work," she said with a smile.

Andy admitted that Obama has a fight ahead of him in the West Virginia primary. The Clintons, including Hillary, Bill and daughter Chelsea, spent last week all over the state.

"We have an uphill climb," she said. "People still remember Bill Clinton. We are definitely the underdogs."

On Sunday, John and Jennifer Davis and their two children, Aidan, 8, and Sarah, 5, came into Obama's headquarters looking for tickets to today's [Monday] event.

The election process has generated a lot of questions from his children, John Davis said.

"My 8-year-old son asked me when he could vote," John Davis said. "And, then he asked about the difference between a primary and general elections. He was worried about Obama. We assured him that he [Obama] would be the nominee."

The family left Obama's headquarters with two yard signs, T-shirts and stickers.

Sarah Davis had a sticker displayed on the middle of her T-shirt. Aidan, put his sticker on the leg of his pants.

"I have five more," Sarah said, holding up the extra stickers. "And, we are going to put these [yard signs] in the dirt with the flowers."

To contact staff writer Sarah K. Winn, use e-mail or call 348-5156.