How Jim Green Raised $7.8 Million for Obama in One Night

California finance director for the Democratic National Committee is "all in."

Jim Green, 32. California finance director for Democratic National Committee. Shot on location in the Mission by Keeney + Law.

Jim Green is not your average Barack Obama fanatic. However laudatory his words about the presidential candidate, they belie a dedication that goes beyond the celebrity Obama has garnered. As the California financial director for the Democratic National Committee, Green straddles the line between the two largest powerhouses in the liberal world right now: the DNC and Obama himself. But he's also someone who would be pushing just as hard for Hillary Clinton if she were the nominee. "I felt she was a great candidate and would make a fantastic president," he says. "The fact is McCain votes with Bush 90 percent of the time and we simply can't afford another four years of Bush policies."

Green was the brains behind the operation that raised a staggering $7.8 million in one three-hour evening at SF's Fairmont hotel last August. "It was a lot of work, but it wasn't a lot of sales," he says. "And the reason for that is Obama. He's elicited a reaction from so many different people that they were almost calling me [to make donations] rather than me reaching out to them."

An Oakland native (and cradle-to-grave A's fan), Green fell in love with the winner-takes-all process of campaigning while working for Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), and, after a stint in Washington DC, eventually headed back to the Bay Area to work on John Kerry's campaign.

Though he admits politics can be a "risk-averse" field, as Howard Dean likes to put it, Green says the Bay Area is an exception to the rule. "I love San Francisco because people aren't afraid to try new things. Some of the best ideas come from San Francisco and the greater Bay Area; there is no fear of failure or fear of putting yourself out there. People just go for it."

What has been your favorite "Obama moment" so far? From an inspirational standpoint, hands-down was being witness to his acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver. I remember feeling so proud and honored to be a part of his campaign. On a personal level, when I saw him in San Francisco last August, I told him I thought I could take him in a game of basketball. He responded by saying, in so many words, that my chances of winning were not high ... The game hasn't happened yet, but if it does, I think I'll be able to take him.

Striped button-down shirt ($175) at Bloomingdale's, 415-856-5300. Jacket, tie and pocket scarf, stylist's own. Pin, model's own.

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