PITTSBURGH–Lori Macklin returned my phone call from under a shady tree in the suburban area of Pittsburgh proper, as she took a break from canvassing for Barack Obama.

She was surprised and happy that I had called, she said. Macklin is from Seattle, like us.

The small operation she works for is in the north part of the city, and 12-15 people were out handing out “walk packets” with her today.

From her conversations on resident’s doorsteps, Macklin said she was disappointed by the level of apathy. She says most people are split equally among Obama and Hillary Clinton; the other 80 percent are so jaded by the campaign coverage that they dismiss her.

It’s a response she’s encountered before, having volunteered in Iowa and Washington’s Jefferson County.

“Pennsylvania is very similar to Iowa, only not freezing cold,” Macklin said. “I was volunteering in Butte and I see the same working class people, many of them white, in the suburbs here.”

The only thing voters are dismayed by is the national media, she said. Obama’s bitter comment is rehashed so often, she fears it’s turning away voters. Not because they disagree with the message, but because they’re tired of hearing about it.

When asked about her dream ticket, she answered without hesitation: Obama and the governor of Kansas.

“Any Democratic woman who can win in Kansas is a miracle candidate,” Macklin said.

“Of course Gregoire would be great too,” she said, referring to Washington state’s head.