Obama Campaign Testing the Waters for an Ongoing Grassroots Movement [Updated]
BY Nancy Scola | Wednesday, November 19 2008
The Obama campaign, such as it still is, is asking supporters to help figure out where the enormous volunteer network built by the campaign should go next. And the questions they have hinge upon whether a grassroots organization is still viable with its namesake firmly ensconced in the White House.
A new survey hosted on MyBarackObama.com is asking supporters to "help shape this movement" -- possibly a suggestive choice of words when the decision has yet to be made over whether or not to keep the network the campaign built outside the political establishment.
The email announcing the feedback process came from campaign manager David Plouffe. "Your hard work built this movement," wrote Plouffe. "Now it's up to you to decide how we move forward." Early reporting suggested that some in the campaign, particularly deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand, are resisting the efforts of Democratic insiders to merge the network into the Democratic National Committee.
Campaign new media director Joe Rospars hasn't been named to the Obama-Biden transition team, raising the possibility that he might help oversee a grassroots organization outside White House and/or the DNC. The survey seems geared towards figuring out who, exactly, remains excited about the campaign -- and whether those supporters might be happy as part of the party establishment.
The survey asks supporters about their political self-identification -- from liberal/progressive to moderate to conservative -- and whether they reliably vote either Democratic or Republican, or fall somewhere in between. Supporters are asked whether the Obama campaign was their first time supporting a political candidate, and whether they worked for any other candidates during the primary season, be it Hillary Clinton or Ron Paul.
Cutting to the chase, the questionnaire asks the million-dollar question: "Would you like to continue to volunteer in your community as part of an Obama organization?"
The implication: that what the campaign built could stay alive as a grassroots organization, perhaps on the model of the Democracy for America organization that came out of Howard Dean's run, now operated by his brother Jim Dean.
(Alas, the obvious name for such a group, "Change for America," was snatched up by Joe Trippi back in 2004. That said, changeforamerica.com is now defunct, so perhaps Trippi would be willing to hand things over.)
For those supporters willing to be part of keeping the movement alive, the campaign wants guidance on which direction to go next. Thankfully, as this is confusing stuff being made up as things go along, they provide some options:
- Helping Barack's administration pass legislation through grassroots efforts.
- Helping elect state and local candidates who share the same vision for our country.
- Training volunteers in the organizing techniques we used to elect Barack.
- Working on local issues that impact our communities.
UPDATE: A correspondent who shall remain nameless writes to report that while some friends got the Plouffe email last night, he got a copy earlier today -- suggesting, perhaps, they're hitting their full list with the email and it's taking a while.
Thanks to Sarah Granger for the heads up.