What happened to Organizing for America? Why is Obama not on TV like he used to be?

[craigmatic]

Is it just me or does it seem like all we're exposed to lately is continuous repub talking points and made up news stories with little to no message by the white house? Where are the administration surrogates? Why does it feel like the white house could care less about winning the message war?

[RandomThoughts]

1. yea, although the current MSNBC article on New Orleans is good to see on the news.

[applegrove]

2. Oh I think Obama and gang are getting their election strategy down pat. I look forward to it. In

fact I cannot wait for them to start running..... I hope they are keeping the powder dry...at least I think they are....okay now I'm afraid. LOL!

[Pirate Smile]

3. Organizing For America is working with the DNC & state parties in the election.

I was making calls with them just this week. I could have said I was with Organizing for America or the Iowa Democratic Party when I called people. I said the IA Dem Party because I was calling elderly voters about getting vote by mail request forms for November elections. I knew OFA would cause confusion.

They are out there working. This weekend is a big canvassing push.

edit to add - Plouffe is working for them now behind the scenes. The big push is to get the new '08 Obama voters to vote, along with people who don't normally vote in midterms.

I spoke to one elderly man who said he only votes in Presidential elections. This year he is getting his vote by mail request form sent to him so he can vote during a midterm election for the first time ever. :)

It actually makes you feel much better to get out there and actually do something.

[craigmatic]

5. If you had to compare this year to 2008 in terms of getting people interested would you say

things are better, worse, or just about the same?

[OhioBlue]

9. that would be an unfair comparison.

Getting people interested or finding volunteers is always easier in a Presidential election year. Compare this to '06 in Ohio and I would say that the ground game is better this year.

[craigmatic]

10. That's good to hear.

[Pirate Smile]

12. I agree. They have that huge system/database of 2008 voters to work from. They know

who voted for them 2 years ago. They know there is usually a HUGE drop off in who votes in off years. They are focused on getting more of their voters to vote in this midterm.

Will it work? We'll see. Nobody thought they would get all those people to go to caucuses either.

People should also remember that just this year we had a special election in Pennsylvania to fill Murtha's seat. A more conservative Democratic district prime for a Republican pick-up. Republicans guaranteed that they would win. The Democrat won easily - by 8% - because of our ground game. I don't want anyone to get complacent because we are facing HUGE headwinds but we have a good ground game.

Republicans thought they would win because their voters were so much more enthused but when election day came, Democrats got out and voted even if they weren't wearing bells as they did it.

We will lose seats and we really need to fight hard because this is an uphill battle but we can keep them from taking over control and that is the most important thing.

[nevergiveup]

7. Thanks for your commitment.

We all, including myself, need to stop our collective whining and get to work.

[DURHAM D]

4. Give him a break - he is on vacation.

The elected Democrats are big boys. They should be able to hold their seats without his help.

[craigmatic]

6. I hope you're right but we thought the samething in 94.

[DURHAM D]

8. Actually I forgot this -

:sarcasm:

Currently we have no national Democratic spokesperson.

We don't have a policy leader - except on the all important slaying of SS.



We have a broken mast and land is not in sight.

Please God - bring us a leader soon.

[pnorman]

16. "Please God - bring us a leader soon."

Be very careful of what you ask for!

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. OFA has events all the time

Are you on their email list?

They are having a big canvass this weekend.

[Nite Owl]

13. They are still organizing

we have a canvas here tomorrow for federal and some state candidates.

[NYC_SKP]

14. I heard from OFA just today, I got a text. Here it is:

It reads:

Organizing for America volunteers are knocking on doors the weekend to talk to voters about what's at stake this November.
Find an event:

http://j.mp/a-az.



:patriot:

[ThatPoetGuy]

15. I will never support OFA again.

Recently Colorado held its Democratic primaries. The choice was between Andrew Romanoff, a dyed-in-the-wool liberal with a proven record of leadership and the backing of a huge grassroots movement, and Michael Bennet, corporate shill extreme. Organizing For America sent me emails every day urging me to support Bennet in the primary. They called me a dozen times. I wrote to them, repeatedly, and asked them on the phone, repeatedly, to stop asking me to support Bennet. They didn't.

Bennet's billionaire friends and lobbyist allies swamped the teevee and radio with the most repugnant, cynical advertising I have ever heard. Worse than Bush vs. Kerry. Even with Bennet's fortune and his supervillain lobbyist piggybank and the millions of dollars of free infrastructure OFA provided, he barely eked out a win against the liberal crusader Romanoff, who mortgaged his home to support his progressive candidacy.

Romanoff was the candidate Obama once seemed to be: unflinchingly honest, liberal, grassroots, of the people. It's very telling that Obama's campaign machine went into full-on character assassination mode against that kind of man, in support of a corporate lobbyist puppet.

[truedelphi]

17. You are nailing it.

We keep getting screwed Big Time.

Jes' look at how The Big Players in the Senate had to help Reid find some Republicans to get the watered down Financial Reform Bill voted upon.

The "Leaders" did every single thing that they could to make sure that a strong, pro consumer, version of Financial Reform would not pass, even though doing this meant stabbing Progressive Dems in the back.

Matt Taibbi covers this all in recent Rolling Stone article. The articles are a terrific but tragic read.

The Two Parties in Collusion for the sake of the One Big Money Party is not a pretty tale.

But the Truth is necessary if we want to stop enslaving ourselves, our children and our chidlren's children to the Largest and most Blood Thirsty of the Corporations.

[paulk]

19. very well said

what OFA and Obama did in Colorado was a game changer for me - I've quit the Democratic Party (after 33 years) and registered as an independent because of it.

The main reason for being a party member, imo, is to have a voice in the primary process - and for the President (and the party) to intercede in the way they did is not something I can just let go as business as usual. Because it's not business as usual - it is way beyond normal for a President to become involved in a competitive primary. It's unprecedented, and if Obama feels that is the future norm for the party then he can do it without me.

Bennet is a corporate tool, period. He got the job because of his money and his connections. Twenty years ago - before the Republican Party went off the right wing rails, Bennet would have fit right in to the conservative mold. IMHO.

I can't stomach voting for him (or several other Democrats) and be a member of the party he represents. The only way I can pull the lever for him is with the understanding that he is the lesser of two bad choices and that I will be unaffiliated with his party.



--------------

[elleng]

18. He's BEEN on, been traveling, visiting businesses/states affected by stimulus.

Sounds like you've missed some of this 'news.'

[babylonsister]

20. Thank you so much for your concern. ((sarcasm))

It's just you. Pay attention! :spank: Our critters are on recess! Maybe all you're listening to are rethugs' talking points, or the m$m: all the same. Stuff is happening, get with the program!

Or maybe, you miss all the good stuff, like this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x499128
DNC Web Ad: GOP Tea Party: These People Could be in Charge

...or this...

"I continue to be amazed by how...the press treats the GOP's descent into ignorant madness"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x421903

...or maybe this...?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=422679&mesg_id=422679
Senate Democrats go negative early (and often)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x420052
White House fact checks Boehner