Please read the whole diary before commenting.
No, I'm not really "against" Obama per se, but I am concerned about the future of Obama's army of organizers.
I don't know how many of you this happened to, but I'll bet it was a more than just me.
I got a phone call a few days after the election from somebody in the Obama campaign. They needed more information from me so I could be put into a database of "Super Volunteers"-- dedicated volunteers that spent more time than the average volunteer on the campaign, that, presumably, will be called on to organize for the re-election, or to help get Obama's agenda through Congress.
I just got an e-mail from David Plouffe to that end:
...
Between now and Barack's inauguration, we'll continue to collect your ideas and feedback.
After the inauguration, we should be able to announce a clear plan for the future of this movement -- a plan determined by you.
Thanks for being a part of this journey to bring about change in the years to come,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
But here's the thing- it's not really going to be determined by us. It's going to be influenced by us. Any organizing effort by Obama for America is always going to be pro-administration, for better or for worse.
At most, volunteer input will determine tactics, not the ends to be achieved, and at times, that may not be enough.
There's been some discussion today about the relative impotence of the blogosphere, and what we can do about it.
I've also gotten an earful from people on Democracy Now! about the dangers of Obama's volunteer network becoming a "tool of the state."
It was irritating at first, but after some recent events (that I'm not going to waste any time re-hashing), I think they have a very good point.
I believe I may have a solution.
The Obama administration definitely has plans to use these "Super Volunteers" to organize people around his agenda. This presents those of us on the left who happen to be on that list with a unique opportunity.
If a critical mass of Obama Super Volunteers can organize themselves, independent from Obama for America's infrastructure, we can use our status, and our organizing talent, as leverage.
A petition or an open letter with a few hundred thousand signatures is great, and it can definitely turn some heads. But what if it was an open letter or a petition signed by a few hundred people in Obama's Super Volunteers database? In this way, we can make it extremely uncomfortable for Obama to shift his priorities, backslide on his promises, or make concessions to the Republicans.
The loss of a large amount of organizing talent and energy is, I believe, a threat big enough to be highly effective, and by getting a group of people together whose names are on the list to be tapped for help in the years to come, we can make that threat real.
Obama has said repeatedly that he is going to need us to get his agenda passed, and Obama for America needs to know that the support of his Super Volunteers cannot be taken for granted.
I don't want to harp about any particular action taken recently. That's not what this diary is about. It's more about if the need arises.
If there's enough interest here, I'll get a listserv and a website together.
I want to close with this old gem from the primaries-
It's answers like the one Obama gave here that made me want to work for his campaign in the fist place. But if we truly believe in what he says, we have to act on it.
As long as Obama for America is the only entity organizing Obama's volunteer network, they hold most of its power. If we can break enough of it away from them, and truly organize in a bottom-up fashion, the power belongs to us.
Who's interested?