There is something seriously wrong at OFA - Organizing for Action, President Obama's "grass-roots" support organization. The warning sign that all is not well is that Jim Messina is still co-chair of the organization. I didn't know that until I got this fundraising email on New Year's day. Who would have thought he would still be involved with OFA or progressive causes, after going to work for the right-wing Tories in the UK, a group that fits in nicely with today's Republican Party in the US.
More below the fold . . .
This email arrived from OFA on New Year's day. Typical fundraiser, but I was shocked to see who it was signed by:
I had assumed Jim Messina was no longer involved in Obama-land or Democratic politics after signing a contract to advise David Cameron and the Tories on their 2015 UK election. He might as well be working for Mitch McConnell and the new Senate Republicans.
And he's been doing this while the Democratic Party took one of its worst drubbings in the fall elections. Anyone know if he played a role here while helping right wingers across the pond? He took 15K in January of 2014 from the DNC as a consultant. While I haven't researched beyond that, it does bear looking at.
So is this a big deal? Or am I being overwrought? Wasn't Messina one of the wizards behind Obama's 2012 re-election and his first election in 2008? Should we be grateful or pissed? The Guardian said this about him: "He is a revered figure in US political circles and was once described by the White House communications director as "the most powerful person in Washington you've never heard of". (If you read the article you'll also see some early evidence that he is willing to compromise his stand on issues in order to win).
Well, for me, working for Tories is a deal-breaker. And if Jim Messina is still a part of OFA, then I want nothing to do with it. I'm sick and tired of left leaning consultants and politicians who pretend to do one thing and quietly sell out our side behind our backs. Which is what Messina is now doing by advising the Tories, something he's been doing -- apparently with enthusiasm -- since August of 2014.
For those not up on British politics, here's the Tory record since 2010. They have slashed the social welfare system, moved UK health care closer to privatization and transferred large amounts of wealth to the upper class through their tax policy, further increasing inequality. The pay-off? A slew of low-paying jobs from an economy built on casino banking and another housing bubble. The austerity that drove all this and was supposed to balance the budget has instead increased the UK deficit. Cameron's right hand man -- Chancellor George Osborne -- has promised to increase the pain for the poor if the Tories win in May. The BBC has said spending cuts would take the government back to the size it was in the 1930s. Paul Krugman has repeatedly pointed out the failings of Tory economic policy, and compared them unfavorably to Obama's record in the US. So what is up with Messina? And what does it mean for OFA and for the Democratic Party?
Are we are about to get a lot of Obama operatives cashing in and selling out our side in the process? It happened before with some of the Clintonistas.
Jim Messina's website for his new consulting company, The Messina Group is worth pondering. Here's what he offers his clients.
At the core of The Messina Group is the belief that the best solutions are based on the best data. The foundation of The Messina Group’s data analytic strategies lie in the 2012 Presidential election which will forever be known as the breakthrough of “big data” in American politics. It was the Obama for America campaign that employed cutting-edge data collection strategies and analytic approaches to most effectively mobilize and manage its resources. Applying the techniques from this historical campaign, The Messina Group works with organizations to target and increase their potential customers, supporters, or voters.
And this:
Understanding of the legislative and political process is an invaluable asset that can give any organization a strategic advantage to achieving their goals.
And this:
Every organization requires effective communication strategies to promote a product, service, or issue. With decades of experience, The Messina Group is well-versed in effective dissemination strategies to reach audiences at the highest and most efficient level of targeting.
Notice what's missing? There is absolutely nothing about political goals, social equality, or creating a better society. Not a damned thing about what he thinks might improve life on this planet. It's all about data driven thinking to promote "a product, service, or issue". Presumably a service available only to very high bidders. Wonder who will take advantage of this amazing expertise?
By the way, big data didn't seem to help the Democrats in 2014. I kept hoping all the hype about the Democratic edge in data expertise would pull our side's bacon out of the fire at the end of the day. Boy did I hope in vain. Seems you also need a political and economic argument to win, something our side never bothered with. Perhaps with friends like Jim Messina, your enemy isn't your biggest problem.
