DFA Raised $8.2 million for change in 2012 and can be a model for the new Obama organization

[ellisonz]

Seeking to harness Obama's campaign resources for a second term
An ambitious new political organization is being built out of the machine that propelled him back into office, with the hope of supporting his policy objectives.
By Matea Gold, Los Angeles Times

January 17, 2013, 5:36 p.m.

WASHINGTON — As he launches his second term, President Obama may get help from an ambitious new political organization being built out of his reelection campaign, a group that could reshape how future presidents harness supporters to press their White House agendas.

Run by former Obama campaign officials, the advocacy group will seek to leverage the campaign's sophisticated organizing tools and rich voter database to support the president's policy objectives, including raising the debt ceiling, gun control and immigration reform.

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In 2004, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean turned his failed presidential campaign into a permanent organization. The political action committee, Democracy for America, raised $8.2 million in the 2012 cycle, and supports liberal candidates and trains activists.

Democracy for America chairman Jim Dean, the former governor's brother, applauded the Obama campaign's effort to transform itself into a long-term presence, though he noted that "it's very difficult to keep up the momentum and enthusiasm" after a successful campaign.

More: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-campaign-20130118,0,7844873.story?page=1

8 years later DFA is still relevant and still plugging away at creating a wave of progressive organizers and office holders. DFA supported Obama when he ran for Senate both with money and manpower. If the Obama team wants to see how it can produce winning results it should look to DFA - we will take this country back from local city councils to the halls of Washington. The best way this new Obama group can support Obama's policy objectives is by sending good Democrats to Congress election cycle after election cycle after election cycle!

[JDPriestly]

1. DFA and Obama's idea are just going to be great for America.

They will inspire and enable activists to join the Obama administration and future Democratic candidates' to work toward good government and progressive ideas. Progressive ideas will not become reality overnight, but they will become real.

I remember when homosexuals were not acknowledged. I remember Jim Crow. I remember visiting a very backward shoe store (in the South, perhaps an anomaly?) that did not allow African-Americans to try on shoes. (I was young. Did I just imagine it? I don't think so.)

And then women's issues. We girls went to college "just in case" we didn't find husbands or our husbands abandoned us or, heaven forbid and hope that he had insurance, our husbands died. Now, look at what young women are accomplishing.

We girls had to choose: nursing, education or secretarial. Those were pretty much the professions open to lower middle class and poor women. Now ---- compared to that time and in spite of the bad economy, wonderful, diverse opportunities exist for women in the workplace. Women in law school -- at least 40% of the classes. That is an amazing change from the numbers in the 1960s.

We have further to go.

And I think the new idea that Obama has and the ideas that Dean had about how to organize for change should give us great hope. We all need to contribute our ideas, our dreams and our efforts. We won't get everything we might suggest or dream of, but if we work together, we can make the world better.

[ellisonz]

6. This is an excellent post.

This country has come a long way - but every time it has moved forward it was not because of some politician in Washington doing something legislatively, it was because *the people demanded* that such an action would take place. Throughout our history every single time the politicians have told the people that something could not be done, it has ended up happening anyway because as you note, "our ideas, our dreams and our efforts" will "if we work together...make the world better."

I am younger than you, but even I can see not even being of the age of 30, that within my lifetime, the good hopes of many people have come true

[Chathamization]

2. My local DFA

has been doing a lot of great stuff. It's great to have a progressive organization that you can plug into and start working on national and local progressive issues. Hopefully OFA will continue in this tradition. There's a lot of opportunity for growth out there.

[ellisonz]

3. Awesome.

Have you by any chance had the opportunity to attend a training academy? If you ever get a chance to jump at it. You will learn so much.

If we want a progressive revolution we need candidates, but we also need to train people to mobilize their communities.

If you don't mind sharing - which chapter are you referring to?

And a belated Welcome to DU!

[Chathamization]

4. The DC Chapter

It's pretty active in the local political scene as well as national pushes. I've only been working with them for about a year (I was out of the country before that), and I haven't made it to any trainings yet, but I'll be sure to try to make it to one before too long.

You're absolutely right about needing to get people to organize their communities. One thing I've noticed is that people often get distracted by high level national political horse races and miss a lot of what's happening in the community around them. There's probably a lot we can do locally that we can't do right now on a national level (single-payer, infrastructure, gay marriage, marijuana legalization, etc.), and it also provides the political infrastructure for higher level pushes.

Which chapter have you been working with?

[ellisonz]

5. Nice. Good to see someone on here who's active!

I know the North Chicago chapter is rocking too. I was pretty active in the Honolulu Chapter from like 2007-2008 and before that with the Pasadena, CA chapter 2004-2005. Sadly, I too have moved from Honolulu back to LA and it's just so spread out. There's not really an active chapter in my immediate area and gas is expensive and public transportation slow.

My area is so solid blue it's not even funny - I live in Maxine Waters district.