Yesterday, President-elect Obama made the unprecedented decision to announce the formation of a new media network that will be called Organizing for America, and according to Peter Wallsten, writing for the Los Angeles Times; Mr. Obama has determined the time is right for such a media framework to be assembled in order to ensure "what you built can't stop now." Mr. Wallsten called the network, Obama's "first public steps toward transforming his massive grass-roots political machinery into an unprecedented national network to help pass his policy agenda."
According to Mr. Wallsten's reporting: "Obama said Organizing for America, the new network, would be used as a tool to press for policies on major issues, including the healthcare system, the Iraq war and the development of new energy sources. He also said the effort would be housed in a distinctly partisan place: the Democratic National Committee.
The creation, use and expansion of the organization over time will create a tremendous tool for Obama that Mr. Wallsten explains: "... will be well-positioned to be used as a vehicle for his reelection campaign, to bolster the campaigns of Obama-friendly Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, and to pressure those in his party who do not agree with him."
Reflecting on his innovative achievement; Obama provided only sketchy details to over 13 million backers during a YouTube and email presentation in which he stated: "The movement you've built is too important to stop growing now," and while aides remarked that answers to many issues remain as yet to be determined; it is clear that intended media capabilities of Organizing for America provides Obama with the advanced, technical means to continue "to mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers" that originally worked to elect Obama to the presidency.
Mr. Wallsten adds his thoughts that: "Some former Obama campaign officials had hoped that the network would be kept separate from the Democratic National Committee to avoid alienating supporters who were inspired by Obama but did not consider themselves Democrats."
Mr. Wallsten paraphrases "sources familiar with the planning say Organizing for America will employ a full-time staff of hundreds of professional organizers -- possibly an average of between one and two workers per congressional district in certain politically important states. One source said that Obama aides have discussed an annual budget of $75 million -- an unprecedented standing political army that will await orders from a president."
One possible downside to Organizing for America according to Mr. Wallsten is that: "The network also has the potential to cause tension within the Democratic Party, because Obama is expected to mobilize the organization to target Democratic lawmakers in Republican-leaning districts who might hesitate to vote for his agenda when it comes to universal healthcare, for example, or imposing limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
Mr. Wallsten also reports that: "Some state-level party strategists have expressed worry about donors being asked to contribute to a new network that would be focused on Obama's needs. They fear the group would overshadow the party's traditional job of getting local officials elected, including Democrats who may not always agree with the president but can appeal to a more conservative district."
Democratic National Committee Chairman designate Tim Kaine, current governor of the state of Virginia added his voice to Obama's remarks regarding the formation of Organizing for America, by explaining, as reported by Mr. Wallsten that the new media network will: "work at two levels to bolster the new president: supporting candidates sympathetic to his agenda and pressing to get that agenda passed." Governor Kaine went on to say: "We can succeed only if we build grass-roots support for the administration's agenda,.. As the DNC works to elect candidates who will support the change agenda, we will also invest in bottom-up efforts that ensure that the priorities of everyday Americans are heard in Washington."
In related news: Already under a great deal of stress caused by it's electoral defeats in 2006 and 2008, the Republican National Party remains without a chairman, a vision for the future, viable policy alternatives to provide clear differences with the Democratic agenda; a well-defined strategy for battling the new Democratic president and Democratic Congressional majority finds itself at an even greater disadvantage with Obama's several tens of millions of dollars, well-funded direct link to millions of grass-root supporters. Maybe, just maybe, things are beginning to turn around in America and our nation will emerge from it's eight year nightmare caused by the Bush administration and witness the initiation of real, productive change that will lead us out of the current economic recession; raise the public's' general mood that better times will soon arrive; strengthen the economy and bring about greater opportunity and success to lift the lower and middle classes of America to a new era of economic stability and successes.
