Organizing for Action struggles to move the needle on Obama’s agenda

[alp227]

President Obama’s supporters are discovering that winning a national election is easier than winning over Congress.

Organizing for Action, an advocacy group born from the remnants of Obama’s victorious 2012 reelection campaign, has struggled in its attempts to help the president push through legislation on the economy, guns and other issues central to his second-term agenda.

The fledgling nonprofit group has spent its first four months staging rallies and generating local news coverage in an unsuccessful effort to get the Senate to strengthen background checks for gun sales.

It deployed technological efforts familiar from the 2012 campaign, collecting 1.4 million signatures on a gun-control petition delivered to Capitol Hill last week and producing a widely viewed Internet video mocking congressional Republicans for questioning humans’ contribution to climate change.

The group also raised $4.9 million through March and is awaiting an influx of cash from liberal donors connected to George Soros’s Democracy Alliance to expand its staff beyond the few dozen now on its payroll.

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/organizing-for-action-struggles-to-move-the-needle-on-obamas-agenda/2013/05/11/4e1557c8-b8bc-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_singlePage.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Which policies? Cutting earned benefits? Blowing the doors open to more free trade?

Free unlimited cash for banks? Warrantless wiretapping, and ending habeas corpus?

Maybe they should endorse different policies.

[cantbeserious]

3. Well Said - Thank You

eom

[msongs]

2. their problem is obvious nt

[Sunlei]

4. to wide a focus. If the entire group could focus on one narrow issue.

Focus on one republican at a time, instead of the entire corrupt gang of them.

[okaawhatever]

5. Well the neo cons have been trying to knock support out for Obama and the dem party in

general. In this case the neocon rag did it's job well. For those who don't know who the paper supports politically, remember they ran a full page, front page ad for Capital One. I'm wondering what the motivation for the article is. There's not much information, no real story. And, i'm wondering the motives of some who post here.

[Cha]

6. Shit yeah, since they're dealing with the Koch tea/sandbaggers.

[davidpdx]

7. Organizing for America, its predecessor seem to have a bit more pull

At least in terms of health care. Neither has lived up to the expectations of being a political force of change.

[bocephus0706]

8. Organizing for Action is doing good work

We are focusing on Immigration, and the gunviolence prevention issues. We are now stepping into the climate change. Never doubt us, and never assume that we cannot get this done. We are still the same dedicated supporters and grass roots organizers that accomplished 2012...period.
Organizing for America was a political election campaign organisation. WE are an issue focused group. We organize in our states, at the local level, in support of local candidates as well as in support of legislative agendas coming out of DC.....
The fact that we have been able to garner press and are rebuilding our grassroots teams, speaks volumes. So not so hasty dear people.....
Besides that, speaking as somebody that will want to collect Social Security and Medicare....I think fairly adjusting annual COLA increases to be in line with what folks actually consume, as well as means testing for wealthy elderly people to see whether they need Medicare or not is absolutely acceptable.
I am a Democrat, and I will always be a Democrat, but I also want to be able to collect Social Security and Medicare after paying into the system for 40 years. Sorry, but this is reality.
And most of all - I much rather a democrat makes adjustments to the social programs than a Paul Ryan or any other republican. Because then we will really be SOL.
It would serve all of you best to support OFA and what we are trying to accomplish, and think.....before spouting