Secret weapon? Obama taps campaign network

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The 2012 election is over now -- President Obama fights congress in a showdown over the coming fiscal cliff.

The president is using his extensive campaign network to push his agenda.

Let's talk about it -- -- DA -- the editor of campaigns and elections magazines so all of the names that Obama for America the campaign arm.

Generated.

All of those people are getting information about the fiscal cliff.

-- so one thing that happened after 2008 John was that an Obama for America when it sort of morphed into organizing for America.

And into the DNC after the illegal action.

It played very little role in pushing the president's first term legislative agenda.

-- if they didn't really engage supporters after 2008.

And a lot of folks on the left and and some in the White House I think thought that was a mistake looking back upon itself.

But what we see right now is an immediate change after the -- to a point twelve election -- facing gauging supporters continuing to do -- and clearly fighting this fiscal -- battle in the White House.

Wants to use that vast supporter base and -- email list.

I ought to pressure congress.

That even -- the -- the president had in the east room of the White House last week where he.

Invited people to stand behind him and they are all people who you know and they stand to see their taxes go up maybe 2000 dollars or show.

If we go over the fiscal cliff that's the kind of thing we're talking about he is soliciting the administration is soliciting.

Email testimonials from ordinary America.

Right in the gives a feeling that if going back to 2000 Dayton and some of the early legislative battles.

If this supporter base was engaged back then if the president essentially continued his campaign.

-- political campaign legislatively.

That some things would have been a lot different there -- a lot of folks on the left to think that.

Some of the priorities for the president and and and liberal activists would have actually come to fruition.

Thought if but in the present in the White House had utilized to stay in this way so that's the hope now it act like this is a campaign in some ways and indeed to this vast database of voters use this email list.

And ultimately when it comes time pressure congress with this email -- the same way they did right in the run up to the health -- vote which -- quite frankly to have an effect.

But clearly members of congress aren't too happy with all of this I mean Mitch McConnell the minority leader in the senate senate stood in the well of the senate last week and said you know Mr.

President you won the campaign congratulations.

But they don't seem to like this ongoing campaign attack mentality that's coming out of the Obama administration.

Yet there's no doubt and I think Republican leaders leaders in congress are not gonna like that I think at this point if they don't wanna see continuation of the campaign.

They would like to see the president in the White House and an negotiator should sit down.

And work outs on the day the road bumps here I'd say it's four.

The fiscal cliff.

And they don't see campaign rallies or you know campaign maneuvers as a way to do that that being -- I think the White House is set out its course here.

I think you're gonna see something a lot different in these fiscal clock negotiations.

From the White House then you saw in say -- -- the government shut down negotiations a year ago.

You're gonna see a much more campaigning much more can't paint like President Obama in the next month.

Well I you know what and -- some sort of even partially on neutral observers are saying that you know the Obama campaign won in part because they did -- much better job.

Of harnessing the power of social media in this election and driving.

Their voters to the polls if that succeeded for -- in the election can they do it when it comes to governing can make.

Can they make -- country you know and -- embrace tax increases for instance.

They get it's it's -- huge question I think there are folks who.

Who think that it can work the same way there are a lot of others who really question whether or not those sorts of tactics and and you know they build the -- -- and voter contacts that know what they built that work in -- campaign context -- do they work when we're talking about you know sausage making up on Capitol Hill and an end in governing.

So there's some doubts there but I don't think there's any doubt that the White House is sort of chosen this course and we're gonna see sort of -- Continuation of this campaign from -- from President Obama and some at some times it's gonna look like we're still running the point twelve can't.

I haven't no no tweets showing the actual pictures of the sausage being made clearly that's that's not gonna happen.

-- be April campaigns and elections magazine thank you thank you got.

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Secret weapon? Obama taps campaign network

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