President Obama will not be getting the quiet retirement he deserves. Instead, he’s going to have to fight to preserve his legacy and battle—with the rest of us—for the country’s future. He and some former aides are getting ready for that fight. First up: reviving and revamping Organizing for Action.
Though OFA has been mostly quiet over the last two months and made no formal announcements, its Chicago headquarters has been filling up with new hires, including several old campaign aides, who are planning to focus on the mechanics of campaigns, from running Obama-style persuasion programs, integrating data and running paid canvassing operations. Though the first goal is designing the program for what they’ll aim to make hundreds of workshops nationwide, there’s already talk moving toward endorsing candidates.
OFA has been something of a disappointment during Obama’s presidency, but if they could bring more of the Obama campaign style to fighting Trump, that could be powerful.
One of the big questions is whether and how Obama himself would be publicly involved in the fight against Donald Trump’s ugly policies. It would be a departure from normal for a president to publicly criticize his successor—but the Trump regime will already be so far from normal that Obama has to consider it.
… Obama has identified a few issues that would draw him out directly: a Muslim ban, though he still considers the chances of that remote, or moves that would cut back on the protections he put in place for the children, known as “dreamers,” who were brought to the country illegally as minors and who’ve been living here since.
“If he deports thousands of kids,” Obama has said several times in private meetings of late, according to people present, “I don’t know that I can sit on the sidelines.”
Also potentially on the list: a move by Trump to unravel the Iran deal or the Paris climate accord, or the shape of an Obamacare repeal and replacement.
Things that will kill people, ruin lives, harm America’s standing in the world—these will drag Obama off the sidelines. And, sadly, it’s not a short list.