Barack Obama: Taking Hispanics for Granted [Updated]

    One of the stories of the 2012 election was the power of the changing demographics in the United States and how the Obama campaign's understanding and exploitation of those changes helped propel the president into a second term. The growing Hispanic population was said to play a large role in his triumph at the big dance. If that is the case, the Hispanic community might be wondering if the president lost its phone number after the big day in November.

    Despite the continued activity of the BarackObama.com website after the election (home of the Obama for America campaign, now becoming Organizing for Action), the Latinos for Obama page and the Spanish language version of the BarackObama.com website seem frozen in time.  Here is the last blog entry for Latinos for Obama, November 5, 2012:

    The Spanish language version of the website at least kept up the relationship for a couple more days, November 7, 2012:

    Things are a little better over at the Spanish language version of the WhiteHouse.gov website, but not much.  Despite a very active English language blog, the most recent "El Blog" entry is December 21, 2012:

    The White House does provide some press releases and briefing materials in Spanish, but it's just a fraction of the full output of the White House press office.  There were seven English language press documents on January 29th alone, but only two were released in Spanish. Not coincidentally, those two were both related to the president's new immigration initiatives.  Though some of the general interest press releases (taxes, inauguration speech) are available in Spanish, more often translations are related to immigration, Mexico, and Hispanic cabinet members.

    A cynic might suggest the Obama campaign and administration not only engaged in stereotyping Hispanics, but also after being rewarded with 71% of the Hispanic vote in November, dropped them like an old girlfriend. But who knows?  Now that another special occasion has arrived (the immigration debate), the president will be looking for a date, and the Hispanic community's phone just might start ringing again.


UPDATE: There have been no tweets from the Latinos for Obama Twitter account since December 3rd, and only 10 since election day.  Prior to the election, there were dozens of tweets each week.

Note to Democrats: Let It Go...

    Almost three months after Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney, the online store of the Democratic National Committee website is still selling this:

    Of course, this might explain things. At the bottom of the store pages, this note appears:

    In contrast, a different note appears at the bottom of most of the pages on the DNC website:

    If the president still has some bills to pay from the last election, I guess it's only right that Mitt Romney helps to pay his fair share.

Obama for America/Organizing for Action Raising Funds on Sandy Hook Massacre Again [Updated]

    Last night I noted that the town of Newtown, CT had posted a list of funds, more than fifty, set up in memory of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Today, Vice President Biden sent out an email via Obama for America (or Organizing for Action, as it is apparently slowly morphing into) that calls for support for President Obama's gun violence legislation.  In the email, Vice President Biden invokes the Newtown tragedy:

Right now, President Obama is counting on you.
Each one of us needs to speak up and demand action. It doesn't matter whether you live in a big city or a small town like Newtown, Connecticut. When our fellow Americans are victims of senseless violence, we all pull together as one American family.
Let's get this done, folks.
Whether the action we take saves one life or 1,000, it matters.
Thank you,
Joe

    And then this appears:

    However, this button takes readers not to any of the Newtown memorial funds, but rather to the Obama for America donations page for "general election debt retirement."

    The last time I noted the Obama campaign raising funds from the Newtown tragedy, some protested that the email link simply took readers to the BarackObama.com blog where the donation buttons were simply part of the blog structure.  Such an excuse will not work here.  The button is right in the email. As I noted back in December, the "Never let a crisis go to waste" mentality still rules the day with the president and his team.

UPDATE:  I just received another email, this one from Jim Messina, Obama for America's campaign manager and the Organizing for Action national chairman. He doubles down on Vice President Biden's appeal to contact Congress, even including the full text of Biden's email from this morning, with the "Donate" button intact. Messina, using the targeted nature of OFA's email database, listed the names and phone numbers of my senators and my representative to make it easier to contact them, as well as a link for a page to "report back" on how the conversation went.

Organizing for Action Already Bending IRS Rules

    As Obama for America, the reelection campaign organization of Barack Obama, morphs into Organizing for Action, many questions arise about the structure of the organization, its relationship to the president, and what his continuing relationship with OFA will be. The questions are not just coming from Republicans and other foes of the president, but as Buzzfeed reported recently, from Democrats as well. At least one of those questions was answered even before the crowd that had gathered to witness Barack Obama's second inauguration dispersed. The following email was sent to members of the BarackObama.com online community on Monday afternoon:

    Assuming that Organizing for Action doesn't just send out emails on anyone's behalf, the president exercised whatever authority he has in the new organization to deliver this message to perhaps millions of Americans. The link in the email is to a sign-up page for the new organization where users may entering an email address, after which the ubiquitous OFA Donations page appears.  And despite the fact that the email above says "paid for by Organizing for Action," the disclaimer at the bottom of the donations page says "Contributions or gifts to Obama Victory Fund 2012 are not tax deductible.

Contributions or gifts to Obama Victory Fund 2012 are not tax deductible. The first $2,500 from a contributor to Obama Victory Fund 2012 will be allocated to Obama for America, designated for general election debt retirement."  Therefore, Organizing for Action is in effect soliciting donations on behalf of the president's reelection campaign.

    This raises another question. Is it appropriate for the President of the United States to be soliciting donations for an organization that, as the Buzzfeed article says, does not have to reveal any of its donors and exists for the express purpose of promoting the president's agenda? Or is it actually the new 501(c)(4) that is soliciting donations on behalf of the president's campaign? The IRS rules for 501(c)(4) organizations state:

The promotion of social welfare does not include direct or indirect participation or intervention in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. However, a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization may engage in some political activities, so long as that is not its primary activity. However, any expenditure it makes for political activities may be subject to tax under section 527(f). 

    The email from the president represents not just a worrisome symbiosis between a sitting president's administration and a quasi-political tax exempt organization, but also a violation of, if not the letter, at least the spirit of the law prohibiting "direct or indirect participation ... in political campaigns on behalf of ... any candidate for public office," since the solicitation of funds is for the "Obama Victory Fund."

    Organizing for Action has inherited not only Obama for America's initials (OFA), but apparently the iconic Obama "O" symbol, much of OFA's staff, its website (BarackObama.com), its mailing lists and fund raising apparatus. The coming months and years will reveal how the president and this "new" organization will walk fine ethical line, but things appear to be off to a rocky start.

Organizing for America: "Restoration of Rights"... for Felons

    The Obama for America campaign may be changing its name to Organizing for Action, but the organization is still quite aware of the importance of "optics." Today, an upcoming training event in Palmetto, Florida was posted on the Barackobama.com website entitled "Talk and Information about Restoration of Rights."  The description of the event is somewhat vague:

Talk and Information about Restoration of Rights 

Speaker Desmond Meade of the Florida Coalition for the Restoration of rights will speak on the processes and progressive actions around this issue. Other topics discussed will be improvement of education and jobs opportunities in the Palmetto community.

Here's a screenshot of the event listing:

    The "improvement of education and jobs opportunities." Those certainly sound like noble goals. However, as it turns out, the event title and description are revisions of the original listing.  As of now (Sunday evening,) the Google cache version still contains the original version, although this will be updated at some point.  Here is the original title and description:

Restoration of Rights for Felons 

Speaker Desmond Meade of the Florida Coalition for the Restoration of rights will speak on the processes and progressive actions around this issue. We will offer solutions and gain suport for the further rights restoration for those who have completed their rehabilitation and wish to find jobs, and vote.

Here's a screenshot of the original:

    Now that clears up any confusion. Apparently someone at Team Obama thought it was a little too clear because the revision took place within hours (if not sooner) of the posting of the event. No sense in going overboard with the whole "transparency" thing.

    My favorite part is the final two words: "and vote." Because that's what it's all about, eh?

The War on Betsy Ross!

    Despite the sensational title of this post, I do not harbor delusions of conspiracy or lack of patriotism in supporters of President Obama.  However, as I noted this summer during the campaign, there was a curious aversion to traditional representations of the American flag in the items available in the America for Obama campaign store (two of the designs are pictured on the right.)  This fondness for the avant-garde has carried over to the online store of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) website.

    Just as the Obama campaign store offered a Runway To Win line of designer fashions, the 2013 PIC enlisted a number of famous designers to augment their online offerings.  Several of these have incorporated the American flag into their designs.  But these are not your (founding) fathers' flags:

    This bag by Rachel Roy is the most faithful to the original designer, but the colors have been scrapped in favor of a monochromatic look.  

    Here is the obligatory hoodie (Yigal Azrouël) which restores the colors, but drops several of the original colonies and a boatload of current states in its design.

    However, I saved the best for last:

    This Prabal Gurung print on a plain t-shirt is described as "featuring a kaleidoscope-inspired American flag design."  It makes Betsy Ross's original design seem rather pedestrian by comparison.

    As a traditionalist, I find these designs not deeply subversive, but frankly just kind of annoying.  The flag's original design was purposeful and says much about the ideals, the history, and the principles of the United States of America.  Like the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, or the Star Spangled Banner, some things just don't need improving.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee: Out With the Old, In With the... Old

    Daniel Halper of the Weekly Standard noted the following on Thursday:

Two days after reports that hotels in Washington are not filling up ahead of Barack Obama's second inauguration, the president emailed supporters to encourage them to come to the festivities scheduled for next month in Washington, D.C.
"Because of you, I'll be taking the oath of office again on January 21st," Obama wrote in an email to supporters. "I'd like you to be part of this historic moment -- whether that's in Washington, D.C., or wherever you call home. As we make plans, we want to make sure the people who made this inauguration possible are the first to know what's happening."

    Also being a subscriber to the Obama for America email list used incessantly during the campaign, I received the same email as did no doubt millions of others.  The email goes on to note that to be updated on further developments relating to the upcoming inauguration, one can sign up for yet another email list and a link is provided:

Sign up and stay updated: 

http://action.2013pic.org/Inauguration

    The link is to a website established by the President Inaugural Committee 2013 (PIC).  There a visitor can enter an email address to receive the updates.  Once an email address is entered, visitors are taken to.... (drumroll, please) a donations page!

    While this organization is separate from the President's Obama for America campaign organization, once one gets beyond the honorary leadership of the committee, quite a few familiar names pop up:

• Chair, PIC Board of Directors  Stephanie Cutter
• Chair, PIC Finance  Rufus Gifford
• Chair, National Day of Service  Jen O'Malley Dillon 
• Chair, National Mall  Patrick Gaspard
• Chair, Inaugural Parade  Jim Messina
• Chair, Inaugural Balls and Receptions  Julianna Smoot
• Chief Executive Officer  Stephen Kerrigan (CEO of the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee)
• Executive Director  David J. Cusack (Senior advisor to the CEO of the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee) 
• Senior Advisor  Clark Jennings (Senior director of convention operations at the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee, March-Oct. 2012.)
• Communications Director  Brent Colburn (Communications director at Obama for America.)
• Technology Coordinator  Mackenzie Walker (Executive Tech Assistant at Obama for America from July 2012.)
• Compliance Director  Jesse Sendroff (Compliance director for the Democratic National Convention Committee, Dec. 2011-Oct. 2012.)

    Since it appears the Inaugural Committee is basically the president's reelection campaign with a new coat of paint, it can be assumed that the next three weeks will be filled with opportunities to donate to the 57th Presidential Inauguration.  And in case you were wondering, the PIC wants your donation to be as hassle-free as possible, so in keeping with the tradition established by Obama for America, you won't have to be bother to turn over your credit card and enter that annoying three-digit security code (security-schmecurity!)  It's comforting to know as we enter the uncertainty of 2013 that a new year always brings, some things will never change.

OFA's Fiscal Cliff Web Page: An Update

    I've written twice about the Obama for America webpage on the "Fiscal Cliff" that was published and then thoroughly scrubbed three days later.  Sara El-Amine of OFA responded to my initial inquiry, suggesting that this was simply a "glitch":

    This seemed unlikely since this was not simply a broken link - the entire webpage was gone.  However, this morning, the original link ("barackobama.com/fiscal-cliff") no longer directs users to the "page not found" message, but rather an older, existing page on the website, "2012 Stories - Stories about Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts" that has been around at least since December 2nd:

    But this page is nothing like the original Fiscal Cliff page (see here as a series of screen captures):

    The "Stories" page is simply that: stories.  It's not an "action" page, provides no official information, and doesn't even reference the "fiscal cliff."  The mystery therefore continues.  My further inquiry to OFA has so far gone unanswered.  However, now that the "fiscal cliff" negotiations seem to be coming to a head, and not in a good way, it will be interesting to see if OFA once again changes direction and goes on the offensive.

Obama for America's Aborted Fiscal Cliff Strategy

    Last Thursday, December 13th, as John Boehner was headed to the White House for a face to face meeting with President Obama, the Obama for America team was busy preparing for an evening conference call.  Sara El-Amine, the "GOTV [Get Out The Vote] Director in VA for last 2 mo. Fmr OFA Natl. Training Director" according to her Twitter profile, tweeted the following:

    A short time later, she followed up with this:

    This message was retweeted by the Deputy National GOTV Director, Obama for America, Geoff Berman later that evening.

    At 7:42 PM, El-Amine began a series of tweets recapping the phone call, beginning with this:

    Throughout the evening, there was a variety of tweets from those who had been in on the call.  The Facebook page of Obama for America in Gwinnett County, Georgia, also posted the following recap:

Hello Everyone,
I'm really excited! Just got off a conferance [sic] call with OFA Chicago- They have set up a new web site to help us get the word out about the Fiscal Cliff.
This site will give you the Facts you need- and ways to use it.
The differences between the Obama plan and the Republican plan.
Calculation tool - to figure what it will cost you if the Republicans get their way.
Call info for your Congressman
Call tool - to call others to encourage them to get in touch with their Congressman
Also convenient ways to get the word out via Email. Facebook, and Twitter.
Plus it is broken down by state-You can pull the information for all 50 states
It's time to take action - go to www.barackobama.com/fiscal-cliff
Please share with your networks, friends, family and neighbors. We've done this before - We can do it again!!

Thanks

    Mentioned several times in these various posting was the new page launched the same day on Obama for America's national website on the "fiscal cliff" standoff in Washington between the president and the GOP Congress.  The conference call and the anticipated action it was intended to inspire centered around this page as a place to direct supporters and those they wished to inform for information and what they could do to help the president.  Curiously, over the next several days, there was no email to the OFA mailing list to which I subscribe promoting the new page, nor were there any further tweets about it, and the home page of the OFA website never linked to the "fiscal cliff" page.

    Then, on Monday, some time in the early afternoon, the page abruptly disappeared and a rather Jedi-like message ("SORRY, THIS ISN'T THE PAGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. HOW CAN WE HELP?") greeted those who attempted to access it.  At present, the page is not only not available at its original location, it has disappeared from the caches of the search engines I have checked (Google, Bing, Yahoo.)  However, I downloaded the page from the Google cache before it disappeared and have reproduced it here as a series of screen captures.  I contacted both Sara El-Amine and Geoff Berman via Twitter for an explanation, but so far have not received a reply from either. [SEE UPDATE BELOW]

    The social media prowess of the Obama for America organization is legendary, credited to a large extent with electing and reelecting Barack Obama with its grassroots outreach and marketing savvy.  What prompted this wholesale scrapping of a carefully planned and organized effort to get behind the president on the fiscal cliff negotiations.  Initially, I speculated that the tactic seemed to mirror a union negotiation tactic of talking with the other side in private (Obama's meeting with Boehner) while trashing them in public (the new web page.)  But then when the new site languished for three days before being unceremoniously deep-sixed, I wondered if it was a sign that a fiscal cliff deal was near and the White House did not want to risk antagonizing Boehner and the Republicans.

    More recent reports have suggested that the White House and the GOP are not as close to a deal as was previously rumored.  Will the "fiscal cliff" page be resurrected and pressed into service after all?  What were all the participants in the conference call told, and what are they being told now?

* * * * *

UPDATE:  Just as I was finishing this post, Sara El-Amine replied to my tweet:

    Apparently Sara El-Amine was not aware the page had been taken down.  I will update my post if I receive any further information.