Leaked Emails: Dem State Leaders Think Obama’s New Organizing Army is ‘Grade A Bullsnip’

Hmmm, so about that 'Shadow Army' ...

Organizi ng for Action was supposed to complement the Democratic National Committee. Instead, Democratic leaders say, it nearly killed the Democrats.

Everyone has been talking about the Shadow Army and about where these protests and protesters are coming from. This article is interesting as much for what it does say as for what it doesn't.

It seems that OFA has been active and it never really disbanded. A lot of us know that. But now it looks like a lot of state Democrat Party officials are pretty torqued off at OFA.

The nonprofit, which functions as a sort of parallel-Democratic National Committee, was founded to mobilize Democratic voters and supporters in defense of President Obama’s, and the Democratic Party’s, agenda. Instead, the organization has drawn the intense ire, both public and private, of grassroots organizers and state parties that are convinced that OFA inadvertently helped decimate Democrats at the state and local level, while Republicans cemented historic levels of power and Donald J. Trump actually became leader of the free world.

OFA has been pretty quiescent all during Obama's tenure in the White House. And during that time, it's been drawing off funds from the state party apparatus and the Democrats have been decimated to historically low levels nationwide.

And now, OFA has magically re-appeared organizing protests and training activists to defend Obamacare at Townhalls and similar activities.

“This is some GRADE A Bull# right here,” Stephen Handwerk, executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, wrote in a private Democratic-listserv email obtained by The Daily Beast. Handwerk was reacting to news of OFA’s post-election retooling, which was shared “without comment” to the group of state-level Dems by Crystal Kay Perkins, executive director for Texas Democrats.
“It also to me seems TONE DEAF—we have lost over 1,000 seats in the past 8 years… all because of this crap,” Handwerk continued. “Let’s get through the next two weeks—but then we gotta figure this out and keep the pressure on. WOW.”

Others on the thread shared these sentiments.

“Yes, it sure is,” Katie Mae Simpson, executive director for the Maine Democratic Party, replied. “OFA showed up in Maine, organized a press conference on saving [Obamacare], with one of our Dem legislative leaders speaking, all without ever mentioning that they were in state and organizing. They hired someone I know, which is somewhat helpful, but my god, they don’t have a very good alliance-building process.”

And basically OFA is operating independent of the Democrat Party now. There is no cross communication going on. Remember, this is Obama's group. He used it in lieu of the traditional state grassroots efforts and parties, and now the funding is being split. OFA is starving the traditional Democrat apparatus, and the party is suffering the results. The state party level people know what the costs are and they're steamed about it.

“If we were having a conversation about state parties, I would say OFA hurt state parties badly,” Handwerk told The Daily Beast, elaborating on his leaked email. “It certainly had an undercutting effort. And there is a lot of work state parties do that isn’t very sexy… and that becomes incredibly difficult when budgets are cut in half because people are trying to curry favor with the president and his allies.”

And you have to ask yourself ... is this by accident or design?

Handwerk, who has worked in the red state for years, says his personal experiences with OFA weren’t bad, per se—it’s that they were nonexistent.

“Supposedly, Louisiana has had, on paper, a state director for OFA who has been in the role for what I’m told is multiple years—none of us know who she is,” he said. “She only just followed me on Twitter [four] days ago. That’s how I know who she is.”

This OFA state lead is Carolyn Sawyer, who told The Daily Beast that “I really have not talked with [Handwerk]. I’m sure he’s aware of us. I’m sure they’re aware of what we’re doing but there doesn’t seem to be an interest to come together on what we’re working [on].”

Sawyer, who says she has been in the position since as early as 2013, contended that “we have reached out to the Louisiana Democrat Party [and] would be more than happy to come together to work on issues… But [as to] why he doesn’t know what we’re doing, we haven’t been secret. I can’t speak to that.”

Think about it. You need to subvert a political party. You start up your own parallel effort piggy-backed off an existing one in almost parasitic fashion. OFA is that parallel structure. The Shadow Army.

After Obama handily won re-election in 2012, Handwerk says that OFA came to town to present Louisiana Dems with a gameplan. The outside group was purportedly ready to send organizers down south, to help prop up and “like-minded people” in deep-red areas.

“They told us this, so many of us didn’t see them as a threat,” Handwerk said.

Obama’s second term passed, and Louisiana Democrats say they saw promises unfulfilled.

“Nothing has really been done here,” the executive director lamented. “I have not seen any real evidence of OFA doing any real work, certainly not here in Louisiana.”

Talk to Democrats across state lines, and you hear similar stories. “I was never a fan of OFA,” Marcel Groen, chairman for Pennsylvania Democrats said, tersely.

Undercut the traditional party and replace it with your own activist brand. And that's how OFA defends themselves.

Members of OFA would, of course, strongly disagree with such assessments, and are quick to point to their track record during presidential races.

“OFA is focused on investing in grassroots organizing nationwide—we’re engaging people who have never been involved before, connecting them to others in their communities, and empowering them to realize their own ability to enact change,” Jesse Lehrich, OFA communications director, told The Daily Beast in an email. “Building this kind of well-trained network of volunteers who can mobilize to win fights on key issues boosts the progressive movement in both the short and long term. Just look at Obamacare: OFA volunteers are organizing with their fellow constituents to ensure lawmakers hear exactly what’s at stake for them if the law is repealed, and the tide is rapidly turning.”

OFA isn't a traditional political model. They're not about getting out the vote like a party apparatus is. They're about getting out the protest.

Shadow Army.

The Obama Brownshirts.
They only get out the protest.....interesting.
Who is commanding them now that Obama is gone and we can clearly see nobody in the DNC is?

a reply to: ketsuko

I wonder why a privately-held biochemistry research company is contributing so much money to OFA?

Organizing for Action: Who’s Giving to Obama-Linked Nonprofit?


Shadow Army? Separated from the DNC? Who are these people?

a reply to: ketsuko

OFA isn't a traditional political model. They're not about getting out the vote like a party apparatus is. They're about getting out the protest.

Shadow Army.

I suppose it escaped your attention that Robert Mercer, Bernie Marcus and others are funding a similar group for Trump? That Cambridge Analytica is already doing work for them?

Katrina Pierson will join pro-Trump group that aims to challenge ‘biased’ media

Instead, the North Texas Tea Party advocate will run communications for America First Policies, a pro-Trump non-profit that will “support key initiatives and policies of the White House.” The group’s launch was made official on Monday.

The non-profit, which is modeled after the pro-Obama group Organizing for Action, aims to raise millions to assist in Trump’s reelection — along with taking on the media.

“The organization will promote policy, support leaders, coalitions, and other organizations who back America First policies, and communicate directly to citizens – directly challenging the agenda of the liberal and biased media,” America First said in a press release.

Shadow Army with PSYOPS DIVISION.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Why the red herring eh?

The topic aint about Trump.

It's about OFA. That 501c4 using conintelpro to keep Obama's legacy intact.

a reply to: ketsuko

Good thread

Exposes a lot.

Let's hope this isn't happening (or is it):

Operation Gladio

a reply to: ketsuko

Good work and post .So was the plan for Hillary to win and Obama to stay in that loop ? Trump seems to have been a stick in the spokes of their wheels ...Not sure many if any Dems will look at this with suspensions though .Connecting these kinds of dot is not really in their wheel house ...

originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: ketsuko

Good thread

Exposes a lot.

Let's hope this isn't happening (or is it):

Operation Gladio

It is happening.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if OFA isn't the 'new' tea party. I've read about.

a reply to: queenofswords

Something about this thread was nagging me while reading it . Earlier today I watched George Webbs Braverman vid and picked up on one Donna E Shalala littlesis.org... It may be nothing but a fresh set of eyes to have a peek at that link might spot something .My mind is tired and I need to get off this puter and to bed .

a reply to: neo96

Red herring? I pointed out that if OFA is a "shadow army" then this new OFA-modeled pro-Trump org is a "shadow army" too and worse, Trump's OFA is backed by an actual psyops contractor which makes your "conintelpro" comment all the more ironic.

a reply to: theantediluvian



When did will join start to mean 'backed' ?

OFA been around for how many YEARS now ?

4 years,

So nice try deflecting from the topic.

a reply to: theantediluvian

The psy-ops from both organizations will be aimed at the same "people".

Now guess who.

a reply to: theantediluvian

"I suppose it escaped your attention that Robert Mercer..." You started with this. Why suppose at all? Because it gives you a reason to jump off topic and post something that is actually unrelated to the title and substance of the post. You can start your own post about something similar in topic to this one and discuss the issues at hand there because that isn't the purpose here.


p.s because you went off topic, it gives me good reason to "suppose". Like suppose you're reply to the OP was just out of your frustration for Trump or even the thread alone. Which could have lead you to lead yourself off topic.

How interesting!!!

S&F to the OP!

Why am I not surprised??????

The new Brownshirt's of the fascist Democratic Party. We all knew Obama wasn't going to take the renewed America First laying down. Especially after his apology tour and everything he did to bring America down. He just ran out of time and thought Hillary would be there to follow the orders of Obama/Soros to finish the job.

Expect the leftists to come in and try to derail the thread because they want to somehow raise the dead of the party without opposition. We have already seen their socialist/communist revolutionaries out in the streets around America showing everyone how inclusive, loving, and caring they really are.

Be forewarned that this is how every communist revolution is started. They begin with protests which turn violent and then transform into outright violence and war. These machinations and sick ideology must be stopped in their tracks by the real patriots of this country. The masks have come off the socialists and the legacy left is also seeing it. I run across democrats almost daily that are leaving their party because of where it has been taken.

Keep up the good work and exposing the left for what they really are.

Stop the Soros/Obama revolution now, or it will have to be done later at greater expense to everyone.

originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: theantediluvian

Why the red herring eh?

The topic aint about Trump.

It's about OFA. That 501c4 using conintelpro to keep Obama's legacy intact.

Because theantediluvian is still in the closet about it's true feelings about Trump. I mean, look at it's posting history... it's a whole thesis about self-denial. An interesting read though!

a reply to: ketsuko

This organization will make sure that division continues in America.

originally posted by: GreyScale
Because theantediluvian is still in the closet about it's true feelings about Trump. I mean, look at it's posting history... it's a whole thesis about self-denial. An interesting read though!

That is hilarious! Perhaps we should have a coming out party! Rotflmao!!!

a reply to: TinfoilTP

Obama controls them. He mentioned he was taking a short vacation then getting back to work.

This is where it all ends. What is ending....i don't know. But the DNC cannot remain liberal and remain relevant. Let Obama lead his flock to their land of milk and honey, and move the DNC instead to a labor base.

Whichever party lays down the labor planks in their platform....they'll own the next 20 years. And its looking like we may have 4 parties to choose from before the dust settles. Which is at least splitting power more ways, so long as it lasts.

But that may be what Obama is aiming to do: lead a liberal revolution outside of the DNC.

a reply to: ketsuko

The article link is 404.