Obama Folks Bring The Permanent Campaign To Texas

Below is an e-mail I got from the Obama folks about two weeks ago—

My name is Luke Hayes, and I’m the new Texas State Director for Organizing for America. Since Inauguration Day, Organizing for America has been dedicated to making real the change we fought for during the election. But to be successful, we need to hear from you — your effort and commitment are the backbone of this movement and this organization. That’s why I’m so excited to announce that we’re back on the ground in Texas and, starting this week, we’ll be hosting Listening Tour Town Halls across the state. Will you make your voice heard and join us on the Listening Tour? At Listening Tour meetings, you’ll get a chance to meet new state staff members, hear about some lessons learned during the general election, and offer your thoughts on how we can organize Texas going forward. Your ideas will be used to write a Texas-specific plan for Organizing for America in 2009 and beyond. The campaign brought an unprecedented number of new voices into the process — we need to make sure those voices remain at the center of the debate as the President and Congress work on providing solutions for our economy. But these meetings are not just for folks who were involved in the campaign — we’re hopeful that every Texan will get involved. We can’t stop growing our movement now. We’ve never had a better opportunity to shape our future — and just like during the election, we’ll do it from the bottom up.

Sign up now to attend a Listening Tour event:

http://tx.barackobama.com/ListeningTourTX

Luke Hayes
Texas State Director
Organizing for America

(I don’t have a picture of Luke Hayes. So above please find a picture the late Irish folk singer Luke Kelly. Mr. Kelly passed on in 1984, but you can see him here on YouTube.) 

Luke Hayes worked on the Obama campaign in Nevada and Virginia. 

On one hand, I’m glad the Obama folks think Texas may merit effort and resources.  Texas is a big state and it would be great if Mr. Obama could win Texas in 2012.

On the other hand, it’s all part of a permanent campaign which just means more obscene amounts of fundraising and more all-around bullshit from all sides.

I looked up when the first events  on the listening tour in Houston would be held They were booked up. This was just hours after I got the e-mail. I wish they had found a bigger hall. The listing at the Obama web page said that 60 people was all one event could hold while the other could only accommodate 50. Don’t you wager that people who got tickets were people who were well-connected in some way?

I’m (mostly) all for President Obama and I understand the Obama folks want to get a sense if Texas will be viable in 2012. But it’s not really a listening tour. A listening tour would involve a big room and plenty of advance notice in many media outlets. 

I’m sure Mr. Hayes is an energetic and loyal soul with an endless capacity to stay at La Quintas. He’ll report up to the mothership if Planet Texas warrants more of a landing party as 2012 approaches.

I find this stuff exhausting in many ways. The 2008 campaign went on forever. It seems the 2012 campaign is now under way  in 2009.