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U.S. NEWSMonday 4 July 2016
Obama campaign machine revving up to elect ClintonÂ
JOSH LEDERMAN In this 2012 photo, President Barack Obama walks in as he delivers pizzas to volunteers during an since started a consulting
Associated Press unscheduled visit to a local campaign field office in Orlando Fla. The vaunted data-driven ma- firm that’s helping Clinton’s
WASHINGTON (AP) — chine that twice got Obama elected is dusting itself off to help elect Hillary Clinton, as Democrats campaign. “A lot of them
The vaunted data-driven look to recreate the tactical advantage they used against Republicans in 2008 and 2012. are the same people.â€
machine that twice got Obama campaign veter-
President Barack Obama (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) ans permeate Clinton’s op-
elected is revving up to eration at just about every
help elect Hillary Clinton, Obama to record-breaking to the Broadway musical rector in 2012, said there level. Elan Kriegel, who ran
as Democrats look to rec- fundraising, is controlled by “Hamilton.†data analytics for Obama,
reate the tactical advan- the Democratic National For Clinton supporters, the was some disagreement is doing the same job for
tage they used against Committee, which can handover of the email list is Clinton, and Obama poll-
Republicans in 2008 and send emails at will without the clearest indication that that year about whether ster Joel Benenson is now
2012. going through Obama’s concerns that sprang up her chief strategist. At
With Obama’s popular- campaign. That’s accord- after Obama’s re-election Obama’s tech-infused Clinton’s Brooklyn head-
ity rebounding, Democrats ing to individuals familiar have turned out unfound- quarters, her battleground
have been eagerly await- with the list, who weren’t ed. In 2013, when Obama strategy would work for states director, national or-
ing the president’s return authorized to discuss the declined to transfer the list ganizing director, political
to campaigning, and he’ll arrangement and request- to the national party, some other Democrats, or wheth- engagement chief and
hold his debut event for ed anonymity. Democrats griped that communications direc-
her Tuesday in North Car- Just recently, the DNC start- he was holding out on his er the phenomenon was tor are all former Obama
olina. Yet campaign of- ed sending emails signed party by sequestering his hands.
ficials say just as critical to by Clinton to the entire list, most coveted campaign Obama-specific. He said In the most competitive
her success could be an including one last week resources. states that will help deter-
Obama political operation inviting donors to enter a Mitch Stewart, Obama’s the continuity between mine the winner, Clinton
that remains potent four raffle to be Clinton’s guest battleground states di- has hired former Obama
years after his re-election, Obama’s campaign and aides to build out her oper-
including deep troves of ation for the general elec-
voter and donor informa- Clinton’s was proving it can tion. Her state directors in
tion, and a corps of trained Ohio, Colorado, Iowa and
field staffers and volunteers be sustained. Nevada all had experi-
that Clinton’s campaign is ence on Obama’s cam-
now co-opting. “The people involved in the paigns.
The crown jewel of For Clinton, the Obama
Obama’s machine, an Clinton campaign aren’t imprimatur is particu-
email list of supporters that larly critical because of
included 20 million ad- having to relearn the les- the election’s arithmetic,
dresses in 2012, is now fully which suggests she’ll win
available to Clinton. That sons in 2016 that we al- the White House if she can
list had been closely held carry the “Obama coali-
within an Obama cam- ready learned in 2008 or tion†— young people,
paign committee that still minorities and women —
exists to pay off old debt. 2012,†said Stewart, who with similar numbers. Those
Democratic groups and groups haven’t always
even Obama’s Organizing shown up for Democrats
for Action nonprofit had to when Obama isn’t on the
rent the list for a hefty sum. ballot, making their reliabil-
Now a copy of that list, ity an open question for
which helped propel Clinton.q
