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Replies

By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 01/10/2026

Indeed, Obama's genius was summoning up an army of door-knocking, phone-banking small p political activists and then euthanizing that organization after he won the election: newrepublic.com/article/1402...

newrepublic.com

Inside the Fall of Obama’s Grassroots Army

The untold story of Obama’s biggest mistake—and how it paved the way for Trump.

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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 01/10/2026

For Obama, the grassroots were useful for one thing: getting out the vote. The last thing he wanted was for millions of activated voters to turn into activists who'd flame him and harangue him and picket him if they didn't like his compromises. Boy, did Obama ever compromise.

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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 01/10/2026

He let the bank executives who created the Great Financial Crisis off the hook and encouraged them to foreclose on the homes of millions of Americans, the very same public that had bailed them out: theweek.com/articles/624...

theweek.com

This is Obama's biggest failure

He could have used law enforcement to protect homeowners from bank fraud. He didn't.

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Leslie Nuss @nussforus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I want to push back a bit. IIRC, ACORN faced a lot of dirty acts by the other side who wanted ACORN to go away.

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John Dumas @johndumas.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Obama *absolutely* knew this and knew what he was doing. I remember him telling an LGBTQ rights group that their job in the whole thing was to hold his feet to the fire. I keep telling my progressive friends the deal isn't "deliver and I'll vote for you," but "I voted for you: deliver."

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