Oral history interview with Mitchell J. Stewart, 2021
Abstract
Mitchell Stewart discusses his work on Barack Obama's presidential campaigns and in support of the Obama administration's legislative agenda through his service as the first director of Organizing For America (OFA). Stewart recounts his formative campaign experiences prior to the 2008 election cycle, and speaks widely about the Obama 2008 campaign's strategic and operational approach to the Democra tic primaries. He provides details about the campaign's fieldwork in Iowa, the importance of local volunteer leaders, Obama's reception in Iowa, notable events during the primary campaign, the Texas and Indiana primaries, and the campaign's operations in Virginia in the 2008 general election. Stewart also outlines the process by which the 2008 campaign's grassroots operations were incorporated into the Democratic National Committee and reimagined for organizing in support of the administration's legislative initiatives, rather than for Obama as an individual candidate. Stewart describes OFA's activities in support of the administration's first budget proposal, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the Affordable Care Act, and he remembers the emergence of the Tea Party movement. Reflecting on his work as battleground states director on Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, Stewart considers major themes relevant to the campaign, including the impact of election data and quantitative election modeling and the campaign's strategic identification of specific target states. Also discussed are Stewart's work after the 2012 reelection, changes in the Democratic party coalition, racist attacks on Obama campaign offices in Indiana in 2008, and the differences between election and legislative organizing
Presidents--United States; Presidents--Election--2008.--United States; Presidents--Election--2012.--United States; Political campaigns--History--21st century.--United States; Tea Party movement--United States; Politics, Practical--United States; United States Politics and government; Stewart, Mitchell; Obama, Barack; Democratic National Committee (U.S); United States; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
56 pages
Note (Biographical)
Mitchell Stewart is an American political campaign organizer. For Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, Stewart served as director of field operations for the Iowa caucuses and as state director for the Democratic party primary campaigns in Texas and In diana. During the 2008 general election, Stewart was the campaign's state director for Virginia. In 2009, he headed up Organizing For America, the community organizing group that grew out of the Obama 2008 campaign and was located within the Democratic National Committee. For Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, Stewart served as battleground states director
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on September 14, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Mitchell J. Stewart, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023