Obama For America Could Stay in Chicago

Campaign manager Jim Messina mulling future role for similar operation

Now that President Barack Obama won a second term, it only seems likely that his Chicago-based campaign apparatus would pack up and leave the city, right? Not so fast.

Campaign manager Jim Messina told a crowd at a Politico-sponsored event Tuesday that "Obama for America" could take on a new role.

Messina says it could morph into a new operation that works to back President Obama's agenda.

The campaign organization -- which by law will need to be dismantled -- is surveying its supporters to get a sense of what they'd like to see a new organization focus on.

"People just spent five years winning two presidential elections together. We're now not going to walk away without letting him become the change that they want to see," Messina said.

Whether that organization would remain in Chicago remains to be seen, but Messina appears to favor the advantage of being far away from the distractions of Washington politics.

"You can’t run two presidential campaigns from the grass roots and say now we’re going to run this from D.C.," Messina said.

Only a small number of the individuals who worked worked on the campaign remain at "Obama for America" headquarters.

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