Politics | Election 2008 Will They Still Love Him When He's Prez? Trusting activists may be weapons for President Obama, or betrayed by him By Gabriel Winant Posted Oct 26, 2008 4:58 PM CDT Copied Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, shakes hands with supporters at a rally in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) What will happen to Barack Obama’s fan base if he wins? The devoted followers, who wield unusual power in the campaign and feel close to their candidate, won’t vanish after November and could be a powerful weapon for his agenda, Howard Fineman writes in Newsweek. But if Obama governs more conservatively than they like, they may turn their power against him. “His supporters have sky-high expectations and expect to be involved,” one analyst said. But a President Obama who wages more war in Afghanistan or disses Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could upset the faithful. "At that point, the names on those voter and e-mail lists may start talking to each other," Fineman writes. "That's when we'll know how 'trusting' an organization it really is." Read These Next NYC police encountered a horrific scene after a fire was reported. Charlie Kirk's death has been confirmed. Why does the Wheel of Fortune click? Now we know. Amy Coney Barrett weighs in a possible third Trump term. Report an error