Having used open-source code to build the campaign’s successful tech platform, programmers who helped reelect President Barack Obama want to share what they did with others, as is the common practice. But the campaign’s political operatives oppose sharing the programming, fearing it would allow Republicans to copy the Democrats’ success in the next election.

A “dream team” of engineers from Facebook, Google and Twitter were responsible for developing the software (Narwhal) behind Obama’s campaign website and databases. With the election over, these tech wizards want to share their achievement with the coding community so other developers can study it and make it even better.

But Democratic politicos would prefer to sit on the technology. If Republicans want to duplicate the Obama campaign’s success, let them figure it out for themselves, they argue.

The programmers say this attitude will only discourage other programmers from helping with the next election. Locking the code away also will cause the platform to lose its edge by 2016, given the nature of technology and rapid change.

In addition to concern that the Obama organization will mothball the technology, the tech team suspects that even their services may not be retained, as a number of their key specialists have already been pink-slipped.

For now, Obama and his campaign organization hold tight control over the code and related software. The database, however, has been leased to their new advocacy unit, Organizing for Action, whose purpose is to translate Obama’s grassroots re-election base into a force for promoting his second-term agenda.

As to whether the code will be released, as its creators are strongly urging, a senior Obama campaign official offered these tepid words of solace: “I am confident the right decision will get made.”

-Noel Brinkerhoff, Danny Biederman

To Learn More:

As Obama Heads Back to Office, a Battle Rages Over the Tech That Got Him Reelected (by Ben Popper, The Verge)

Obama Campaign Will Retain Assets as New Group Launches (by Matea Gold, Los Angeles Times)

When the Nerds Go Marching In (by Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic)

Built to Win: Deep inside Obama's Campaign Tech (by Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica)