I'm done celebrating for now. Obama's victory was an historic achievement for everyone involved. Hope beat fear in our nation for the first time since September 11, 2001. That was worth celebrating. And we helped move our nation closer to MLK Jr.'s dream. That was definitely worth celebrating. But now I've stopped celebrating because I remember something someone said at a Democracy for America group meeting in Indianapolis shortly after the 2004 heartbreak. Our group was scheming about what we could do to help bring progressive Democrats back to power, and Tom Hipple, an experienced Indiana pol said: "Hey, don't worry so much about how you're going to get the Dems back into power. Politics are cyclical, so they will be back in power eventually. Worry more about what they will do with that power."
Now I wonder what Obama and the Dems will do and what I can do now to make sure they do help put the country on a better course. We all realize that Obama can't do it alone. As he has said many times, this election is not about him; it's about us. And that means that collectively we are more responsible for making the Obama administration a success for progressive values than he is. He can't bring about positive change unless we push for it because his political capital is worth only as much as congress members think that not supporting progressive values will cost them elections.
Hence, this blog. Why do I think I should blog? Not because I think I have a particularly unique or insightful perspective on today's political issues. But there is a battle of viewpoints out there and quantity is just as important as quality, if not more. Look how effective conservatives have been at affecting public opinion by repeating over and over again the same ridiculous talking points. In the same way, the more progressives talk about and argue for their values, the less strange they will seem to people who have been getting most of their information from Fox News over the past decade. And thanks to the Internet and the Bush administration, we now live during a period of time when people are more passionate about their political viewpoints and are talking and writing about them more than any time I can remember. I believe that this ongoing public discussion is part of what has moved this nation to the left recently. As exposure to values and ideas from the left and right increases so does peoples' realization that progressive ideas are better than conservative ones. Thus I want to do as much as I can to keep the conversation going.
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Another important point that's in line with what you say here is that there is lots of evidence to suggest that the coming administration will be uncommonly open to new ideas, opposing viewpoints, and general feedback.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the campaign, we were often asked to contribute our thoughts, and I think that (along with the ability to sift through everything, which shouldn't be understated) this is in large part why it ended up being such a smart, effective campaign.
Now the forming adminstration has put up www.change.gov, and again people are asked for their ideas and viewpoints. The campaign promises are laid out in concrete terms to which they can be held accountable. Truly, some of the content is pure cheesiness and mush to the cynic like me (who is never going to "tell my story" to a website), but I'm confident that in general the existence of this site is additional evidence for your point. This is not a secretive, autonomous administration. It is going to accept, and even ask for, ideas and feedback.
So, it's not just that this is a time when we *should* work to hold our government accountable, it's also the first time we really will be *allowed* and even *encouraged* to do so.
Whee!