15 June 2010
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. - President-Elect Barack Obama
When President Obama accepted victory in Grant Park, he called on all of us to join him in ushering in the change we all were seeking. Did we answer the call? Have we rolled up our sleeves and fought for real change?
I would argue that very few did. Most of us celebrated and waited for Obama to do the heavy lifting. The country was facing a devastating financial crisis while conducting two wars. We were celebrating the victory, but not looking at the overwhelming challenges our new leader was facing. We expected sweeping change, but for the most part we left the battlefield and expected Obama to bring us that change.
The Economy
Immediately, Obama took steps that did save us from economic collapse. I am no economist, but I will accept the opinion of Paul Krugman and others that without the bailouts things would have been much worse.
In addition to having this "automatic" stabilizing effect, the government has stepped in to rescue the financial sector. You can argue (and I would) that the bailouts of financial firms could and should have been handled better, that taxpayers have paid too much and received too little. Yet it's possible to be dissatisfied, even angry, about the way the financial bailouts have worked while acknowledging that without these bailouts things would have been much worse. - Paul Krugman (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/opinion/10krugman.html)
Ok, not a ringing endorsement, but nonetheless even critics of the bailouts acknowledge that they slowed the decline. That brings us to the present time - where is our anger? The corporations are flush with cash but they are not hiring. Why are we not out in the streets demanding jobs from the institutions that got the bailout money? Instead, we are letting the fringe Tea Party movement blame Obama for the mess that the previous administration left him with. It wasn't just the previous administration, but the greed of corporate America that has put us in this mess, and instead of fighting we have conceded the playing field to birthers, racists, and people who are inspired by Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.
We can criticize the bailouts all we want, but if more banks and financial institutions had failed, Main Street would have been hurt as much as Wall Street, probably more. It was a decision that no one wanted to face, but Obama was forced to act or be blamed for a depression.
Should the stimulus have been bigger? Probably, but was the political will there? Did we go fight for it and send a message to the deficit hawks that they would pay the price for opposing a bigger stimulus? Obama erred in thinking that the bank bailout would free up capital for small businesses and create more jobs. The administration didn't foresee the sustained job losses, and they low-balled the stimulus package. It was a mistake, and while we should call him on it, the way to do that is to demand more. Giving up and pointing fingers will not solve anything.
There is spending in the energy bill that will help. While we may not want more offshore drilling, more nuclear power and more coal, we must fight for the good in the energy bill. No legislation ever gives us everything we want, but no energy bill will be devastating to our economy.
The Wars
Why are we silent? Other than Cindy Sheehan and other dedicated activists, the rest of us have gone silent. We marched and made noise when we had a president that could care less what we said. Now we have a president who needs our support to win, why not let him know what we want? A hundred thousand people in Washington would have a much larger impact on Obama than it had on Bush. We always make the mistake of thinking our job is over after we elect a Democrat. The truth is, with a Democrat in the White House we should increase the pressure since there is a chance they might just listen.
Many are mistaken that believe Obama pledged to get out of Afghanistan. He campaigned on finishing the job there. There has never been a mass movement around getting out of Afghanistan, so the Obama administration believes they are doing what their constituents elected them to do. The war in Afghanistan will continue until it becomes political suicide to support it. Again, if Liberals and Progressives stood up and demanded an exit from Afghanistan Obama would be forced to listen, we are his base.
While the war in Iraq is winding down, many of us would like it to end faster. We should call for a faster withdrawal of troops. We need a movement that creates a political climate for what we are for, not one that focuses on what we are against. Barack Obama can be an agent of change if we unite and call for the change we want. Calling Obama a war criminal and tearing him down accomplishes nothing. We need to unite around themes that we agree on: money for jobs, not for war; build homes, not bombs. We need to create a climate for the change we seek.
Environment
The disaster in the Gulf should be used to create a climate for green energy. We must demand an end to offshore drilling. The tragedy in the Gulf should also be a call to act against other potentially dangerous forms of energy. Are we prepared for a nuclear disaster? Wind farms and solar energy will not result in the destruction that fossil fuels and nuclear power can lead to.
Obama's support for offshore drilling, nuclear energy and "clean" coal is not ideological; it is political, and can be reversed. He would rather pass an energy bill that does not include increases in any of those options. In the current political climate Obama must compromise to get anything. While it is true that the Republicans still say no, the lobbyists make the deal and the Democrats in their pockets go along.
That has to change.
On that historic night in Grant Park, Obama also said:
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president.
He was right, many liberals and progressives disagree with many of Obama's policies, but let us focus on what we agree on.
While it isn't a perfect bill, millions of Americans will have access to health care that didn't before, and millions more will not lose their health care coverage if they get sick.
Did you know that Obama signed legislation that forces banks to honor your lease if your landlord goes into foreclosure? I wonder if McCain or Bush would have done that?
While the financial reform legislation isn't as strong as we wanted, it is more than we would have gotten from "Keating Five" McCain.
Then there is the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 that moves us closer to pay equity for women.
The list goes on, but too often we forget the gains and focus on the areas that we disagree on with the president.
Obama always said he couldn't do it alone; the entrenched powerful interests in Washington are not going to just surrender. We need to support him when he is doing the right thing, and create a new political climate that allows him to change his policies when we think he is wrong.
I believe that he believes in the right things, but he can only achieve what the political climate allows. We have failed to provide the political climate for the change we believe in. It is time for us to organize and seize back the momentum for change.
I hope I haven't offended any of you, if you are active and fighting for change keep going, many of you are doing more than I am. I am speaking to those who went and voted for Obama and expected him to change everything on his own. I am speaking to the people who only criticize him, and are doing nothing to help. And I guess I am asking everyone not to give up.
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