by Japa
It is pretty much a given in this community that President Obama has our back covered. He is out there every day working to help preserve the middle class. In fact, he is working to the utmost not only to preserve the middle class against an onslaught unprecedented in our history, but to also expand the middle class. There are some on the left who view him as a corporatist who hasn’t done enough, but they miss the point.
I can state without hesitation that enough hasn’t been done and that a lot more needs to be done. And I know someone else who would say the same thing, our President. Yet, saying that is not the same as saying he hasn’t done enough. I quite honestly cannot think of anything he could have done that would have gotten us further than we are now. He has, rightfully so, chosen to follow constitutional principles rather than go the dictator route. And in making that choice he has acknowledged that he cannot get everything done he would like to see done. Most of the things needed to accomplish what he and most people in the progressive community want to see done requires Congressional action.
People on the left talk about FDR a lot and even LBJ with his accomplishments in producing The Great Society. Yet those same people forget the huge, historically huge, Democratic majorities both of those Presidents had to work with. Does anyone really doubt that if then President had had 68 Democratic senators that we wouldn’t have seen a public option? Does anyone really doubt that if he had over 70 senators the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy wouldn’t have been rolled back? Does anyone really doubt that if he had had over 300 members of the House and those senatorial numbers that the financial regulation bill wouldn’t have been even stronger than it was?
So it is with this situation taken as a starting point that I want to talk about having the President’s back. Much of what I will say here has been said at times before on TOD, but it bears repetition. And it specially needs to be emphasized to those on the left who have chosen to whine and complain rather than get off their butts and actually work to make things better. I read a comment at Balloon Juice yesterday disputing the claim that the President was a centrist corporatist. It mentioned that 90% of lefty blogs may promote that message but that it was wrong. Well, 90% of progressive blogs do not represent 90% of progressive voters and we need to make our voice as loud as theirs’.
Having the President’s back means of course doing everything we can to make sure he is re-elected. Donating, getting involved with OFA, getting voters registered, working against or at the least getting people to understand and be ready top deal with some of the voter suppression laws that the Republicans have passed around the country. These are all things that mean a lot.
However, getting the President re-elected is only half the battle. It is also incumbent on us to work to make sure that he has a Congress he can work with. Regaining the House is crucial. I don’t think there is any way the Senate can reach a 60 vote Democratic majority, but maintaining the current majority, and perhaps expanding it is possible.
If those two things do not happen we are in for at least 2 more years of stalemate and gridlock.
This is where the real “having the President’s back” come into play. It means not only, when talking to people, convincing them to vote for PBO, but also to vote for other Democratic candidate, down to dogcatcher if necessary. Doing so is the logical extension of voting for the President. Why vote for him if you are not going to give him a Congress he can actually work with? Why vote for him and even a Democratic Congress if you are going to leave Republicans in power at the state and local level where they can undo much of what is done in DC and even make more restrictive rules.
I have been guilty in the past of taking the American public too much for granted, trusting in their intelligence and good judgment. It is not that they are not intelligent, but rather that they are misinformed or under informed. Granted, there will always be some (the 27%) that will never be able to be reached. Granted, there are some (say another 15%) that will always vote Republican no matter what, just like there are those who will always vote Democratic no matter what. But the rest, I believe, wants to know what is going on and will respond.
So now that I have set the larger goal, the question is what do we do, in more specific terms. How do we, will still working to get the President re-elected, achieve the real having his back, by giving him people he can turn to who will put his hopes and dreams into reality. This is specially important given the unprecedented onslaught of truly disgusting, and untruthful, advertising we will see thrown at him and many Democratic candidates. What follows is merely a few ideas. I am hoping that many of you will come up with more, probably far better, ideas.
Everything that follows is based upon one single premise. What happened in 2010 will not be allowed to repeat itself. Democratic candidates will be pushed not to run away from accomplishments but promote them. Republican candidates will not be allowed to spread lies in a vacuum. The Tea Party element will not be allowed to shout down the rationale voices out there. I will not allow myself to be intimidated. I will not allow charges to go unanswered. I will not allow rowdy, yelling people to dictate what is said and not said.
I will make myself visible at both Democratic and Republican rallies. I will work to support the Dem candidate and challenge the Republican candidate.
When there is a town hall debate, I will attend and make sure I get questions asked of the Republican candidate to put him or her on the spot.
I will write LTE’s and I will go on newspaper websites and give positive comments about Dems and negative comments about Republicans.
I will donate to the DCCC and DSCC as well as individual campaigns.
I will go to the local Democratic Party office and see what they need help with.
I will challenge anybody who says there is no difference between the parties. And, although I can understand the support a third party candidate may have and deserve, I will point out that now is not the time. We don’t have that luxury.
Most importantly, I will make sure I have all the information I need to debate anybody at anytime. Just saying that something isn’t true is not enough. It is important to have the counter argument, with all the facts that are needed.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive by any means. But it is important to remember that having the President’s back means more than getting him re-elected. The reason we support this man is because we believe in his view of what our country can be. We share his hopes and his dreams. But he can’t do it alone. He can’t do unless we make sure he has the support where it matters.
I have read comments from time to time displaying support for him but saying the heck with the rest of the party, specially when some Democratic official or pundit is critical of him for some reason. We can’t afford to do that any more. If we demand ideological purity and 100% agreement, then we are the same as the Republicans, just with a different perspective. This country as we know it and as we believe it can come to be, will only survive if we put aside some of the intrafamily squabbles and move together towards our common goals.
Just remember, in today’s world, the worse most conservative Democrat is still vastly superior to any Republican candidate out there.
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