Open Left: Helping Obama Succeed by Pushing Back

[marmar]

Helping Obama Succeed by Pushing Back
by: Mike Lux

Mon Apr 06, 2009 at 16:00


As I have written several times over the past several months, I think the most important thing progressives can do over the next four years is to help President Obama succeed. Through most of our country's history, if a President didn't succeed, it was bad for himself and his party, but not necessarily for the country. But there have been a couple of times in American history - in the 1860s during the Civil War period and in the 1930s/40s during the Great Depression and World War II - when a President's success was fundamental to our country's success. I believe that our economic crisis is profound enough that now is just such a time.

Beyond that, President Obama's very identity makes it fundamental to progressive prospects for the future that he succeed. As a multi-cultural, African-American, son of an immigrant, and as the personification of hope for an idealistic young generation, if Obama fails, it hurts progressive hopes for decades if not generations to come, and likely engenders a dangerous right wing populism in response that will undoubtedly be tinged with racism and anti-immigrant fervor.

The good news is that President Obama has gone out on a boldly progressive course on his budget, health care, climate change, and education plans, and that his stimulus bill had more progressive investments for the public good than any single piece of legislation in history. Progressives can and should be proud of, and push hard for, all of these great legislative goals of the President.

The problem comes when those of us who are strong supporters of the President disagree with him on something important. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.openleft.com/diary/12709/helping-obama-succeed-by-pushing-back

[BlooInBloo]

1. With friends like you guys...

[biopowertoday]

4. Articles like in the op will America and all succeed. Cheerleading

is not the answer.

[BlooInBloo]

5. You people remind me of Clinton supporters, taking credit for Obama winning the election.

:rofl:

[biopowertoday]

7. you only show your pettiness and stupidity with your comment..

good bye.

[Elidor]

10. "You people?" Who are they, exactly?

People who dare express criticism of the government? Oh, clutch my pearls. Could you be any more obvious?

[Dogmudgeon]

2. K&R

I've often been critical of the "progressive" left for doing nothing but sitting around and griping -- but this article is excellent. Not only that, it points the way for us lefties to take more daily action and not just wait for demonstrations so we can re-live our glory days. (You remember, the ones that weren't all that glorious.)

Pester the people who represent you. It's easy, it's fun, and it makes you heard a lot more effectively than waiting for direction you may be expecting from The Movement.

Because YOU are the movement. And all of us can help Obama succeed -- and keep him on the right (that is, the left) track.

Three cheers for Mike Lux!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

--d!

[biopowertoday]

6. Cheers and k and r.

[roseBudd]

3. I agree PM me to hear what I am doing, it's easy if all DUers did the same it would be awesome

[jaysunb]

8. K & R

:thumbsup:

[babylonsister]

9. This man worked for Obama. This is good advice. Rec'd. ...

Obama Hires Progressive Liaison For Transition Team

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/10/obama-hires-progressive-l_n_142648.html