"Well, there's the Obama of the electoral campaign-But then there's the Obama of governance

[kpete]

Frances Fox Piven: Still Tougher Than Glenn Beck

The legendary anti-poverty activist, who is leading a nationwide teach-in on the corporate-fueled austerity movement with Cornel West today, talks about the current political moment -- and what can be done to reclaim government for the people.

NANCY GOLDSTEIN | April 5, 2011 | web only

...................

Well, there's the Obama of the electoral campaign, and that Obama pays attention to his base, speaks the words that resonate with his base -- the words of change and the words of equality -- and promises to remedy the sharp inequalities and injustices of American public policy of the last 30 years. But then there's the Obama of governance, and that Obama pays much more attention to his Wall Street supporters and his corporate supporters. Now, I don't even blame Obama for that: That's his situation, and that's what he does.

But I think we have to change his situation, and that's what we're trying to do. Change his situation by adding momentum to what we hope is the sentiment emerging from his base -- and that his base includes poor people, minorities, students (very importantly, students) -- and a lot of working people, the "middle class," we say these days. And that base doesn't have any leverage excepting for that moment when the election is coming. And now the way it can gain leverage is through the protest movement. That's the way it's always been in American history, and it still is. So we're trying to add fire to the democratic forces of American politics by joining a new protest movement that we think may be emerging. For though they have not won in Wisconsin in the sense that the court is still reviewing the legislation that Scott Walker pushed through, they have won in another sense. They have stirred a lot of hope in the American public that have been hurt.

MORE HERE:
http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=frances_fox_piven_still_tougher_than_glenn_beck

[msongs]

1. 2008 = the american idol candidacy. well that lasted about a day nt

[zbdent]

2. cognitive disconnect ...

he's playing to his radical/socialist/left-wing base at the exact time he's alienating his radical/socialist/left-wing base ...