For all the cynics on BMG who think Obama is a pretty-sounding blowhard, I cite the following article from the Chicago Reader in 1995 before his first run for the State Senate. It demonstrates how strongly he believes in a grass-roots politics that gets past all the divisive and predictable politics we have grown accustomed to.
You could say that a grass-roots, community-centred politics is unrealistic and question whether he has achieved it, but to question his really consistent views about its relevance and his spot-on critiques of the politics of left and right, is to be choose to be deluded about the substance he brings to this race. The fact that we have a guy this close to the presidency who believes this strongly in community organising, has lived it and is taking those experiences with him to the White House is amazing. BMG and the netroots are an example of an empowered community and should feel a kindred spirit in Obama.
Here is one of many interesting quotes from the piece:
“What if a politician were to see his job as that of an organizer,” he wondered, “as part teacher and part advocate, one who does not sell voters short but who educates them about the real choices before them? As an elected public official, for instance, I could bring church and community leaders together easier than I could as a community organizer or lawyer. We would come together to form concrete economic development strategies, take advantage of existing laws and structures, and create bridges and bonds within all sectors of the community. We must form grass-root structures that would hold me and other elected officials more accountable for their actions.
“The right wing, the Christian right, has done a good job of building these organizations of accountability, much better than the left or progressive forces have. But it’s always easier to organize around intolerance, narrow-mindedness, and false nostalgia. And they also have hijacked the higher moral ground with this language of family values and moral responsibility.
“Now we have to take this same language–these same values that are encouraged within our families–of looking out for one another, of sharing, of sacrificing for each other–and apply them to a larger society. Let’s talk about creating a society, not just individual families, based on these values. Right now we have a society that talks about the irresponsibility of teens getting pregnant, not the irresponsibility of a society that fails to educate them to aspire for more.”
Maybe its just talk. But he has been talking this talk for awhile and I think a president that sees the power and wisdom of collective action – not just what government can do for you but a two-way street between empowered communities and citizens and a responsive government, would be profound.
I’m new on the site and came here to learn something. Here I think I did, although still questionable whether a president can actually put community activism into practice given the demands of the office. Interesting in theory.
I heard something interesting from Richard Wolffe of Newsweek, who predicted that Obama would pursue an incremental change in the WH. He cited the lack of mandate in his health plan the key indicator for the philosophical difference between he and Clinton.