A Game Plan for Progressives

Posted on June 27, 2010

by Cori Redstone, Artist, Activist

For the past year I have watched Democrats wage an ever-escalating war against each other. One side unhappy with everything President Obama does (the Progressives) and the other who argues that he is a great President and any criticism of him means you wish he were never elected. One group of people defend to the death every decision by the administration and the other furious that he hasn’t done everything they expected him to do.

Let’s take a time out and breathe through a good reality check. We are two years into a Presidency overshadowed by immense problems created by an administration that subscribes to the altar of the mighty corporation minus the basic rights of human beings. Can you imagine what these last two years would have been like with a Bush crony in the White House? I think BP would have installed an LED billboard on the South Lawn already. If Progressives aren’t a little more careful Sarah will be running the wiring for it herself in 2013.

There is a fine line between healthy debate about administration policies and outright unreasonable expectations and anger driven diatribe. That said, if there weren’t the detractors there may not be enough grassroots pressure that allows the administration to accomplish what they have. Every policy position taken by the administration is a delicate balance of political pressures, public attitude and the realities of what can be accomplished. This is not to say that we should not demand the seemingly impossible. Great things have been done by many people that were dismissed as unrealistic dreamers.

We need the dreamers to keep the faith in the administration that they will do the right thing while demanding substantive progress. The American public doesn’t understand disagreements. They see mostly winners and losers. Right and wrong.

We must separate the man from the administration. The public wants to believe that the President is an island but now more than ever this is not a practical reality.  There have been considerable efforts made by the organizing arm of the Democratic party to support many liberal agendas. We have another two years of the Obama administration and we will need another four after that. It will take an enthusiastic public to assure a win in 2012.  Immediately we need an enthusiastic public to keep the party of no from controlling Congress. We have to deliver this fall for the good of the country.

Barack Obama is not Jesus, Zeus and Mahatma Gandhi rolled into one. Election year ’08 zealots became disillusioned when Obama did not immediately deliver miracles. The frustrated hope & change public have neglected to see this President has slowly delivered miracles only dreamed of by decades of democrats.  People don’t acknowledge what has been done. Many progressives only want to talk about what hasn’t. Acknowledge the wins. It makes more people cross over to your side. Own the wins of the administration Progressives. Your work has made them possible. Everyone wants to be on a winning team. It is biology. You will bring people to progressive thinking that way.

The criticisms of the administration are appreciated and necessary; but they should contain well constructed, passionate arguments for going another direction rather than short sided, personal attacks. This is by no means a request for progressives to sit quietly. Dissenters are needed if we are to fix the terror of 8 years of a yes-man administration and Congress. Americans need to appreciate and participate in healthy dialogue again. They seem to have forgotten what it is.

Some advice to frustrated progressive activists: Angry, negative attacks turn people off.  Short, well crafted, story based arguments for your cause will attract interest from people and give them “aha” moments that help them take a step towards your position.

Progressives, if you want to accomplish anything; take down the pillars that hold up poorly constructed administration policy. One may not be able to destroy the power of corporate money or the old Washington dirty, back room tradeoffs but there is one thing frustrated activists can do.

Turn the attitudes of the public, turn Congress. Progressives need to explain their positions to the public in a simple dialogue and get people to cross over. Just talk to the people. The people still have the power, even if the people themselves seem to have forgotten that.