Monday, November 03, 2008

A letter to fellow Lefties on the eve of the Presidential election, 2008:

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Guest column by Linda Newman

It seems this election has devolved to the incessant question “Who is Obama?” The McCain campaign is weirdly focused more on Obama than McCain, and can be summed up as “We don’t know” or “Watch out – he is not what he seems.” Among my politically leftward friends the same question is being asked perhaps more politely – whose interests will he really serve – does he really represent change?  Ironically, they decry that he is so obviously not the left-wing populist that the McCain campaign so badly wants the middle to think he is.  Work/vote for McKinney or Nader they urge – no Democrat can change the system.

I find myself passionately, whole-heartedly, no holds-barred anxious for Barack Obama to win.  While recognizing that Obama is a moderate, certainly not a “leftie,” I consider him the most progressive candidate we could possibly expect.  To think otherwise is to fail to recognize how the general public remains unaware how they are wronged by our elitist corpocracy.  Our organizing, educating job still lies before us.

Rather than being mesmerized by the question “Who is Obama?” we should widen our view to look at what this election will tell us about the evolving American public, and ourselves.

Evidence is clear that in a setting of economic doom, an unpopular war and even more unpopular president, Obama’s lead would be far greater if not for his skin color and African name.  (Not convinced?  Read the Stanford poll – http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race.) All the nonsense about whether he’s a Muslim, a terrorist, and a socialist (yikes!) would not otherwise fuel the imagination of those who don’t recognize their own bigotry when they look for a way to say ‘he’s not one of us’.  This election is thus fundamentally about race and also xenophobia, and only indirectly policy and positions.

If Obama wins, progress in civil rights is made manifest; even those who are fearful of a black President may allow themselves to open their minds.  If Obama wins, the media may tell us, rational evidence to the contrary, that as a nation we’re becoming more progressive, and we may believe it and actually allow ourselves to act it.  But if Obama loses, it shows that we remain fundamentally defined and limited as a nation by hatred, ignorance, our chauvinist and racist past.

If Obama can’t win in a climate so favorable to change, those of us who are clearly to the left of Obama can’t even dream of meaningful organizing.  A loss of a moderate, slightly liberal candidate at the hands of the right would be devastating to progressives on the left.  But if Obama is elected, well then folks, we have a starting point.

Linda Newman
Active in Cincinnati Progressive Action

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says:
03 Nov 2008  at  10:44 am | #

Well said. Thank you.

says:
03 Nov 2008  at  12:32 pm | #

Linda, thanks for sharing my friend. Here’s my response.

cincysuz says:
03 Nov 2008  at  06:17 pm | #

Well said.

says:
03 Nov 2008  at  08:57 pm | #

Obama the Creative Brand (like Coke):
Obama has a logo, a tag line, a song, a choir,
Obama’s brand believes in new style politics
Obama’s brand believes in women’s rights
Obama’s brand is Pro-Israel
Obama’s brand touts a new kind of leadership
Obama’s brand believes in change
Obama’s brand is a post racial candidate

Obama the Man:
Obama the Man engages in old style Chicago politics (Alice Walker, DNC)
Obama the Man pays the women in his office 83 cents for every dollar a man earns
Obama the Man wants to meet with the head of Iran
Obama the Man voted “Present” 130 times one of which was a bill to protect women of violent rape.
Obama picks a Washington insider for his running mate.
Sat in United Methodist Church for 20 years listening to racists rants

R says:
05 Nov 2008  at  10:47 am | #

See? This is what gets me. This whole Election, I have been hearing that “ if you don’t vote for Obama, youre afraid of a black President”. That to an average Joe is racist. That’s what pisses us off.

It is not even remotely true for MOST of the White people . I find it even more amazing that I am writing white people in a sentence.

Jason Whitlock ( a black writer for those who feel the need to know) even says all the time “ will someone write and get me a dam handbook I can carry around so I know what I can and cannot say? “ . Even he gets fire from saying “ pull up your pants, or don’t act like fools”.Both are good suggestions .

Heal thy selves. It is not the white man holding you back anymore.  It’s not.

Look at what happened to Bill Cosby for rightfully saying “ we must start ourselves in our own Communities” and he is basically told “ he sold us out”.

Heal thy selves. It is not the white man holding you back anymore.  It’s not.

I did not vote for him, but I congratulate him. I do think that you who feel that he is going to create this Far left Bill Ayers as Secretary Of Education type Government are going to be very upset he will not follow you. Face it, he said what he said to get elected President.  Period. He has dumped on, and dumped period every relationship he made to “climb the Ladder” He is there.  He is beholden to none .

The people in Washington who really hold the power are the 25 year career Government Employee in every single branch. They can help you, or the can freeze you cold .

So I wouldn’t be sitting by the door waiting for the National Security Force to come pick you up to drive you to the secret meeings.  Barrack Obama has other plans.  He doesn’t need you any more. Think about it

says:
05 Nov 2008  at  06:44 pm | #

Among my politically leftward friends: name two who aren’t.

While recognizing that Obama is a moderate, certainly not a “leftie,” : compared to whom exactly?

Evidence is clear that in a setting of economic doom: apparently you don’t shop or dine out, otherwise you’d have trouble finding a parking space with the rest of us.  A few dullards borrowing more money than they can make payments on and getting behind in their mortgage and credit card payments do not economic doom make.

But if Obama loses, it shows that we remain fundamentally defined and limited as a nation by hatred, ignorance, our chauvinist and racist past. : only among liberals, leftists and Democrats.

This last statement is what I find most hilarious about the white guilt trip the Democrats have been on this year.  Summed up by Jack Murtha, you (meaning Democrats) are racists and rednecks if you don’t vote for Obama.  Conservatives and Republicans really weren’t going to vote for Obama because of his positions on the issues; all this white guilt blather has been directed to liberals by liberals.

Hopefully now that Obama has been elected y’all will get over your own xenophobia and move on with the rest of us.

What ever happened to Move On.org?  They were largely silent this election.

cincysuz says:
05 Nov 2008  at  07:30 pm | #

Move.on was very active! I got 2 or 3 messages a day. They organized house parties, got out the vote, did phone banking. They were not silent at all. They had a big impact on the outcome of this election.

And whoever claims that Obama--a moderate--is a leftist, is clearly politically ignorant and spends too much time watching Fox news.

says:
07 Nov 2008  at  05:17 am | #

Didn’t hear a peep out of move on, must not be on the right lists.

You think Obama a moderate?  Have you read his campaign platform?  To whom is Obama right of?

Suz: unlike most I actually listen to opposing viewpoints to consider their arguments and inform my own.  Echo chambers are of little use and result in Bush Administrations.

cincysuz says:
07 Nov 2008  at  09:41 pm | #

So Urbanist you’re not exactly in the loop if you’ve completely missed Moveon’s impact on this campaign. On election afternoon I got the message below (excerpted.) This is the last, pre-election e-mail of hundreds I received calling for action.

Can you head over to the Obama office right away?

The Obama campaign’s plan for victory in Ohio relies on a record turnout by newly registered voters. As of right now, many of them still haven’t voted, and the campaign needs more volunteers to get out the vote.

We’re too close to victory to leave this to chance. Please drop whatever you’re doing and go to the Cincinnati Obama office if you can. We’ve come too far to slow down now. Can you help out this afternoon?

This election is in all of our hands—let’s win it!

–Adam, Patrick S., Lenore, Tanya and the rest of the team

Now I really don’t understand much of what you’re saying. Do you claim there is no economic crisis based on the number of cars in the parking lots of restaurants you patronize?

And are you saying that Obama is a leftist? That’s strange. I wish.

says:
08 Nov 2008  at  07:40 am | #

Suz: I never claim to be “in the loop”, I think that’s a little silly.  And I stridently avoid being on political groups’ email lists.  If that’s how moveon got out its message this year then yes, I missed it because they changed their tactics from TV to the Internet.

The “economic crisis” was overhyped by congressional dems who used it to Obama’s advantage (as the non-incumbent and given McCain’s lamentable “I don’t know ‘nuthin ‘bout no stinkin’ economics” comment, and a news media that loves a story more than honesty.

No, there is no “economic crisis.” There is a credit crunch resulting from poor investment strategies and choices, irresponsible borrowing and lending, and which is now causing some contraction as firms have to use cash (the horror!) instead of credit.  Why, it might even spur reinvestment of earnings and reduced executive compensation since the bills have to be paid before the higher-ups.  Our economy has been credit- and spending-driven for too long instead of production-driven.  At the risk of seeming “leftist” read Jeremy Rifkin’s works.  His promotion of “prosumption” makes sense more now than ever.

The “economic crisis” really hasn’t affected consumer spending yet.  People will circle their wagons and conserve cash (a good thing) and charge fewer consumables (another good thing).  This is hardly the ‘70s (yet) when Carter presided over double digit inflation, interest rates and unemployment.  We’ll see if Obama avoids making those particular mistakes of the past.

And yes, Obama is a leftist.  I only wish McCain had done a better job articulating the limited constitutional responsibilities of the federal government in general and the presidency in particular, something I don’t think Obama can be bothered with.  I find nothing inherently flawed in liberalism (or conservatism); it’s the means by which Democrats and Republicans attempt to apply these concepts that goes to hell in a Fendi handbag, IMO.

Dems want my money so others can live as they choose.  Reps want my money so they can tell me and others we can’t live as we choose.  Either of those might be others’ ideas of equality, but are hardly my idea of liberty.

cincysuz says:
08 Nov 2008  at  04:15 pm | #

Do you even watch the news? The major auto makers are going under because cars aren’t selling. People aren’t buying. There’s no money.

And the right wing christian conservatives can take a chunk of credit for pushing people to spend like drunken sailors for the last decade or more. They’ve hammered the gospel of prosperity to the gullible and greedy family values crowd to their own ruination.  It’s theorized that hundreds of thousands of mega church members were prompted by their pastors to take on bloated mortgages and debt they couldn’t afford. Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, TBN and the rest claim millions of followers. They preach that god will make a way and it’s an insult to god to reject an opportunity he put before you.  Have faith and he will make a way, “Sow a seed” of faith by spending money.  Jump into that mortgage you can’t afford, buy that big SUV. You deserve diamonds. God wants you to have them! That’s the right wing Christian message. Good works and sacrifice is for suckers. How’s that working for them now? Idiots

cincysuz says:
17 Nov 2008  at  08:41 pm | #

Urbanist - Before this thread disappears, and in light of the additional developments--the worst retail season in history--do you want to amend this statement, “No, there is no “economic crisis” or do you still believe the economy is a-okay?