The Abandonment of Generation Obama?

This commentary was originally published on CauseCast.org.

As Congress' August recess drags and the media clings to every twist and turn of the White House's pimping of so-called health care reform, I am routinely asked why people my age are so quiet and unwilling to do any field organizing on this issue for the president we fought so hard to elect. It's painfully obvious now that the administration's willingness to drop the public option is the tipping point on a series of broken campaign promises that have left his army of young hope-mongers stewing in reality.

I allocated some time to wondering 'why' last week and spoke with several friends and colleagues about it. (And, of course, tweeted it.) Then, after my pal and Wilshire & Washington producer, Blaise Nutter, and I saw the documentary film, By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, I realized that it goes well beyond health care. The apathy stems from a mounting frustration over the administration's disconnectedness from the youth movement that launched its momentum. The film's fervent retrospective of the exhilarating campaign trail reminded Blaise and I of how uninspired we feel a year later.

On screen, I saw the faces of friends from the Iowa caucuses who I traveled the country with for months crashing on couches, one of whom now drives a taxi cab in Pittsburgh to pay his student loans while he waits for a job in the administration, which I've heard is a common plight. Perhaps we were too idealistic then and a crash was inevitable. (That is what the Hillary supporters warned us, right?) Still, this deflation of enthusiasm must be addressed if the Obama administration is going to accomplish its long-term objectives. Health care is a great opportunity to bring us back after some unfortunate missteps, but now, especially with the public option in danger, it can't be that narrowly focused. We have to get back to the roots of the Obama movement.

To single out health care is myopic, when what's really happening is a collective re-evaluation of Obama's delivery on his campaign promises to our generation. Young people, many of whom were first-time political participants in '08, are often not seasoned in the way governing works. After disappointments like failed bipartisanship on the stimulus bill, lip service on torture, a perplexing stance on gay marriage that even Dick Cheney's got right, half-hearted transparency and use of new media tools, and an ambiguously undefined and possibly unwinnable war in Afghanistan, we're frustrated. We signed on for change in Washington, and our leader is not cracking down on the Democratic Congress and its futile leadership, which has disappointed us for almost a decade.

So fighting against this unprecedented skepticism, when Barackstar goes on Today to sell reform to Meredith Vieira's audience of Mommy bloggers, it's not readily obvious that 1) he's speaking to us or 2) how watered-down health care legislation is going to help us realize the vision of hope we bled for. Nor is David Axelrod's dissertation of an email last week debunking health care reform "myths" an easily digestible and sharable tool.

For the full post (and Maegan's thoughts on improving this situation!), visit CauseCast.org.

Follow Maegan Carberry on Twitter: www.twitter.com/maegancarberry

Comments

[unity08]

I think when Obama often said throughout the campaign, "Change won't be easy, and it wont come overnight", some people just didn't listen.

7 months in office under the worst economy since the great depression and the whiners are upset that they haven't gotten the big payoff yet.

This is what always happens to democrats. We just dont seem to be able to keep it together like the republicans do.

Not that we shouldnt have dissent, but good grief, it gets so tiresome to hear every group come out with their complaints that they are being ignored.

[GunnyJ]

I'm with you! Instead of placing all the blame on the President, why not call your local elected officials and ask them why they are blocking change. The majority of them won't have a sensible answer because they are working on campaign funds to get re-elected. Those funds are not coming from you (author) by the way, otherwise they'd have to have an answer to the lack of support for the Obama Administration. This guy (President) is being fought, kicked and punched, not to mention ridiculed at everyturn from everybody and the psycology is working on those like the author I see. Maybe its because you are NOT out there fighting is why the President doesn't have your much needed support to battle the enemy....

[DannyDanson]

Continued from below:
where was all the progressive political will, where was this writer, where were the millions of young people who stood up on Nov 4th for change, we have allowed our voices, the voice of American democracy to be out-shouted by the spoon-fed crazies on the right, leaving the President to single-handedly re-fight and re-win the electoral fight he won 7 months ago, we allowed our democratic will to be trampled, and now we are blaming the President for being the rational minded pragmatist we elected, Democrats need no enemies. Geez people this is sadening

[redsongia]

There's no bill yet, and there is a massively intricate discussion of all possible options wiggling it's way through television, internet and town halls.

Perhaps, you could give people say, 9 months to overt a massive economic crisis, redirect war in the middle east, and comb through 5 different lengthy proposed health care bills before you're ready to storm the palace.

Geez. People love the idea of a people's movement, then they want their leader to issue edicts and act like a king. That's how the French got Napoleon, you know.

Perhaps the health care debate is a chaos, not because Obama is a weak leader, but because we are living in a strong democracy?

[DannyDanson]

It's ironic that columnist and progressives are up in arms over the President's statement that the "public option" wasn't the totality of necessary healthcare reforms, maybe I missed something but I'm certain that 999 pages of either bill is dedicated to "selling" the public option, the point that appears to be lost on us is that the demonized "Public Option" is the primary point of contention on the other side, everything flows from the adverse representation or misrepresentation of the "Public Option" according to the weak arguments of the opposition Medicare will be slashed to fund the "public option" not true but a potent talking point when aimed at elderly Americans, other talking points which arises from the public option is the notion of a Government takeover of healthcare, government rationing, rising private premiums, and the infamous death panels. All these arise from the misrepresentation that "WE" progressives have allowed a voice, I attended a townhall and shot down these myths where-ever I heard them, but the effect was limited being that I was out-numbered 100 to 1

[Justaminute]

You know what FDR told the voters "Make Me!"

[jmpurser]

Very good point. And it's not just young people. I'm likely to be twice as old as you and Obama's actions on war crimes, the torture photos, fighting to keep pay caps and accountability out of the TARP funds, DOMA, DODT, the stimulus, and now health care have me looking for a new candidate to vote for in 2012.

Aside from losing faith in Obama I've lost faith in the Democratic party. I don't think they can recover from the damage the DLC has done. I'm looking for a third party.

[Maegan Carberry - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm not ready to look for a new candidate just yet. I still have faith in Obama; I've been following him closely since I lived in Chicago in 2003 and I have yet to see him not tie things together in an appropriate way. I do see him as an independent candidate. I think that's why he's having a hard time. See previous commentary on this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maegan-carberry/is-obamas-health-care-mae_b_252218.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maegan-carberry/how-twitter-will-realize_b_222128.html

[gtt]

Abandonment of a generation ? I don't see it. Obama is working at a feverish level to advance the cause of insurance/health reform and we are to obsess over a taxi driver in Pittsburgh? I support progressive reform on all fronts but recognize that often, in the climate of our 24 hour news cycle, reform needs to be taken on one issue at a time. Please have patience - if not perspective. President Obama has made great progress in just 6 months on many fronts. He needs our support so as to keep the less informed confident that he is still widely supported. I was in Iowa in December of '07 and my friends are doing fine. We don't hold President Obama personally responsible for our employment.

[redsongia]

Thank you. I've never seen someone work so much in Government.

Instantaneous solutions are not to be expected.

[Maegan Carberry - Huffpost Blogger]

Neither does my friend, and he isn't angry with the president. I mention him because I wish he was able to be a part of what he worked hard for, along with many of the other staffers who haven't found jobs yet. If more people like him were in DC now we'd be getting more done.

[Aron Cohen]

Maegan,

This article exemplifies a churlish understanding of politics. As a Millennial myself, I understand our generation needs to refrain from assuming our voice should be the loudest, our opinion the most correct and our needs the most urgent. The last thing we need is to be coddled!

Whatever anomie our generation feels, is our fault. The president is not beholden to us to keep us _INTERESTED_. The good times are over, it is now ripe for our generation to act like our grandparents'--we shouldn't have to be marketed to, so that we can achieve real change.

[jmpurser]

I didn't find her point of view to be selfish at all. The basis for politics in this country is voting for the people that support your principles when they're in office. Obama has failed to support her principles so she's less interested in supporting him.

[Maegan Carberry - Huffpost Blogger]

Not sure if you guys made it over to the full post at CauseCast, but in the conclusion I state:

"Understandably, there have been urgent matters from the flailing economy to instability in the Middle East that have required Obama’s attention more than the secondary education of his Millennial Generation Army. Surely to great extent the onus of preserving activism beyond the campaign falls on our own social entrepreneurship, but in the absence of clear leadership anyone can step to the microphone­."

I'm still supportive of the President; he just needs to adjust his communications strategy to include a core group that was largely responsible for his campaign's success and explain simply how we achieve hope through his new policies. Some people, like Aron, will be self-motivated and others will be confused and skeptical. While every citizen 'should' be engaged without motivation from the top, it's not what happens. Self-interest takes over, and that's where leadership is needed.

[jcwtts1]

Here is the analogy I hear most often and maybe you can share it with your friends. (it isn't mine I don't remember where I heard it) Imagine that your child gets into an Ivy League School. You are a school teacher and your husband is a contractor who has spent the last decade flipping and renovating houses. It is a happy day when your child gets into an Ivy. You guys are pretty well off, solidly middle class. Harvard would be a stretch but it is worth it for you kid. Then the housing market tanked and your husband who has been working too many hours for your liking has no customers. None. The school where you work lays you off and you have now missed your second mortgage payment and your credit cards are starting to fill up. You child comes to you and says "Mom, I just bought my first Harvard sweatshirt!" Can you still send you kid to Harvard? Is it even possible? Not do you want to, but can you? That is what happened to us in September. A hard sell for health care became almost impossible. All the social agenda items not covered brilliantly in the stim package have to go by the way side. This is a war we are fighting and whiners like you and your friends sound like the 18 year old kid who still thinks he's going to Harvard after his parents lose their income and their house.

J

[redsongia]

Great post. Thank you for injecting reality into this discussion.

[Maegan Carberry - Huffpost Blogger]

Sorry to hear that happened. It reminds me of the perseverance it required when the newspaper industry tanked, my colleagues all got laid off, and I set off on my own traveling the country to cover the election and uphold the 'fourth' branch of government as a blogger. It's even more awesome when I write checks to Northwestern for the tens of thousands of dollars in loans I personally took out to attend the country's best journalism school. The great thing about America is that some people make it happen anyway when it's tough. I'm sure the president will do the same, and he'll be even more successful if he re-mobilizes the generation that believed in him so much last year. Best wishes to your family in confronting these issues. MC

[thoughtful3]

Sorry, Maegan, but you and your friends don't speak for all of us in this new generation. Last year was also my first time being active in a political campaign. I volunteered, I donated money, I got out the vote. But, unlike you all, I didn't see election day as the be-all, end-all. I knew that election only gave us a chance--a shot at just starting real change that will take at least a generation to complete, not six months. After the election, I stay informed and I try to keep others informed as well. I learned how the legislative process works. I contact the white house, my congressman, and my senators frequently. I also contact other senators drafting legislation at the time (for instance, now is the time to keep pressuring the senators on the finance committee). I believe in President Obama, but, more importantly, I believe in myself and others like me. Only we, collectively, can change things for the better. And, it will be gradual--that's what it means to be a true progressive.

[jmpurser]

I'm far from a first time voter but I agree with Maegan. I've spent my life voting for the lesser evil and I'm not happy with the results. The hell with the long shot and "throwing my vote away". I'm looking for third parties now. Obama has convinced me that it's unlikely that the Democrats will ever be anything but GOP Lite.

[Bethab]

Absolutely! For the first time in my life, I feel like voting for a third-party candidate is worth it...even if it means splitting the vote and letting the other guy win. It's enough.

[Maegan Carberry - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi, thoughtful3.

I didn't see election day as the be-all, end-all for Obama either. Please see previous commentary on the subject: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maegan-carberry/memo-to-bandwagon-obama-f_b_168469.html

Your activism is admirable. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[devadasi]

Grow up dear! The election was easy....go­verning is the hard part. Obama needs his troops more then ever and the time is now. Democracy isn't just about getting off your butt every four years.....­..it's constant and has to tended to like everything else in your life.

[jmpurser]

I think she's got a more mature point of view than you do. She had a well thought out article explaining her principles. You have blind faith in a personality.

[redsongia]

Why is allowing a nation wide debate before finalizing a bill blind faith in personality?

I thought it was a basic democratic principle?

As for me, I've donated a few bucks here and there, but mainly, I'm supporting the president by getting informed about all the options in play.

How can you make push calls to convince others when you don't even grasp the issues yet?

[suegar]

As one whose first campaign was for McGovern(!) I would ask you to remember what Obama himself has said frequently. Change only comes from the grassroots-we need to keep the pressure on him and on all the legislators to MAKE them do the right thing. The corporations have always had the money but when the politico see a real outpouring of voters' passion, they remember that corporations cannot vote!

Don't cower-keep calling and writing and canvassing and phone banking like I am.Politic­s is not a quadrennial event, it is a daily committment to either support your side or defeat the other guys.

[jmpurser]

My problem with Obama is he not only doesn't seem to be listening to the left now that he's in office but that he seems to be actively working against us.

[MelanieMatthias]

Excuse me, geesh!
Uh, I think maybe you could wait till the bill is there for him to sign before you open your whinny little mouth. In case you haven't noticed, the guy has been kinda busy. It has only been a what 6 or 7 months!!!
What did you think he could take care of everything for every body in a few months?
I actually feel sorry for you and your lack of commitment. He has to fight the rethugs every step and now you want him to fight you and make you feel all better?
Give the guy a chance, geesh!

[ECBA88]

He's had to fight them, but he's chosen to waste political capital trying to work with them, even when they say outright that they'll oppose any plan he gives them and are completely unwilling to compromise.

[clevelandchick]

Thank You!!!!!

Obama has wasted all of his capital on working with these SOB's whose only desire is to break him. Obama ditches the progressives for the Cons at every turn and it has not paid off for him once. At what point do you give that up? At what point does it become sheer stupitity for the Obama Admin to cater to the Blue Dogs while turning off his base?

I'd say that point is now.

[Maegan Carberry - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm perfectly willing to give the President time to succeed, I just think he needs to target Millennials more actively and directly in his communications strategy, and asap. This particular cohort mobilizes on his behalf with zeal, and he's not plugged in right now.

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maegan-carberry/memo-to-bandwagon-obama-f_b_168469.html

[MelanieMatthias]

Gee, that is so sweet for you to give him some time, so why this post?
Oh, wait, I get it! You the "Millennials" need some attention from the Prez or you will lose faith and interest.
And lets see, the "Vets", they are very important, and the "LGBT" have needs, oh, let's not forget the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" folks, they are waiting too, shall we go on and on or do you get the point?
Everyone wants something from President Obama, everyone.
Do we forget the words so quickly "YES WE CAN" we as in we. I should think it the other way around, President Obama may become very disappointed in us!

[JRsNana]

Well, isn't that nice of you to give him exactly SEVEN months to accomplish everything you want! TWEET away about how disappointed you are that the man hasn't SINGLEHANDEDLY rescued the economy, gotten the DOW back over 11,000, gotten health care for 47 million people, overturned DOMA and DADT, pulled us out of the war in Iraq, made peace with the entire world, and made a WHOLE GENERATION of "hopers" feel all better about everything, just with the wave of his magic wand!

[tompoe]

No jobs on the horizon. Obama endorses the phrase, "jobless recovery" and takes a golf day. No education for our kids. Obama slaps Duncan on the back, with the 'ol heck of a job, Arney. No health care. Obama thinks the public option is just a "sliver" of health reform. And, we're supposed to what? Endure 14,000 layoffs a day, 8,000 plus foreclosures a day, 50 million plus without health coverage? Why? So bankers, car manufacturers, and health insurance executives can increase their pay scale fourfold in the last eight months? Sounds right to me.

[redsongia]

You are clearly a vacationist. Do you work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Didn't think so.

Next, we'll have a movement of bathroomists who complain every time the man stops working to go an take a leak.

[LewDan]

You're Congress'boss. Not Obama.

Disappointed? Fire them. -- Takes more than one election though, and a lot more than 200 days.

But whining?! Yeah, that'll work too.

[SomeoneInIowa]

I think this is what happens when we elect a man who is in the habit of thinking, rather than shooting first and then making sure any questions asked later don't contain any trisyllabic words.

I can not speak for what Barack Obama is thinking, but I think he is looking for a consensus, and until one emerges from the Democratic Party, his modus operandi won't be to fight for one thing over another. Obama wants health care reform because he believes it to be vital for our long-term economic health, but despite right-wing rhetoric, Obama does not rule by dictate; he seeks common ground.

I think that Obama will be remembered as a great President precisely because he built consensus rather than tried to impose his own preconceptions. But in the mean time, especially for the first couple of years, it's going to be messy.

The important thing is to support liberal congressmen and women and to communicate how you feel about health care reform and other issues.

Or perhaps as long as the Republican Party seems so insistent on hanging themselves, Obama is making sure they get plenty of rope to do it.