A Memo to the Community-Organizer-in-Chief
A young Barack Obama spent a few years as a community organizer. The community organizers I know and love have been at it for decades, and they don't have time to cook a meal, much less run a country. President Obama needs to delegate. Mr. President, set the Obamaniacs free.
Every significant "change" in American history has occurred through the felicitous convergence of a mass social movement and a receptive government. Obama the candidate knew this history well. His poetic rendition of our better history inspired Americans and persuaded us to rededicate ourselves to political engagement. Obama's campaign team knew how to harness and shape this mass energy into a practical and effective electoral force. But President Obama, in contrast to candidate Obama, seems as uncertain as a bailed-out banker about the net value of this once-prized asset.
On the one hand, Obama has smartly absorbed the lessons of the early Clinton administration about how--and how not--to govern. It took months for Clinton to get his cabinet selected and confirmed, and even longer for the deputies--the ones who do the real day-to-day work of the government--to be put in place. Many of them had never worked in the federal government. By the time they had it figured out, the GOP had won control of Congress. Obama had almost everyone ready to go on the day he took office. (What happened to a few of these is another subject.) Never before has a president appointed so many special advisors, created so many new posts, named so many special envoys and czars. Rarely has a president been so confident as to surround himself with so many brilliant, successful competitors. This man knows how to delegate.
Unfortunately, Obama the politician absorbed some Clinton-era lessons too well. As a result, he is fighting the last war. That last war is not the partisan one of official Washington's obsession, but rather the Democratic party's very own internal war. Democrats have a perplexing talent for eating their own. They defeated themselves in 1968 in the streets of Chicago. They defeated themselves in 1972 in the convention hall of Miami. Throughout Clinton's presidency, Democrats carried out their philosophical disputes in public while Republicans schemed in closed meetings. The summer of 2008 was consumed with rumors of a PUMA revolt, which thanks to Barack's savvy and Hillary's good sense, never materialized.
Given this history, it is perhaps understandable that Obama is holding his troops in reserve in anticipation of the inevitable internal struggles. The problem is that, while he waits, the next war has already erupted on the floor of Congress. In the context of a campaign, the inordinate degree of control the Obama campaign maintained over its message, its lists, its staff, and its volunteers made sense. But the times have changed, and micromanagement of the base will surely spell disaster. Organizing for America is an interesting experiment. It cannot be a substitute for a mass movement of citizens outside government pressuring it to do right.
Thousands of ordinary Americans learned how to be community organizers by working on Obama's presidential campaign. The success of Obama's presidency rests on giving them the permission and the tools to organize independently. To paraphrase the favorite aphorism of community organizers, give a man a link and he'll click for a day, give him the lists and the code to the site, and he'll have your back for a lifetime.
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IMO Democrats are a coalition of extremely diverse interests and often conflicting agendas. Just like on the right, many issues are taken to extremes and passions are high. Just holding it together is quite a feat.
Obama activists can try to volunteer, there is local stuff on craigslist
I knew Barack was an organizer when they asked him during the primaries "Which one of you would MLK Jr. endorse?" Obama said: "He wouldn't endorse anybody, he would hold us accountabl
I never in my wildest dreams imagined a non-politician type community organizer would become potus. Community organizing is not partisan or bi-partisan, its NON partisan. They don't care about your political affiliation, if you screw the people over, they will get you. I have a feeling Obama did a little more than suggest that Blago be impeached but that's another topic. In other words, Senators who sell influence will not pass under our new president's radar the way they seemed to do with Bush. They will come crawling out the woodwork toward the light of day. muahahaha! :D
He'll need that for the Health Care fight that's going to be major.
Now that - I expect the Repubs to filibuster and not bluff about.
I think he is saving that ace in the hole for something else. See republicans have already played their high card whatever good faith that Obama bestowed on them they've spurned it and turn away now they have no more ace to play. They dont have the people behind them and they have no power instead of using Obama's good faith effort to show that they can work together they've continued with their petty gamesmanship. Now they have nothing left.
Carol
Very nice post!
I feel that he will deploy the community organizers when the time is right.
He is the most calculating (in a good way) politician I have ever witnessed.
This stimulus package is a gauge for how how much resistance he will encounter going forward.
And yes, the Republicans ARE willing to cut off their nose to spite their face.
Their opposition to this bill makes no sense for them.
They can't win this battle.
The more they stick their neck out there for what they want to see, the more they own this bill and all it's short comings.
At the same time if they do nothing and it works...
Contrary to media reports, the Republicans are the ones with most to lose here.
And they can't afford it.
All the work they've done to get rid of the middle class over the last 30 years, is slipping through their fingers.
They almost pulled it off.
I think I know the magic ingredient that's missing from the White House.
David Plouffe.
You ain't a gonna change anything unless you kick some ass.
See Kari Henley's Profile
Excellent post! I couldn't agree more.
I just wrote a post this week also exploring how the American people are frustrated with business as usual in Washington and want to be able to continue to play an active role in making change.
A cabinet post for Community Organizers is not a bad idea, hmmm?
Thanks.
Kari
Barakobama
The campaign was one of the best experiences of my life. In a very short period of time, I was surrounded by more like-minded people than I had met in my entire life. We organized our neighborhoods, and celebrated the greatest election victory in US History.
I am at a loss for what to do with this desire to impact change. Besides contacting our representatives, I find myself needing direction.
Obama has millions that will be coming out of hibernation soon, and I hope he takes advantage of our willingness to work for the change he promised during the campaign.
Are you hosting an Economic Recovery Party? I'm going to one this weekend. I have no idea what that will lead to but it's what Organizing for America asked me to do, so I'll give it a try. If nobody did it, it would look bad, so that is reason enough to take the plunge. (Although that doesn't seem to be a problem -- the one I'm going to, in somebody's house, was near its limit of 35 when I signed up this morning.) But I also am looking forward to reconnecting.
Others in our (battleground, thus highly energized) county have gone in three directions since the election: volunteering more than ever before for local special elections and upcoming Democratic primaries, since we are NEVER without an upcoming, urgent, election here in Virginia; charitable, service, and nonprofit volunteering, sometimes forming new groups, in the spirit of Obama's MLK Day appeals; or formalizing groups, e-mail lists, and monthly meetings to keep up the connections from the campaign for the future. Perhaps there are other options, but those are the three I've spotted so far. There are so many opportunities I have had to pick and choose.
I strongly second the use of barackobam
Yes, President Obama! Please delegate more to the common person and especially Community Organizers.
Please let us know how we can help you get things done so that you can deal with the crises we can't.
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