Obama: Beyond Savior or Trickster

As President Obama enters his fourth month in office, two tendencies among progressive-minded Americans seem most hazardous to the political health of the country. The gist of one approach is that Obama can't do anything seriously wrong; the other is that he can't do anything seriously right.

Among the tendencies, the first is more widespread and more dangerous. All kinds of atrocious policies -- from Lyndon Johnson's war on Vietnam to Jimmy Carter's midterm swerve rightward to Bill Clinton's neoliberal measures such as NAFTA, "welfare reform" and Wall Street deregulation -- were calamities facilitated by acquiescence or mild dissent from many left-leaning Democrats.

Some historical analogies are acutely relevant, and the LBJ/Vietnam Obama/Afghanistan comparison is one of them. During the first couple of years after Johnson's inauguration in January 1965, with few exceptions, liberal members of Congress and leaders of liberal-oriented groups routinely voiced support for the war escalation; others mumbled their misgivings as the president ordered more troops and firepower to Vietnam. Today, similar mumbling about Afghanistan attests to the repetition compulsion disorder of the U.S. warfare state.

Whatever can be said for avoidance of ruffling feathers in the new administration is greatly outweighed by the dire long-term effects. We can't build a vibrant progressive movement -- or strengthen a base capable of moving the country in progressive directions for the long haul -- by winking and nodding at Democratic policies that would have drawn our sharp criticism if they were being implemented by a Republican administration.

Another destructive dynamic: A corporatized Democratic administration helps Republicans put on populist costumes and pose as opponents of corporate elites. For instance, when Democratic officials and progressive allies act as though the massive federal giveaways to banks are no cause for outrage, demobilization of the party's progressive base is predictable.

With the November midterm elections now 18 months away, the specter of the post-NAFTA 1994 election that gave control of Congress to Republicans is an ominous poltergeist that's already haunting Capitol Hill. Rather than serving, yet again, as enablers for a Democratic administration to pursue a corporate-friendly course, progressives should be pushing hard in the opposite direction.

Among the Democratic base, the widespread eagerness to put Obama on a very high pedestal is emblematic of a depoliticized culture. Fixating on his impressive personal qualities is a way of turning the overall political picture into a fuzzy background.

Oft-cited, yet still worth recalling, is the spot in his book The Audacity of Hope where Obama wrote: "I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views." At least as importantly, Obama is a master of speaking and acting in ways that gravitate to the center of political gravity.

We should be hard at work at the grassroots to move that center of political gravity in progressive directions, which requires speaking truth about power -- a far different endeavor than reflexively defending or vilifying Obama.

It should be axiomatic -- for commentators who refuse to be partisan hacks, for activists with progressive commitments, for anyone determined to elude Orwellian doublethink -- that presidential actions and policies should be assessed and supported or opposed on their merits.

Rejecting Obama iconography and demonology is necessary for a healthy progressive movement. We won't get far by trying to leapfrog the actual political conditions of the country. Our task is to change them.

Obama's corporate and military policies are reflections of anti-democratic imbalances of power that are part of the political economy. We shouldn't let him off the hook any more than we should refuse to acknowledge his positive actions, such as progressive aspects of his proposed budget.

The possibilities for progressive solutions will be bound up in propelling change from the grassroots -- the methodical, often-tedious and essential tasks of talking and listening and organizing in communities across the country. When President Obama takes a progressive step, it has been made possible by progressive activism. When President Obama takes an anti-progressive step, it has been facilitated by progressives muting their criticism. The antidote to political poisons is to intelligently raise our voices.

Comments

[Eoin45]

I'd consider myself a progressive and it was clear to me from the start that Obama was not - at least by old defintions. I voted for him enthusiastically anyway and still supoort him. Grownups realize that most of our populace is somewhere in the middle. We also know that there will never be a candidate who shares all of our positions one to one. I vote for politicians who'll move the ball down the field in the right direction. It's fine to try and influence Obama in progressive directions just don't throw a collective hissy fit every time he decides otherwise. He is clearly a person of high intelligence and political skill. I'm content for the moment to give him his shot at a different kind of politics and see what the results are. They certainly will be better than anything conservatives have done in the last 40 years.

[TRYKER]

Well said, I agree. Its a whole 100 days today and he has logged a lot of miles, shaken a lot of hands and smiled at everyone he met. That is the direction we want to go.
So far, he hasn't said or done anything that is radically upsetting. His original stance on the prosecutions question was measured and reasonable. This is one thing that is huge, we can't do too much but to let it come out.
The right thing will happen, good grief, Obama doesn't want to fail in his historic presidency. That alone should give people pause when they declare him a failure at this or that immediately. Too many people still don't understand how an intelligent President might act, they really underestimate him.

[SEQUOIABISON]

Norman Solomon, so happy to see you here on HuffPost, I am a great admirer of yours and your constant push to achieve worldwide peace, hope we hear more from you, we need a lot more open minded progressives like yourself pushing liberals to do the right thing. I salute your high moral standards.

[jazzman]

"I agree with everything you say. Now go out and make me do it." - FDR

[learningisjoy]

nomobull - dearheart, this is an opinion piece, not an article.

Alicia - good points.

Helzpoppin - At least you care enough to vote. I hope you find a candidate you can put some energy behind next time.

Many Americans are understandably confused by a President who comes up with pragmatic solutions and then acts on them. We are used to being talked down to by phonies who refuse to act since their priority isn't solving problems, but being reelected. We mindlessly elected those who spent their time putting the blame for what's wrong on others, retroactively claiming credit for anything that accidentally worked, and doing nothing of substance. Now absolutely everything is in crisis. No President and no plan is going to have universal approval, and at this point no solutions will come without pain. If we had neglected our physical health for decades we would need surgery and painful drug therapy and months or years of tough recovery. We almost universally abdicated our civic responsibility for decades and allowed big business to run roughshod over weak-willed career politicians even though we knew their focus was profit over the common good. We waited for someone to come along and "do something" while we did nothing. A President who acts, like Obama acts, has my support and also my participation - and he'll hear about it if I disagree with what he does. I hope he hears from everyone, because that is the hope and change we need - participation.

[samiael888]

It is irrational to judge a team when it has not even finished one innings at the plate, or has not as yet finished the first quarter. Tactics and startegies have got to be developed along the way so that an ever changing situation can be dealt with in constructive manner. I guess it is the desire of some to see miracles from day one as if a Messiah had appeared with heaven taking the place of earth. If one would rationally and objectively analyse what this President has done since taking office less than one hundred (100) days ago, it will reveal that he keeps a torrid pace in attending to the multitude of problems that face this nation, many of which he inherited from the incompetent and arrogant administration before, and has done remarkably well in repositioning the nation to be a leader and respected around the world, and iis laying the foundation for better economic days. Remember the foundation must be laid before the building is erected. Those who want to see and judge the building while the foundation is being laid and without knowing what the building would look like, are living in a fool's paradise.

[Helzapoppin]

Obama described himself as a blank screen. . . I'd say that about sums it up. I voted for him because I had no other real choice. But he is obviously in over his head and has demonstrated abysmal judgement. I wash my hands of him. I'll be looking for a 3rd party candidate in 2012.

[jazzman]

Say what? What planet are you living on?

[Eoin45]

How very shallow of you. Abysmal judgment? Over his head? In your dreams. Please do vote for a third party candidate. You obviously don't understand Obama.

[Alicia Edwards]

He is a new president that is doing damage control from the last 8 years. He is a likable, charismatic person....­even his critics concede to that. As a staunch Democrat will I agree with all his policies?.­...maybe not. But I do respect and believe in his integrity and desire to do what is best for America. And yes we should hold him accountable as our president.­... not our best friend.

Alicia
http://fashionasmusings.blogspot.com/

[nomobull]

another article that's more opinion than fact. please when did he ever identify as a progressive.