left and elections (part two)
"However, the fact that Barack Obama openly defines himself as a centrist invites the formation of this progressive force within his coalition. Anything less could allow his eventual drift towards the right as the general election approaches. It was the industrial strikes and radical organizers in the 1930s who pushed Roosevelt to support the New Deal. It was the civil rights and student movements that brought about voting rights legislation under Lyndon Johnson and propelled Eugene McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy’s anti-war campaigns. It was the original Earth Day that led Richard Nixon to sign environmental laws. And it will be the Obama movement that makes it necessary and possible to end the war in Iraq, renew our economy with a populist emphasis, and confront the challenge of global warming."
I think it's clear that thinking of the upsurge of activity around Obama as a social movement is somewhat helpful but lacks analytical clarity, and it's important to really understand the dynamics of what's happening without shorthanding it as a social movement. Regardless, I think of this as an effort to build a relationship with the large numbers of folks that have chosen to express their political frustrations and hopes via Obama. I think that's an important place to be, especially since after the election people will be all over the map and trying to get sectors oriented coherently and in a positive direction means you need to be in the mix.
I think it's clear that thinking of the upsurge of activity around Obama as a social movement is somewhat helpful but lacks analytical clarity, and it's important to really understand the dynamics of what's happening without shorthanding it as a social movement. Regardless, I think of this as an effort to build a relationship with the large numbers of folks that have chosen to express their political frustrations and hopes via Obama. I think that's an important place to be, especially since after the election people will be all over the map and trying to get sectors oriented coherently and in a positive direction means you need to be in the mix.