Ramble

I have friends who love Obama. Heck, I like the guy. He certainly gives eloquent speeches, but as this fantastic essay points out, his stump speech strategy is exactly the opposite of what we need in this country.

Superficially about the non-existent “feud” between Paul Krugman and Obama, Lambert deftly transitions to a deeper examination of the current political landscape, the rise of the Conservative Movement, and a strategy for defeating it and instituting a real Progressive agenda. Here’s a hint, we aren’t going to get anywhere by being “concilitory”:

Obama presents himself as a change agent, but weakens the forces that bring about change. You can’t win a mandate with a content-free platform, and conflict-free is content-free. And if there’s no mandate for change, then there’s no change.

This is exactly right. We have huge problems to deal with in this country, from Iraq to health care to global warming and resource depletion. The entrenched interests that got us into the current mess we find ourselves are not going to voluntarily start working against their own interests to tackle these problems. Change will only happen if it is forced. That means Progressives need to forcefully counter Conservative Movement rhetoric and ideas while engaging in, gasp, partisan politics to force through legislation.

The next President needs to be willing to brawl with the Republican party and the corporate interests they represent in order to get any meaningful changes instituted. Trying to be “bipartisan” at this point just works to the advantage of the Conservative Movement and results in weak, hollow “victories” like the pathetic energy bill just recently passed.

I am not doing this essay justice. It is among the best political essays I’ve read all year and truly a must read.