Many of us remember the hundreds of thousands who gathered in Chicago on the evening of Obama's 2008 election. It felt like something remarkable had happened that fall. Not just that the country for the first time had elected someone who was not a white male to the presidency. Also, it felt like a sweeping activism had been involved in making it happen.#
"Remember, a terrible mistake was made when Obama was elected: namely, a lot of the Left believed in him. Obama had a tremendous amount of popular support, especially from young people — lots of young activists and organizers worked to get him elected. After the election, what happened? He told them, “Go home.” And unfortunately, they went home. Within two years, Obama had completely betrayed his constituency, and it showed in the 2010 election."#
I interpret this as an example of American politicians loving the insider's game more deeply than they are willing to admit.#
Our job as citizens may be, in part, to say to our elected officials over and over, "You're doing it again! You're doing that thing that ruins everything! You're playing governing as an insider's game. Stop it!"#
How, exactly, to get their attention and teach them that the insider's game won't do?#
Many of us remember the hundreds of thousands who gathered in Chicago on the evening of Obama's 2008 election. It felt like something remarkable had happened that fall. Not just that the country for the first time had elected someone who was not a white male to the presidency. Also, it felt like a sweeping activism had been involved in making it happen.#
"Remember, a terrible mistake was made when Obama was elected: namely, a lot of the Left believed in him. Obama had a tremendous amount of popular support, especially from young people — lots of young activists and organizers worked to get him elected. After the election, what happened? He told them, “Go home.” And unfortunately, they went home. Within two years, Obama had completely betrayed his constituency, and it showed in the 2010 election."#
I interpret this as an example of American politicians loving the insider's game more deeply than they are willing to admit.#
Our job as citizens may be, in part, to say to our elected officials over and over, "You're doing it again! You're doing that thing that ruins everything! You're playing governing as an insider's game. Stop it!"#
How, exactly, to get their attention and teach them that the insider's game won't do?#