Frustrated by the mistakes of Democrats, the mistakes of the President? Well, many of us are. But the most popular Democrat is President Obama and regardless of what happens the next two years on any particular issue, I think we need to re-elect him. There may be little change and little hope for change in the near future, and we can debate why that is (I'm sure there is much responsibity for the debacle yesterday to be shared), but I do not think that losing the presidency in 2012 will help create progressive change. I do not subscribe to the philosophy that losing now might make us stronger in the future because things will get so much worse that the "revolution" will come.
So, what is to be done? (See V.I. Lenin for title, What Is to Be Done?) (I just like the title and do not see Lenin's pamphlet as the road forward)
Obama/Biden 2012
It's time to start the 2012 campaign.
This will cost millions of dollars, maybe a billion, because the forces of reaction are quite strong and they smell blood. The Bush agenda of destroying the New Deal is back on track with them.
We must keep the presidency and try to retake the House. And we have to outwork them, because they have the money.
For many progressives, this is a quite imperfect president. For others, he's great. Others are in the middle. Regardless, I see no viable road to change via a third party, and a real downside if the Republicans control the presidency. Therefore, I believe we should move on from this debacle, hope we (and others) have learned something, and fight the Republican reaction anew.
Obama/Biden 2012
Jesee Jackson, Keep Hope Alive, Never Surrender.
We must never surrender!! America will get better and better.
Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive! On tomorrow night and beyond, keep hope alive!
Jesse Jackson, 1988 DNC Speech
It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
Robert F. Kennedy
Obama/Biden 2012
Teddy Kennedy in 1980:
For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.
Teddy Kennedy, 1980 Democratic National Convention Address
Obama/Biden 2012
"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future.
Barack Obama 2008 DNC Speech
Obama/Biden 2012