Let's assume triangulating Democrats and screaming progressives don't screw it up for us, and Obama is elected the next president.
I feel strangely confident that this will occur.
But it's been widely noted that President Obama will be taking over a wounded nation; by what measure should we judge his ability to lead us towards a brighter future?
The problems President Obama will inherit: (not in order of importance)
- The Iraq War
- The Recession/Depression with rising gas prices
- Climate Change crisis
- The crimes of the Bush Administration and how they've undermined our democracy
- A highly stratified population with a growing divide between rich/poor
- A furor over illegal immigration
- Crumbling infrastructure
- Outdated free trade policies stealing jobs
- Endangered species of Social Security
- Exponentially increasing health insurance rates/Universal Healthcare
I'm sure there's more that I've missed, and I'm sure the Kos community will be kind enough to point those out.
What I'm thinking about, in the wake of the outcry about Obama's FISA decision and other recent statements, is what are the non-negotiables for an Obama presidency? Which items above must absolutely be addressed in order to consider him faithful to his vision and a successful leader?
I say this knowing, unfortunately, that all of the above will be impossible to fully solve or deal with by a single president in a single term. The term "choose your battles" is not one that progressives like to hear, but I find myself wondering which of the above will the left be watching the most closely?
Here are my non-negotiables:
A. I think the most obvious is the Iraq war. If President Obama does not honor his commitment for an IMMEDIATE change of mission for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he will already become a disappointment. Seeing as he's repeatedly stated that this meeting will take place on his FIRST day in office, we won't have to wait long to see if he's moving forward on this. The mission, he's stated, will be to bring the war to an end. If he commits to this on his first day of office, even if the timetable ends up taking longer than what he's been saying in the campaign, I'll deem it sufficient.
B. The next issue which many on the left will be watching carefully is in what way, if any, an Obama Administration begins to investigate the constitutional abuses of the Bush Administration. He has committed many times to the possibility of holding people accountable if the law was knowingly thwarted, and that we must do this in order to restore our democracy. If President Obama assigns a task force in his cabinet, or includes a directive to Congress in his first state of the union address that demands hearings, to address any of the Bush crimes (torture, warrantless wiretapping, Plame incident, distorting intelligence to get us into war), then I will consider this a move in the right direction. If he simply wishes the country to move forward without delving into a "witch hunt" that will divide the country, I will consider that a failure on his part.
C. Next comes the climate crisis. Obama has stated he wants to pump billions into creating a green economy. This will have the effect of creating jobs in the energy sector. I see this as part of a package that will also create jobs to update our national infrastructure. If President Obama presents a legislative package in his first state of the union address that includes such a provision for green jobs and infrastructure, I will be pleased and see it as a step forward. I think this legislative package also needs to include strict proposals of new laws to cap carbon emissions in an aggressive way, and fund research into a comprehensive renewable energy program, including a demand of cars that get a minimum of 50 mpg or use hydrogen/electric power.
D. Now healthcare. He says he'll pass universal healthcare by the end of his first term. I know there was a debate during the primaries about whether his plan that has no mandate is really universal. I happen to think that we'll never have universal healthcare if we start with the demand for a mandate. I also think that a mandate is heaven to the insurance companies, and we need to take our universal healthcare approach in stages. If we can start with Obama's plan and put regulation in place to lower costs while creating government packages that are affordable that anyone can purchase (no more worries about preconditions), then I think we'll be moving in the right direction. If he truly accomplishes this by the end of his first term, I will be full of deep respect and admiration and appreciation.
E. Finally, I will be watching out for what President Obama does with No Child Left Behind. As a public school teacher, this is an issue close to my heart. I also think it's an issue that's tied directly to struggle against poverty. He has proposed an investment in preschool --this is vital. He has proposed paying teachers more, using merit pay -- I could go either way on this. He has proposed directing money to fund Science and Math, as well as drama and art programs. Also vital. And his program to mandate community service for middle school and high school students, as well as offer credits/tuition for college students, is a very powerful idea. I expect to see, by the end of his first term, a clear agenda for education from pre-k all the way through university, and a complete rehaul of No Child Left Behind. If NCLB stays put with only minor tweaks, I will be horrified.
I could go on with all the rest of my expectations and my dreams, but I have chosen to elaborate on what I think are the key ways in which I will measure the Obama Administration. What about you?