As I have often said of myself, I cop to being the "shilliest of Obama shills". Not because I think he walks on water, but because my political instincts tell me that our time does not offer us any better vehicle. While others spent the primaries beating each other up about hedge funds, Tony Rezko, who said or did what regarding the lead-up to the war in Iraq, mandates and the differences in theoretical health plans - I tried as often as I could to debate around the nature of change itself. How it could be delivered and who could deliver it. Most importantly...by what process.
This focus (and the conclusions I drew from it) often put me at odds with the many on this board who view dissent as the best process for change. So we have the debate. I and many others like me have accepted the challenge of questioning the majority view on how change happens. We've spoken up to question the assumptions that appear to be accepted here. I harbor no illusions that doing so changes minds, but hopefully it makes for a better conversation. One we can all learn from. What a boring place this would be if everyone agreed. That is why a lot of the meta in which it is hinted that folks less critical of the President are somehow "shooting down debate", "driving progressives away" or in any way victimizing progressives is silly. We are a big community and we can tolerate a diversity of voices. Even voices like mine - and surely voices that disagree with me.
Anyhow - In the heat of these conversations many of us will be accused of being unwilling to criticize the President. Patently untrue in my case as I have a nice long list of critique and have expressed it openly - but today on this 4th of July I thought I would offer up some full-throated criticism on an issue which is deeply meaningful to me.
On the night after Obama's victory - clearly taken by the moment, I wrote the following little seen diary - which I will reprint in its entirety here. I do so because I think enough time has gone by to conclude that President Obama has not yet come close to meeting the expectations that I and other ardent supporters had for him when it comes to national service. It is a missed opportunity of gigantic proportions and I urge him and his administration to take corrective measures.
Anyhow - this was my diary that night:
In Which I Make A Demand of President-Elect Obama
No President pleases everyone. I realized that before I committed myself to the Obama campaign. I've never had the expectation that a President Obama would do my bidding on every issue. It is enough that we share basic values. I'll support him as much as possible and criticize him when I must. But there is one demand that I do make. It is a demand that I hope you all will join me in.
I demand to be called to service. I demand to be asked to contribute to my community.
Much was made of the words "community organizer" in this election. Most shamefully at the Republican convention when Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani openly mocked community organizers even as some in the audience held signs boasting the word "service".
Service is important to me. One day when I was out registering voters in my uber-conservative corner of central Georgia, I ran into a gentleman I knew from work who was shocked that I'd be donating my time to work for Barack Obama.
He told me I was foolish for thinking either of "these guys" could make an ounce of difference. I answered, "look at all the people he's got volunteering for him. Go on Youtube and search the words Camp Obama and see how he is training the next generation of community leaders. These people won't stop contributing to their communities when the campaign is over. They'll start literacy campaigns and fight poverty in their home towns. This...above all else...is why I think Obama has already has made a difference."
His answer: "All of that will stop after the election".
So here we are. The election is over and we triumphed. We built the largest and best GOTV operation in American history. The Obama campaign holds the key to the greatest activist infrastructure ever, and we are now riding a moment of real optimism and civil engagement.
This must not be wasted.
President-elect Obama...you rightly criticized President Bush for asking nothing of us after 9/11. You awakened the dormant spirit of a country that was once willing to come together when asked. You made us think back on John F. Kennedy's excoriation to ask not what our country could do for us, but instead what we can do for our country.
With all of this in mind President-elect Obama...I challenge you. I challenge you to challenge me. Call me into service. Call all Americans to think beyond themselves.
I call upon the DKos community to join me in making this demand. I call on all of you to bang this drum every day until January 20th so that this feeling builds and this expectation grows.
All of this had to be about more than an election. If not...it could not have been worth the effort. I am confident that Barack Obama would ask me anyhow even if I did not demand it, but I will not be an inactive participant in American life any more.
I demand to be asked. Anything less is unacceptable to me.
President-elect Obama - don't forget about us.
Whether a moment ever truly existed in which he could have mobilized Americans, I'll never know. It seems that there were tea parties within weeks of his swearing-in and the spectre of the tanking economy had swallowed his honeymoon whole before he got unpacked. But on the other hand, I have not really seen him try.
It is the 4th of July Mr. President. I am still waiting to be asked.
- signed your shilliest of shills.