I keep seeing bickering about the virtues and vices of the Obama Administration here at dkos. josephk is right. Whether or not you personally support Obama, HE IS NOT UP FOR REELECTION. The next month should be about Nancy Pelosi v. John Boehner and the progressive Democrats who are in danger of losing their seats. We’re talking about having a speaker who passed the Public Option vs. a speaker who passed out tobacco checks on the floor of the House, and saving the Democrats who can either continue to support future liberal legislation or watch ousted as a Republican House destroys their legacy.
Nancy Pelosi is one the finest Speakers of the House in the history of the United States. Her record of taking action and passing progressive legislation compares to Sam Rayburn’s and John McCormack’s. However, Pelosi didn’t do it alone. The majority of Democrats in the House stood up and voted for one of the most progressive agendas in history alongside her. The House passed a Public Option. They passed energy and climate change reforms. They passed financial reform and a jobs-focused stimulus package . No wonder the Republicans and conservatives hate her so much. The list of legislation passed by the House reads like a wish list for liberals. They even passed proposals to cut the deficit, something the Republicans cry and whine about but never support.
Now is their moment of truth. As of September 2nd, a Gallup poll shows Republicans with a 10 point advantage. The same survey shows an "enthusiasm gap" between "motivated" Republicans and Democratic voters of 25 points. Are we going to stand by and let these numbers play out to their apparent conclusion? We must not abandon these Democrats, teaching future Democrats to keep their heads down and shoes shined. We must fight to keep them in office, signaling to others that fighting for progressive causes is not an end to a career.
This "enthusiasm gap" needs to be reversed. Liberal Democratic and young voters need to hear about the accomplishments of the House. The way to get out of the recession and build a stronger America is to elect Democrats. When we win, I promise you will have plenty of time for lengthy and vigorous discussions about the Obama Administration. If we don’t, we can look forward to Boehner repealing health care, eliminating financial reform, and starting impeachment proceedings against Obama for being a Muslim.
And then diaries on Obama’s strengths or lack thereof will be forgotten luxuries.
So please take your energy for an Obama debate, multiply it by ten, and channel everything you’ve got into supporting progressive Democrats who ARE up for reelection and need our words, our actions and our money to win.
Concurrent with this diary I am making a donation to the cause of my choice. Find yours, here are a few good places to start:
Orange to Blue 2010
PCCC
DCCC
Jack Conway
Russ Fiengold
Democracy For America
Organize For America
MoveOn
ACTION: 18 Dem House Candidates Who Deserve Our Help