I find Greg Sargent to be one of the most incisive writers on politics around, an excellent blogger. He nails it in a post today:
The Daley pick will inevitably reinforce a faulty interpretation of Obama's first two years: That Obama governed from the far left.
The problem with William Daley as new chief of staff
As many have already pointed out, Daley repeatedly criticized Obama's agenda as too left-wing. For instance, he said:
"They miscalculated on health care. The election of '08 sent a message that after 30 years of center-right governing, we had moved to center left -- not left."
Now that Daley has been picked, there will be a fair amount of commentary to the effect that Obama has wisely received this message and is in the midst of a course correction. But here's the thing: Daley is wrong. Obama didn't govern from the "left." And as it happens, he did govern from the "center left."
The problem with William Daley as new chief of staff
The media has defined centrist policies of this adminstration, band-aids to fundamental flaws in our economic and political system, as the left, and pushed the Overton Window to the right.
Go back to 2006 and 2008. Look at now.
Yet what's actually happened is that in so doing, Republicans have moved to the right, and we've all agreed to move what we arbitrarily call the "center" to the right in order to accomodate this.
The problem with William Daley as new chief of staff
This is why we need a left in this nation. This President is not it.
We need another way.
Here is a conversation between GreenSooner and me this morning that suggests possibilities. The whole thread constinues the discussion, and includes some proposals by War on Error. I'll just copy the first two comments here for discussion purposes.
I think issues, organizing, unions, etc.
I think issues, organizing, unions, etc. (7+ / 0-)
Recommended by:irmaly, GreenSooner, mattman, mightymouse, War on Error, pinkomommy, Kristina40
Right now, the Dems are center right and third party alternatives seem ineffectual or counter-productive. Issue activism. Electoral activism only for progressive candidates.
People can vote for Obama or Dems; it will help reduce suffering at the margins. It's just not that important. Activism must be put in other directions.
E.g., growing unions; ending the war in Afghanistan (even if it means calling out the Democratic Party)
Any other possble directions you see?
Trumka: "Absolutely Insane" to Extend Tax Cuts for Millionaires
by TomP on Thu Jan 06, 2011 at 09:45:43 AM PST
* [new] I think this is exactly correct. (4+ / 0-)
Recommended by:mattman, mightymouse, TomP, Kristina40
But I think we need to have much more involved and productive conversations about effective forms of non-electoral organizing. And then we have to organize. There are a lot of models out there. And there are plenty of small such efforts already on the left. But there's nothing that remotely has the traction of, say, the labor movement in the '30s or the civil rights movement in the '50s and '60s...or even of the Tea Party (astroturfy though it may be).
I hope that on DK4 we'll be able to create some spaces dedicated to working on these things.
Indefinite detention is tyranny.
by GreenSooner on Thu Jan 06, 2011 at 09:51:59 AM PST
(bold added by me now)
There needs to be real left in this nation that is not owned by the Obama adminstration or the Democratic Party.
MoveOn and DFA are moderate left and perhaps a start, but too easily controlled by the Obama administration, an adminstration that is increasingly irrelevant to the real problems of this nation. Yes, they will fight to save the band-aids, and band-aids do help people, but the gross inequality will continue as will the suffering of so many.
I saw a diary yeaterday promoting OFA's street threater about repeal of health care when it will pass the house, fail the senate, and would be vetoed anyway. For me, that is not the activism we need long-term, although people are certainly welcome to have "fun" at their House members office, as FemLaw put it. The Obama adminstration agenda is just not all that relevant to the real problems we face. Yes, they will fight and compromise, etc.
We need to help build a left movement and work with those who are doing so.
Update I: AFL-CIO's Trumka on Daley:
The president is of course entitled to choose a chief of staff in whom he has complete confidence. Yet President Obama and his Administration will ultimately be judged by results -- whether the economy recovers robustly and begins to generate good jobs on the scale needed to improve the lives of working people.
The president needs a chief of staff who will reach out to diverse constituencies and make sure that the voices of ordinary Americans are heard in the White House. We are hopeful that the new chief of staff's priority is to achieve the strong economy that working people desperately need. This is the time for strong leadership from the White House to invest in America's future, create millions of good jobs, safeguard our retirement security and health care, strengthen workers’ rights and the role of the unions, and reform our flawed trade policies to restore America's place in the global economy.
Trumka muted on Daley