Lately I've been feeling more and more optimistic about reviving the progressive movement in this country. I think I've good reason to:
- The Democrats actually have some good politicians that by all accounts seem sincerely and genuinely dedicated to progressive causes, such as Obama, Feingold, Dean, Edwards, Gore, Kucinich, and Reid (on his good days).
- Growing list of powerful progressive voices: Jon Stewart, Al Franken, Michael Moore, Cindy Sheehan, Molly Ivans, Joshua Marshall, David Sirota, Arianna Huffington, and folks likes those at The Nation, TPM Cafe, American Prospect, Mother Jones, TomPaine.com, and, of course, DailyKos.
- New people and organizations working on improving the infrastructure of the progressive movement: MoveOn, George Lakoff and the Rockridge Institute, Ruy Teixeira, Jeffrey Feldman, Center for American Progress, Open Society Institute, Common Cause, Media Matters, Institute for Policy Studies, Progressive Policy Institute, and the Roosevelt Institution.
- Workable solutions to problems that are blocking progressive manifestation, such as instant runoff voting and public financing of elections.
At the same time, I have few illusions about the problems that face progressivism. Probably the single greatest issue we face is the number of Democratic politicians that are beholden to corporate America. As long as the executive class has a stranglehold on the political machine, we will remain in limbo (no matter who is in office). The insidious nature of corporations are once again coming to light, and I am hopeful that the American people will find the will to bring their abuses under tighter control. In fact, I believe that this will soon turn into the Next Great Movement, since it is one that affects all people, no matter their race, gender, nationality, or even political affiliation.
I also believe that all those reasons I mentioned that lead to my optimism will not fully bloom for years to come. It will take a very long time to extricate the corporations from DC, perhaps several decades. The infrastructure reconstruction will also take quite a while, although perhaps not as long as it took the GOP after Goldwater.
I am excited about the 2006/2008 races, and I really do think there is a chance that the political shift back to the Democrats might actually be strong enough to overcome whatever electoral hijacking the rethugs have in store. But as we know, it isn't enough just to kick the bums out...we need to continue building our party and our movement, regardless of our electoral victories. Moreover, once we do win back DC, the temptation to climb further into bed with corporate America will be all the stronger.
It will be up to us, the netroots and grassroots, to remain eternally vigilant against this...to remind the politicians whom they serve and why: to fulfill the dream embedded in the Constitution and in the hearts of all true Americans. The dream of a free and fair society, a land of opportunity for all, and a country that can bring out the best in us all.