When the chips are down and the decisions are made as to who the candidates will be, then the 11th commandment prevails and everybody goes to work, and that is: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.
-- Ronald Reagan
The chips are down my friends.
Our nominee has been chosen. And from now until November, the 11th commandment -- revised leftward, of course -- is in effect.
Thou shalt not speak ill of another Democrat. Specifically, thou shalt not speak ill of Barack Obama (or Michelle Obama, or the Obama campaign, or Obama volunteers, or Obama supporters...). Capiche?
Now that the chips are down, we have a job to do: Elect Barack Obama as our 44th President.
And we will only have a harder time doing that job if people on the left are echoing conservative talking points about Obama.
So...
From now until November, howsabouts we don't say any of the following:
Barack Obama is arrogant.
Barack Obama is naive.
Barack Obama is not a fighter.
Barack Obama is a bad campaigner.
Barack Obama has a problem with working class whites.
Barack Obama stumbles over his words too much, and sounds indecisive.
Barack Obama needs to pick someone with military background as his VP, because if he doesn't, he will look weak on national security.
Barack Obama needs to pick Hillary Clinton as his VP, because if he doesn't, he will not be able to win over her supporters.
Barack Obama has a problem with latino/a voters.
Barack Obama has a problem with Jewish voters.
Barack Obama is sexist.
The Obama campaign should keep Michelle under wraps, because she frightens some white people.
Michelle Obama frightens me.
Oh noes! A tape! Michelle Obama!
The Obama campaign is being ageist against John McCain.
Obama supporters are cult-like.
Et cetera. Et cetera.
Furthermore, we should avoid using the words "scary," "scares," "frightening," "worrisome," "fearful" etc. when discussing Obama or his campaign. These have emerged as the racist code-words du jour.
Now, I am not saying that there are not, or will not be, reasons to criticize Obama. There are some situations in which concerted outcry from the left might move Obama to the left. Moving Obama to the left is a good thing to do.
That said, a single voice in the wilderness crying out about a random issue is not going to move Obama to the left. The effort has to be concerted.
Moreover, the effort should be structured in such a way as to not greatly diminish Obama's chances of getting elected, or of passing progressive reforms. One way to avoid this effect would be to frame criticisms of Obama as attempts to enable Obama to live up to his potential. This type of criticism will elevate Obama in peoples' eyes, rather than diminish him. Furthermore, it doesn't play into conservative or MSM narratives about "divided dems."
For an example of this type of campaign, check out the proposed effort at OpenLeft to encourage Obama supporters to express their support for the Responsible Plan to end the war in Iraq.
I've also heard rumblings in my parts about a student walkout on the day of Obama's inauguration, framed as an effort to help Obama realize his promises about ending the War in Iraq.
I'll close with a story. On the eve of super Tuesday, I was making phone calls for Barack Obama in his Chicago volunteer headquarters. I was there that night with at least 200 other people, one of whom was Cornel West. Professor West was there to energize us, and to put our work in some perspective. As is typical, his words that night were eloquent and powerful. He talked about how we are only now emerging from an "ice age" in American politics -- a period defined by coldness, a lack of empathy for our fellow humans, and a crushing apathy. "Apathy," Mr. West said, "is the one trait that makes even the angels shudder."
Dr. West said that Barack Obama's candidacy was beginning to thaw-out this country, was beginning to allow us to feel for each other again.
Cornel West, like many of us, is hoping that Obama gets elected. He said that night that after Obama is elected, he is going to party for a couple of days. But then, after three days, he plans to wake up and be Obama's fiercest critic.
Maybe we could all plan to do the same.
Update: For the sake of clarity, I am not saying that substantive criticisms of Obama should be verboten. I'm saying that right-wing talking points and/or codewords should be avoided, if possible.