There was an interesting paragraph in a well-worth reading TNR profile about Obama that came out a couple of weeks ago:
"But there may be some fragility to the public fervor that has occasionally envelops him. Crowds and cults can be fickle, and if some of his decisions disappoint, or turn out badly, his support will diminish. Some people think it might even collapse."
I have heard that same concern anecdotally, both here and elsewhere, and not just from an ideological standpoint, but pragmatically: experienced campaign volunteers noting that it seems harder to get commitments from some of these newcomers now that it's time for the really hard work to begin. While it is minorly worrisome, I have largely dismissed it. For too many reasons to list here, this time is different.
But the hand-wringing and finger-pointing over Obama's failure to have prevented the House vote on the FISA issue with one Messiah-like wave of his hand is extremely distressing to me.
And I wonder if we are going to have a problem with fickle supporters- just not the one we had anticipated.
When Obama said in his speeches, "the road ahead will be long and our task will not be easy," I never dreamed he would need to be directing those words to progressive Democrats, or to Kossacks.... who should already know better! But please, let me remind you:
IT HAS BEEN EXACTLY TWO-AND-ONE-HALF WEEKS SINCE HE WON THIS NOMINATION!
The politics of cynicism and fear aren't just the province of the Republicans- those politics are at work in our own party as well. Are we then, so cynical that we would throw our new nominee under the bus (nope, not using that cliché) turn on Obama before he even gets into office and has a change to prove that he is the leader we all have hoped he is going to be? Because this loss of faith in him so quickly is nothing more than the cynicism we all fight managing to take the lead in that battle.
To make matters worse, many here have expounded upon their position by saying, "Well, I'm still going to vote for him, I'm just not going to give him any more money or work for his campaign." And the question was raised here:
"Are you saying that voting for a candidate is not sufficient? That you have to also donate time and money, or else your support doesn't count? Since when is voting not enough?"
As we all should know as of 2000, your vote is the most important part of the support you can give a candidate, and of course it "counts." But when is it not enough? It's not enough if you were previously doing more and are now withholding your support to punish Obama for not handling this matter in precisely the way you demand. We need to be adding more soldiers to our army, not fighting desertion among our current ranks!
Now by all means, withhold your donations to the DCCC- that absolutely makes sense in light of their disgraceful appeasement of the President and his agenda to destroy our civil liberties. When I got Pelosi's letter today asking for money, I was shocked she had the gall to do so on the day when Congress has so clearly demonstrated that they don't have our backs... why should we have theirs?! In fact, I responded in part:
"Barack Obama has turned me on to the political process for the first time ever. Unfortunately for the DCCC at this time, "turning on" has meant "turning into" a progressive, who, as you know, are committed to electing "more and better" Democrats. Well, as far as my money is concerned, you need to do better... or there won't be any more.
Perhaps our party and our country would be better served if you would kindly realize that rather than "all eyes being on fundraising totals", all eyes were on you and your fellow Democrats to see if you would do the right thing today... and you did not."
But Obama (and the DNC) need our continued, "full-throated" support: not just our votes, but our money and our time, and I for one have no intention of withholding it. Yes, Obama may still disappoint us... but please at least give him the chance not to. There will be more than enough time after we get him elected to hold him accountable. And believe me, I fully intend to- my devotion to his campaign doesn't come without qualifications!
BUT it does come with the commitment to get him elected no matter what at this point, if for no other reason than WHAT OTHER CHOICE DO WE HAVE?
Now, let me be clear. Supporting Obama for me is NOT a "lesser of two evils" proposition. He was and is my first, last, and wholehearted choice to lead this nation, and I personally have yet to see any indication that he won't be the kind of President he has promised he will be. But should that day regrettably come, you will see me just as outraged as many are here today, and threatening to withhold all types of my support...
...for his re-election campaign. And not a moment before that.