I've been reading with dismay the messages on the newest, fastest-growing MyBO group, SenatorObama-PleaseVoteAgainstFISA. Many (not all) of those people are really taking things too far. They are withdrawing all support from Obama and even asking for refunds for all previous donations made to the Obama campaign.
I am appalled. Who in their right mind would rather see a President McCain who would strengthen and expand spying programs and invade more and more of our privacy. There are many ways to put pressure on Obama, but threatening to put in office someone who is much, much worse on the very issue you are upset about... well, that's just stupidity.
Let's get real here, people. Obama is supporting a compromise. You know you've got a compromise when people on both sides are unhappy... and, well, that's what we've got. People on both sides are definitely unhappy. I'm unhappy, a lot of people on this site are unhappy, conservatives are unhappy. Meanwhile, McCain is laughing and loving this.
Obama's central platform has always been compromise versus gridlock. He has told us over and over that he will compromise rather than allow gridlock to rule the day. Did these people not listen? Or did they just choose to ignore that. Obama has told us over and over that the pursuit of perfection is the enemy of improvement. Entrenchment is the enemy of progress.
This bill is a first step, not the end game. It's up to us to ensure that we keep moving forward on this issue. Now, I'm not saying that I like this compromise, but I am saying that moving forward an inch by electing Obama is much better than moving backwards by a mile by electing McCain.
I think the reason we're seeing so much opposition is because Democrats are feeling too comfortable about November. People are taking it for granted that Obama is doing so well now that he is a shoo-in (as a matter of fact, many of the FISA activists are saying so explicitly). But he is not a shoo-in. This race will be much closer than it appears now. Remember the Republican primary when everyone thought McCain's candidacy was dead? Heck, remember when everyone thought that Hillary was inevitable? Remember 2004 when everyone thought that the hatred for Bush was so wide and so deep that he had to lose???
Many presidential candidates have been considered inevitable and then lost. Many times a candidate has been way ahead and then America had buyers remorse close to the election. Many things could also change between now and then to make Americans more fearful, more willing to accept a war-monger like McCain. We need to be building a lead, a cushion of support, if you will -- not taking it for granted that we can do whatever we want right now and still win in November.
If Obama gets into office, I believe we will see movement in the direction we want on this issue. But I also believe with all of my heart that if McCain gets into office, we're going to see movement in the opposite direction. Do we really need to be reminded of all of the things that are different about Obama and McCain, including FISA?
Obama is in a no win situation right now, and it is unreasonable supporters who have put him there. If he did not compromise on FISA, he would have lost support from Independents and moderates who he needs to win in November. At the same time, he is being treated by some purity trolls as a traitor (or worse) for compromising.
The best way to get support for the position we want on FISA is to change public opinion. Obama made the compromise he made because public opinion is what it is. You can have an opinion, but so can the rest of America. And guess what... numbers matter most!
So, the bottom line... do what Obama has asked of you all along: Get out there and work to make change, don't expect him to do all of the heavy lifting without support and involvement from the grassroots. How many times has Obama said he can't do it without us? Did you really understand what that meant? Give it some thought. Much of the work and support he was talking about was about changing public opinion and putting pressure on other elected officials to support these very positions.
Obama told us what he needs us to do so that he can accomplish the goals we set forth. Instead of doing that, some people have chosen to attack him instead, even asking for donations to be refunded from months and months back.
Well, I will be donating as much as I can scrape together this month to make up for those who are resorting to such nonsense. Who's with me?
UPDATE: I just want to make perfectly clear to everyone reading this diary that I joined that MyBO group (gee, how else would I be getting their emails?). The reason I joined was because I disagree with the FISA bill, and I'd like Obama to vote against it, and I wanted to voice that. What I object to is not the dissent -- I object to the people who are crossing the line between dissent and sabotage. They know who they are too. The people who are fine with McCain winning as long as they get to make their point about FISA. If you're not in that group, then I'm not talking to you (but I hope you're listening anyway because I think this is important, and I hope you're with me).