Oprah Winfrey made big news late last year when she decided to make her first-ever political endorsement. It remains to be seen what sort of impact that endorsement will have, but some observers are already suggesting that Winfrey could create a much broader, lasting legacy if she chooses to lend her name and clout to small-d democracy and the idea that, in order for our nation to survive, we must all do more than vote.
Writing recently at his nonpartisan "Redeeming Hope" blog, Rich Harwood of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation said:
I urge you to kick off a national discussion on politics and public life. It doesn't have to be abstract and boring. Instead, it should focus on how each of us can engage and connect with one another in daily life. You could even focus on a single book that people could read together. Imagine if the 30,000 people who gathered in the South Carolina stadium ... week were invited to grab a book, start reading, and start talking to one another - and with their fellow citizens across the nation.
Imagine that, indeed: What if Oprah's Book Club hunkered down to study - then strengthen via action - the very fabric of our democracy? In fact, I have a few possible books to suggest along these lines. (And perhaps you will have others that you can add in the comments ...)
Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life (2006) by Frances Moore Lappé tells how we can replace what she calls the current "thin democracy" with a more vital, inclusive form of Living Democracy that involves people on the ground level, in their communities. (Frankie's latest book, Getting a Grip, is a how-to manual on that theme. She'll be our featured guest at a live blog at 1 p.m. Eastern tomorrow - Thursday, January 17 - at DemocracySpace.org).
Matt Leighninger's The Next Form of Democracy is another good read on this topic. Matt's subtitle is "How Expert Rule is Giving Way to Shared Governance ... and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same," and that's really the gist of it. His book - and Lappé's - are chockfull of real-life stories about people who are choosing to make change happpen, not so much via elections as through direct action and collaboration with their local school board, business community, planning commission, and so on.
In his post, Harwood continued:
You are in a position to shine a light on ways people can involve themselves in their communities. Local organizations could pick up on the national discussion and help people to take first steps, and then create ways for people to stay involved in the months to come. Our needs are greater than any candidate can solve, and they will extend well beyond any political calendar.
I don't for a minute think that this effort alone will change politics as usual. Such thoughts would be a march of folly; for the most part, nothing in public life changes because of one event or effort.
But I do believe, and deeply, that the nation finds itself at a critical moment: people know politics and public life must change, they sense they are missing an ingredient, but we have been unable to crystallize this sentiment and people's passion for change. You can play a major role in this moment. You represent, for many people, the best of our ability to transcend dividing lines of political party, race and class, and geography.
Harwood says it well, and I have little more to add, other than the book suggestions above. I agree that with her celebrity and her newfound passion for politics, Oprah could indeed have a substantial and positive impact on our nation's civic life that could manifest itself well beyond the ballot box.
DemocracySpace is a nom de blog of Julie Fanselow, online organizer for the nonpartisan, nonprofit Study Circles Resource Center, soon to be renamed Everyday Democracy, and manager of its DemocracySpace.org blog. SCRC/Everyday Democracy helps communities address issues including racial equity, immigration, growth and sprawl, education, and others. Fanselow has also blogged at Daily Kos under the screen name Red State Rebel.