Yesterday, my school held its annual spring concert, bringing everyone outside for a day and night's worth of fun in what was impossibly nice weather. The school year is winding to a close, everyone's starting to feel the stress of finals, and so it was really the last chance for us to have some carefree fun before we take off for the summer. So when I trudged over to breakfast half asleep this morning, I assumed the Tweets about a birth-certificate conversation at the White House must have come from people riffing on the latest Donald Trump line. Yet sure enough, this morning the President held a conference at which copies of his long-form birth certificate were handed out to the media, to finally settle the "birther" debate that had been rigorously occupying the mind of the most politically unserious in this country.
The White House's decision to act on this "issue" today sends a few disturbing messages to Progressives - ones worth taking seriously. Though i can think of few logical reasons for the President to do what he did today, managing to get the president's attention on an issue is one of the ultimate goals of any cause - today, the birthers' got there attention. So, what is the messaging that comes out of this event?
If you talk loud enough, and repeat it enough times, the President will address your issue. The birther campaign has always lived on the fringe of American politics - for the longest time, Orly Taitz and the occasional state legislator would make noise about the issue, and on some rare occasions, members of Congress would play into the game, but it wasn't until Donald Trump that the legitimacy of the President's birth certificate became a mainstream concern.
Now, it certainly does not make the job any easier when there is a news network that is willing to spend every day chatting up this "controversy" into an issue that clouds the news cycle and keeps people from engaging in rational debate around other issues. But it is also important to remember the tone of this morning - for the racist, nativist underpinnings of birther question, the White House addressed the issue with a fair deal of dignity, explaining that the President had thought it had became too much of a distraction and that it was best to move forward.
This is the same White House that called progressives "f***ing retarded" for standing firm in support of a public option. I don't say it to rehash old arguments, but simply to provide contrast between how two groups are treated. The President has chosen to deal with Republicans by trying to find middle-ground and elevate the dialogue. This action, however, creates a fork in the road. It's clear from the early responses that documentation is not going to keep those on the far-right from preying on the cynical beliefs of their supporters. If President Obama wants to continue to find common ground with Republicans, it is going to be increasingly difficult if he does so while their supporters refuse to accept his legitimacy as president. I would love to believe that this is the beginning of a new strategy, where President Obama seeks to undermine the Speaker by continually elevating the ridiculous figures that he is beholden to, but that would be highly out of character for this administration.
What are progressives to do? Get loud, and bring our issues to the forefront. There's no reason we can't be the ones forcing the President to hold pressers as a result of our pressure. The political news cycle is being controlled by questions and theories that have nothing to do with getting people to work, educating the next generation, and tackling the issues our country faces right now. It might be harder to organize people around policies and activism rather than the pathetic appeals of Trump and Co., but that's no excuse for us not working harder and harder every day to force the issues that DO matter into the public spotlight.
Help me get to Netroots Nation! And if you're interested in building the next generation of progressive leadership, or simply want to know more about what young progressives are talking about, check out our blog at Students for a New American Politics. Also, if you're a young writer on Daily Kos and would like to have your work featured at Youth Kos 2.0, just send me a quick message and I'll sign you right up!