Views » July 8, 2008

Holding Barack Accountable

By James Thindwa

In recent weeks, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has treated his supporters to a series of unsettling revelations about his views.

Obama now supports extending the death penalty to a new category of crimes; he sided with a decision striking down Washington, D.C.’s 32-year ban on handguns; he plans to vote for a bill that sanctions domestic spying; he gave a hawkish speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and promised the audience an “undivided Jerusalem.”

Obama recently hired neoliberal economist Jason Furman, a champion of trade deals like NAFTA that put corporate interests over workers rights — even though Obama had, until now, opposed NAFTA.

Further, Obama has embraced the mantra of personal responsibility. On Father’s Day, he excoriated absentee dads for failing to “realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child — it’s the courage to raise one.” He has announced his desire to continue Bush’s faith-based initiative program and, in a strange position for a liberal Democrat, says he supports posting the Ten Commandments in public areas “in some cases.”

Though many Democratic voters have made peace with their candidate’s re-positioning — reflecting their desire to turn the page from eight years of the Bush presidency — we must demand accountability.

Remember, Bill Clinton, too, ran as a centrist in 1992. Democratic voters gave him a pass, assuming this was customary general election strategy. But Clinton stayed centrist, championing NAFTA, “welfare reform,” federalization of crime and expanding the death penalty. Clinton got away with it. In 2008, progressives must not let Obama do the same.

Obama’s shift to the right undercuts his emphasis on “change” and threatens to disillusion newly energized voters. What’s more, it appeals to the most reactionary elements — the National Rifle Association (NRA), pro-death penalty forces, corporate “free trade” and right-wing Israeli lobbies — at the expense of the Democratic Party’s most loyal and growing constituencies.

Obama shouldn’t pursue this strategy. With an expanded electorate, his strategists need to reconsider their pursuit of moderates. Obama’s new positions conflict with where “the middle” in American politics is today.

Majorities support change. Death penalty abolition has gained momentum, as New Jersey became the first state in more than 40 years to ban executions. Death sentences have declined to a 30-year low, while executions are at 10-year low. Sixty-three percent say NAFTA has hurt the American economy. More than 60 percent want the $3.3 billion in annual U.S. aid to Israel tied to progress for Palestine. Contrary to the NRA’s media echo chamber, three-fourths of gun owners support mandatory handgun registration, as does 85 percent of the public.

By adopting conservative positions, Obama is ignoring the lessons of his own ascendancy, driven by progressive-leaning youth. These young people have embraced issues such as gay rights, racial and ethnic equality, and stopping the death penalty.

The risks are high. If Obama abandons his commitment to a new brand of politics, he will alienate these newly energized supporters. Paradoxically, the self-proclaimed agent of change seems oblivious to the fact that the country is in a moment of unprecedented opportunity for progressive transformation.

Obama should understand that committing to conservatives now will complicate his ability to make this transformation later. The dispiriting lesson of Bill Clinton must not get lost on Obama.

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• Reader Comments

  Politicans are politicians.  Why would anyone think Obama was any different?

  Posted by Greytdog on Jul 8, 2008 at 11:28 AM

  “Further, Obama has embraced the mantra of personal responsibility.”

  Yea! Hopefully we all can embrace this!

  Posted by wolf on Jul 8, 2008 at 6:26 PM

  The death penalty case was not simply rape - the child was torn apart by a 250 lb man, left to bleed to death, and her ongoing-as-she-grows reconstruction won’t be painless or invisible - she was his second victim, and these criminals grow more violent, not less. Ever fight for real rehab for the victims of these crimes?

  Gun case finally laid to rest NRA’s claim that government has no right to make legal demands of gun owners, that’s why Barack favors it. It would take one helluva Supreme Court to rule all gun ownership illegal except in the hands of the military and police. I would break that law. I won’t be at the mercy of renegade military or police, or of a police state. I wonder why progressives don’t try to stop gun smuggling and stop trying to eliminate legal gun ownership? Smuggled US weapons are murdering thousands daily around the world.

  One DLC of numerous advisors does not a DLC economic policy make. Obama has advisors on opposite sides of all issues, on purpose. I refuse to get in a tizzy over advisors who have to come from somewhere, and everywhere is tainted. The ultimate decision rests in one person’s hands and, so far, I trust Obama’s.

  AIPAC speech - hated it, but expected no less since they were dead set against Barack until he did it, as he’s not letting their PAC donations get into his campaign or the DNC. That’s a first.

  Faith-based organizations? I’d go hungry without them. I had no idea my local foodbank is faith-based except they treat people so well and it’s clean with good fresh clean food. I wasn’t sure until I asked. They never proselytize or even give their church props. Why don’t progressives go after how dehumanizing Health & Human Services are, from disability to welfare to social security? You want those in need to get abused and forever shortchanged by the automatons who hate every client, without a challenge by “the defenders of the weaker”? And who’s really been serving, even organizing poor communities for decades when progressives get bored with a cause and move on?

  The “real middle” is where Obama is - it’s not a switch or political ploy. Read his books. I was so left and anti so many things, we accomplished very little in the scheme of things. He’s middle and anti-corporate-rule, a refreshing change, and he gets cooperation where there’s usually opposition because of it.

  Not even Kucinich did as much as Obama to at least begin to remedy racial profiling, to institute the toughest video recording law in the nation in Illinois of every police felony interview, to help at least put a moratorium on executions when innocents were being killed, to make childcare subsidies six times what the Clintons allotted for Illinois, so women could do what we want to do - get off welfare and be able to study and work! That’s changing lives, not lofty rhetoric.

  When I see progressive show focus and stick-to-it-ive-ness to achieve even these moderate improvements nationally, I’ll be glad to work for radical change again. In my decades of activism, I’ve seen false starts, limited commitment, and many balls dropped in the face of what should be expected sabotage and resistance.

  As in FISA. I have a foot-thick FBI file with a bunch of redacted nonsense and unflattering photos. I don’t doubt that no mere law will stop an empire nation from spying on its own citizens - never has, never will. Presidents can’t stop it. John Lennon and lord knows Martin Luther King Jr. couldn’t stop it. Spy agencies are numerous, and those are the visible, bare shells. The ones we don’t know about are the ones hurting us - and they’re out there. Until we end, worldwide, corporate supremacy over human beings, we’re stuck with this.

  So, to accomplish the small stuff, build up a cadre of serious dedicated comrades and an alternative system for when we can gather all our forces and topple this miserable corporate fascism, has become my goal, and I like Obama’s very effective tactics.

  Posted by Inaru on Jul 9, 2008 at 10:58 AM

  Look, he’s running on the promise of change, so why get your skivies in a knot when he demonstrates it each day and every day?

  The only upside to the promises of candidates is that they can only really do what the lobbyists will write into a bill.

  Save your ideas and your money — buy a lobbyist.

  Posted by whattheheck on Jul 9, 2008 at 3:46 PM

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