“The short-term strategy is, win the House of Representatives,” stated the former president, garnering applause. “Because that’s going to be the circuit breaker that will give us control of one major component of the federal government. With that as a bulwark, we’re now able to block some of the worst impulses that are coming out of this White House.”
The former president laid out a two-pronged strategy for Democrats: to reclaim a House majority next year, and to work on honing the party’s messaging in the coming years.
“Long term, let’s tell a story, a better story about who we are as Americans and what we share,” Obama said, according to excerpts shared with CBS News. “We have to tell the story that makes people who feel outside that process, we’ve got to bring them back in.”
Oh, I remember, and I also remember telling everyone to lower their expectations. Obama’s campaign promises were off the charts optimistic, bordering on delusional, even for the time. And that’s not where the bar is for us now. Simply not doing this (gestures at everything) is now what constitutes a “great leader” for us. I don’t want it to sound like I’m okay with the bar being this low, but here we are.
Demand more from your electeds. This attitude is exactly how they’ve gotten away with fucking us for so long.
“…I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” - MLK Jr, Letter from Birmingham Jail
He’s talking about you, bub.
When you say ‘demand’, what do you imagine I haven’t done? What power have I failed to wield in the history you’ve imagined for me?
When I say demand more I mean this attitude of “oh well at least they tried” needs to go. And I mean if the people who are running for these positions aren’t working for us then we need to build people to run for those positions ourselves.
And sure I suppose I dont know what kind of work you do or what mutual aid/direct action organizations you’re part of but typically I find people who are espousing what you are are liberals who don’t believe we can do better than some modest reform in the systems we already have on an incredibly modest timeline.
What happened that our expectations for our elected officials is “they could be worse” on a good day? How is that an acceptable standard? Is that the kind of standard you hold yourself to in the things you care about?