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Vizualize "The Obama Aministration!"
No question, Barack has an enormous challenge ahead of him this summer and fall, but he's a strong candidate, and he will prevail over the weak Republican McCain.
Nonetheless progressives must be prepared to push the Obama administration on the critical issues of our time -- the economy, the climate, and the war.
Barack, when you look closely, is truly a"centrist" -- on health care (keep it employer-based), on war (leave Iraq, evenutally, but ready to go all out in Pakistan), and on other matters critical to our future.
Barack is great because he's inspirational, especially to young people, but not because he has any truly visionary policies.
Let's mobilize and fight like hell to make sure the neocons get swamped this fall and Barack gets elected, but then, let's be prepared to get to work.
Comments (3)
Sorry.
How about "viSualize"!
Am I another Dan Quail?
-- Charles
June 10, 2008 9:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any president, no matter how great, is going to need a lot of help from his constituency. That's us. We helped him get nominated, we're going to help him get elected, and we're going to have to help him govern, if we want his government to do the things we want him to do.
June 10, 2008 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree about health care. This can't stay employer based.
The simplest health care reform would take only 24 hours. Congress passes a law applying Medicare to all Americans, the President signs it, and we are done. Sorting out where all the money goes would then be the task of the bean counters, but the job of reform would be finished: all Americans would be covered.
Specifically, employers would suddenly have no health care costs, so corporate taxes would be increased. Several health insurance companies would immediately go out of business, saving the system a bundle. The many details could be worked out, but don't let anyone kid you: the only reason this solution won't happen is that a significant portion of the 60,000 lobbyists in Washington, D.C., are there to make sure that their particular health business ox is not gored by health care reform.
This comment is only peripherally related to your post, apologies. I agree, and I am not so sure that Obama really is centrist. I'm hoping he is a bit more progressive than the campaign is making him seem at the moment, but mum's the word...
June 10, 2008 10:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
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