Barack Obama's campaign was based partly on the idea that change is about what we the people do, and not just the candidate. We have been urged and given the opportunity to donate and to organize in our communities, and the results have been inspiring. Thousands of people, if not millions, are politically engaged for the first time or the first time in a long time. When I went to an Obama houseparty the other night, I felt a revived sense of community often missing in today's world. So, through Obama's leadership, America has started to get off it's collective butt, put down their computers, and come together. It's a very encouraging start.

But we face a number of grave challenges that are unique and unfamiliar: global warming, an equity and financial crisis that we can't grow out of, racial inequalities that continue, and an increasingly prosperous and diverse global community that distrusts us. We cannot leave this up to the "experts" and the "professionals" as has so often been done in the past. An Obama administration, more than any other, promises to allow ordinary people to have a say in our future policy directions on critical issues. The news that Obama is asking people to host "Listening to America" events is a great sign that he understands the wisdom of crowds.

In response, I am going to use my blog, Political Dissonance (http://politicaldissonance.blogspot.com) as a forum for a discussion of the issues that we think an Obama administration should take on. This is not meant to be an exercise in detailed policy formation, but rather advice and guidance for the administration to take to solve particular problems. I will be relying heavily on my friends and colleagues to send in their thoughts, and welcome anyone who wants to participate to email me here. Let's help Obama in the coming months to create a platform, and a policy infrastructure, that matches the kind of change he has promised and our nation sorely needs.

Please check out my blog and contribute if you are interested!