Derrick's Spot

I am excited by Barack Obama’s candidacy for president of the United States because he represents change. His emphasis on change comes across not only in his campaign slogans but also and especially in the premium he places on reinvigorating American democracy. His efforts in this regard can be broken down into four different components:

1. Obama has sought to make American democracy more robust by attracting new voters to the electorate. Too often people seem at best apathetic and at worst nihilistic regarding politics, believing that their voices do not matter. And while only one vote does in fact have little impact in a country of roughly 275 million, the fact is that many people have taken this approach to the governance of our country, and so a huge block of people are throwing in the proverbial towel. If those people decide to do what they can to influence the political process, then that process will necessarily better reflect their values and opinions. Consequently, our representative democracy will function better to the extent that it will better reflect what more people believe. Obama seems set on bringing more people to the bargaining table not only because he believes they will elect him but also because he believes our country will be better off for broadening our political conversation.
2. Obama seems intent on fostering a real dialogue among the various constituencies that make up these United States. This is no mean task, and it has been neglected for far too long. While I am very liberal, still I believe that it is important to talk and listen to people who hold different or opposing views. That’s just what politics is, and the only way a government that represents such varying communities can operate for the good of the people. If I had my druthers, then we would adopt a parliamentary system, comprised of many different parties and requiring the building of coalitions in order to function. We do not have such a system in the United States, but we still have to build bridges if this place is to function better for more people. I am convinced that Obama shares my view of the importance of building bridges across inter alia regional, generational, ethnic, cultural, and class divides.
3. Obama promises to balance the power of the wealthy and well-connected with that of the more modest American citizen. I do not consider Obama a populist, but he does seem intent of reining in the power of the special interest groups and lobbyists who historically have bought access to the halls of power in this country. His intention is apparent in his refusal to accept PAC money for his campaign, for example. I do not believe that Obama will open his office to the “little people,” but I do hope that he will refuse to make promises to the wealthy and well-connected, promises that force him to make decisions that ignore the plight of working and middle class people. The United States is not a socialist country, and so we are apparently willing to brook certain inequalities. I expect that Obama will bring some balance here, if not the revolution that I would like to see.
4. Obama seems ready to talk to average Americans with respect and honesty. The slogan on his home page reads, “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington … I’m asking you to believe in yours.” This is a powerful and audacious (to use the word from Obama’s book) idea: what a place this country can become if we all behave as the Christian Coalition did in the 80s, if we take seriously our duty as citizens, if we believe that together we can force Washington to listen to us, can force change in Washington, force Washtington to change. The problems facing us are daunting. But the whole premise of democracy is that average people can govern themselves. Enlightenment thinkers sought to elevate the individual, and that new appreciation found its way, willy-nilly, into the Constitution. We have no right to complain, if we do nothing about the problems we see other than put them into the hands of some purportedly more capable man or woman. While we do not all need to become politicians, we do need to become engaged citizens. This new engagement requires making hard choices, looking at the facts and deciding a course of action. It serves us little to demand easy solutions from our politicians; the unscrupulous politician simply lies in an effort to remain in office. Obama has convinced me that he will not condescend or lie to the American voter: he will treat each one as a responsible adult and a respected partner.

These four components along with his basic liberal stance make Obama the right candidate for me. I also think he’s the right person for the country, given our current challenges. Obama is about waking people up, about asking them to look at their political enemies and see fellow citizens, about focusing on the hard decisions that face us and not about facile makeovers. In short, he’s about bringing this country closer to its potential and promise for all.

Download and read Obama’s Blueprint for Change.

Pressed for time? Then just read the Plan to Change Washington.