In former law professor Barack Obama, America has elected not only an incredible leader, but an extraordinary teacher as well.
Obama must recognize that now is the perfect teachable moment for the nation.
For the first time since the New Deal, Americans are looking to government. If he can challenge the conventional wisdom that government is always the problem: and never the answer: Obama could become one of the few truly transformative presidents in our nation’s history.
Obama has the incredible talent to inspire Americans to reject cynicism and join together for a cause larger than themselves. The recession offers an incredible chance to heal the public distrust in collective action.
Now is the time to set the record straight and remind Americans of the positive potential of government.
Here’s why Obama needs to talk big: once he and the Democrats throw together a stimulus, they cannot afford to let the country think the work is done. A stimulus is a start, but will not fix the major problems America now faces.
The change must go beyond a one-time economic band-aid, and be lasting and structural.
Obama recently said “Workers and business … are the ones whose efforts and ideas will determine our economic destiny, just as they always have.”
This is the wrong rhetoric if Obama is to truly challenge conventional wisdom and deliver the change he promised.
Obama’s speeches must reassure Americans that strong government is now necessary. Sure, he can acknowledge that there have been problems, but he must break the historical pattern and truly restore public confidence in collective action.
Since Reagan took office in 1980, conventional wisdom has presented government as the root of society’s ailments: and never the solution.
Even Bill Clinton, the lone Democrat in the White House in the last twenty-eight years, worked with Republicans to dismantle welfare, signed NAFTA, and declared “the era of big government is over.”
This represents a stark departure from the rest of the industrialized world. For example, the U.S. remains the last wealthy industrialized nation without universal healthcare. Even market-loving China is now on board.
Here is the lesson Obama must give instead:
• Tell us why the economy has collapsed. While the headlines are doing an excellent job, Obama must highlight the recent failures of market fundamentalism.
• Start with a history lesson: every American should know that Bush’s economic policy oversaw a rapid upward redistribution of wealth. By 2007, average household incomes fell for the first time ever, despite growth to the national economy. So while the economy has grown, only those at the top have reaped the benefits.
To address these problems, Bush chose tax cuts for the wealthy over investment in public education or health care. Average Americans have kept themselves: and the economy: afloat through unsustainable, bubble-fueled levels of credit.
• Give a lesson on the meltdown and bailouts. Obama must remind the public that leading politicians and economists who categorically did not believe in a housing bubble: or bubbles in general: have witnessed the result of their deregulation.
• Point out the epic contradiction of the Bush bailouts.
The Bush administration failed to explain to the public the $800 billion bailout because their ideology rendered it unexplainable. With Obama in the White House, and another $800 billion on the table, Americans now deserve a coherent explanation for why government needs billions of their dollars.
Yes, Obama may only be talking small in order to pass the stimulus. For the moment, it appears he can use the pressure from a liberal congress to appear moderate, while acting boldly.
But that game won’t last forever.
Great presidents don’t change their plans to fit conventional wisdom, they challenge and change the conventional wisdom itself. Obama’s lesson to the nation must invoke bold rhetoric to prepare for farsighted, structural change: not just reinforce stale conservative principles.
jacksmith • Feb 6, 2009 at 11:00 am
I AM SO ANGRY!
Tom Daschle, and Nancy Killefer are two of the finest, and most competent public servants you could possibly hope for in these appointments. They have been assassinated by the Washington healthcare lobby through their paid Bush Republican henchmen in congress. These Bush republicans are the same people blocking the economic recovery plan put forth by the Obama administration.
I am BURNING MAD America. And you should be too. Tome Daschle and Nancy Killefer were exactly what we needed to help turn this country around and fix our economy, and catastrophic healthcare crisis.
If I were their boss I would tell them to get right back to Washington. And dare congress to not approve them. How ridiculous is it to reject highly qualified people that this country needs just because they made a mistake on their taxes. Don’t stand for that anymore America. They apologized, and paid their taxes, and that should be it. Their country needs them. But President Obama has to do what he thinks is best. I understand that. I’M JUST SO MAD at the anti American Bush Republicans.
Like many of you I have been trying to enjoy the after glow of this Beautiful historic election. But I see that the republicans in congress and their cohorts aren’t going to be good sports, and LOSER’S!
SO BE IT!
In spite of President Obama’s repeated offers, and gestures of collegiality to Republicans. Bush Republicans have seized upon every opportunity to stab President Obama in the back. And by doing so they are stabbing you, and the rest of the American people in the back. Well, you don’t have to put up with that. And you shouldn’t put up with that. President Obama has only been on the job two weeks. And he inherited two wars, and the worst economy since the great depression.
We had an election. And president Obama, and the democrats won BIG. And Bush Republicans lost miserably!
The Bush Republicans are the ones responsible for the worst economic crisis since the great depression. And the Bush Republicans are responsible for the worst healthcare crisis in American history. A healthcare crisis that is killing hundreds of thousands of you every year. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.
President Obama, and the Democrats should take back all the concessions they granted the Bush Republicans, and tell them to put up! or shut up!
Everyone, start calling and contacting these Bush Republicans and tell them to stop blocking President Obama, and the Democrats recovery plan. And stop trying to block, and corrupt healthcare reform. Tell them to get on board with President Obama and the Democrats, or GET OUT!!
If these Bush Republicans refuse to cooperate I want all of you to immediately begin the process of removing them from office by every legal means possible. Including impeachment, and recall. I want you to bring the full weight and power of the movement down on their heads that swept President Obama, and the Democrats into control of the whitehouse, and congress. Take no prisoners. Use all the techniques you learned over this past historic election. Be flexible, creative, adaptable, and relentless like you were in the past.
To my cyber warriors I call on you again. You are among the best and the brightest. I call on you to move this fight from the cyber world to the living rooms, dens, and work places of the voters these Bush Republicans misrepresent. I know I can count on you. This is a fight worth fighting.
To my fellow World citizens. As an American I invite, and welcome you and your advise, input, and help. By delaying Americas recovery, and healthcare reform, these Bush Republicans are delaying our commitment to your recovery, and to being the better America for you that we aspire too.
I had hoped it would not come to this after our historic election. I had hoped that the Bush Republicans would respect the overpowering will of the people, and the World. But I guess not. All the Bush Republicans really care about is them-selves. Well, SO BE IT! Lets finish the job.
Sincerely
jacksmith — Working Class 🙂
soforth • Feb 6, 2009 at 8:37 am
Russ Caditz-Peck says:
>Thank you! Yes, this is a student paper. This is my first >article, glad you got something from it.
>How did you stumble across this on Google News?
Yup, just there on the front page. You’re famous! Do keep it up.
The part I was most impressed with is your insight in how Obama may anticipating and then using pressure from his own liberal colleagues to “appear moderate, while acting boldly”. This goes beyond the analysis of almost every paper I have read, which usually content themselves to react to actions as if they were performed simply and with no forethought, as if politics was like a sports match, when in fact it is something more akin to chess as played by the masters (and the Obama team should certainly be considered top-notich), and with unimaginably high stakes.
I hope you’ll write again soon.
Jason • Feb 6, 2009 at 7:54 am
Well written article. Completely wrong on all points, but well written (you should work for MSNBC). Kinda like Obama; good speaker, but couldn’t lead a pack of lemmings over a cliff. Oh, wait a minute, I’m wrong, that’s EXACTLY what he is doing…
tnoord • Feb 5, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I came across this on Google News, too – it was one of the articles on the front page of news dot google dot com – it might not still be their, though, because the articles are constantly shuffled. The “Whitman College Pioneer” must be one of the news sources that Google scouts for content.
Nicely written and well thought out article. I think I would remove the words “liberal” and “conservative” from that last few sentences, though – those are loaded terms, which mean different things to different people…I think it would be better for our political process at this point if deemed those terms relics of the past, and came up with a new political language that better expresses who we are and where we’re going.
zclin • Feb 5, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Yeah, it’s on the front page of Google News (under Elections). Congrats. Good article. (I’m not the first commenter, by the way.)
Jeffrey Kehl • Feb 5, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Russ:
Great writing. Wonderful perspective. Do us all a favor and pursue journalism!
Russ Caditz-Peck • Feb 5, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Thank you! Yes, this is a student paper. This is my first article, glad you got something from it.
How did you stumble across this on Google News?
soforth • Feb 5, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I just stumbled across this on google news and its one of the most insightful things I’ve read in weeks. Is this really a student paper? Kudos.