1115.org

It was bound to happen. I’ve given money to too many Democratic-leaning causes and candidates to have fooled myself into thinking otherwise. Yes, yesterday my mail contained an envelope from the campaign of one Barack Obama. Out of curiosity, I opened and read it…and I’ll skip the Public Enemy reference even though it’s entirely appropriate.

From the first line of the letter, “I am running for President of the United States,” I knew it was going to be a problem. Unless I am fundamentally unclear about the dynamics of the American electoral system, Obama is running for the Democratic nomination at this point. But you’d never know from reading the three-page letter, response card, and full-color tri-fold pamphlet. Obama never once identifies himself as a Democrat, and fails to even use the word “Democrat” apart from the five times he uses it in conjunction with “Republicans” to reaffirm his version of bipartisanship:

“That’s why businesses and unions, Democrats and Republicans are coming together…”

“That’s why I have a plan supported by Democrats and Republicans that would…”

“You don’t need a poll to know that the vast majority of Americans - Republican, Democrat, and independent…”

“The pundits like to slice-and-diceour country into Red States and Blue States: Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats…”

“What’s needed is a broad majority of Americans - Democrats, Republicans, and independents…”

I am coming to the realization that the idea of bipartisanship causes tents to be pitched in certain circles. High Broderism, the act of looking at both sides of the debate and pining for a compromise regardless of the respective merits, is the default position of the elite pundits these days, and it would be surprising if that mentality didn’t filter down to the masses. But Obama is not a pundit or a member of the masses. He is asking us, first his nominal party, and if he’s lucky, the country as a whole, to let him lead. But as I have mentioned many times, his version of leadership is nothing more than averaging positions held by the two sides. His pitch to me, partisan Democrat, didn’t include one position of substance, just repeated calls for compromise. I don’t want to compromise with Republicans. They’ve had their way for the better part of six years, and the wilted state of our standing in the world and the 66% “wrong track” number domestically is proof positive that it hasn’t and won’t work.

The charts above from a recent Pew poll couldn’t be clearer. And as long as the President and Congressional Republicans continue to double-down on their failed policies, these numbers will continue to expand in the Democrats’ favor. It is truly troubling to watch Obama ignore the obvious advantage Democrats are experiencing in favor of cultivating his image as a bipartisan cipher.

My takeaway from speaking with and reading pieces by Obama supporters is that they trust him to do what they want done, and if that means staying vague enough in an attempt to get everyone to like him, then so be it. But as I have argued here a few times, this is a dangerous game for all involved. I see no basis for trusting someone who actively hides his party affiliation. Coupled with his bizarre triangulation against popular Democratic ideals, he has come nowhere near earning the right to run as a Democrat.

But this isn’t just about whether Obama wins or loses in the primaries or general, though it would be hard to know this given his cult-of-personality campaign so far. Democrats hold majorities in both houses of Congress, but neither are big enough to actually do everything they need to do. While Joe Lieberman in the Senate and the Blue Dogs in the House stand in the way of true progressive legislation, the 2008 map is growing more favorable to Democrats every day. Imagine the difference between a Presidential candidate who runs as a proud Democrat and one who runs from his party and insists on using its members as straw men. It very well could be the difference between gaining enough seats to make a difference starting in 2009, and losing seats and possibly both majorities. This simply isn’t a gamble I’m willing to make. The damage of the last six years will only be repaired with strong progressive leadership, not averaging failed policies with pre-watered-down Democratic ideas.

I’d be interested in knowing what Obama supporters are actually supporting, and what they think it’s going to accomplish. And I’d love to hear from someone who received the same mailer I did and was moved to the point of opening their wallet. Though I guess you could say I was moved as well, to add another contribution to Edwards.