photocredit: twoblueday
As a veteran of the Great Progressive Disappointment of 2000 and 2004, I know what is bouncing around in most left-leaning minds. Compromises. Botched opportunities. Defeats. Disarray. Cynicism.
Despite what many people in the center or right may believe, this is a very tough time to be a liberal. I’m far from a traditional liberal myself, but I know what is expected of President Obama and the Democrats in Congress by the lefty crowd–and the despair setting in after a few years of apparent political gains. Without going too deep into what specifically is being sacrificed or sidelined in the progressive agenda, there needs to be a discussion about whether America is a country that is receptive to this sort of agenda at all. Can America find room in its political landscape for an honest progressive initiative? Can things like gay marriage, health care reform, and government spending ever be seen in a positive light, without having to coat them with “moderate” or “conservative” overtures? Is, and will America always be a center-right nation?
Last night, at his first formal State of The Union Address, President Obama presented a few shrewd political ploys. He proposed an across-the-board spending freeze ( not include entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, or security funding), and an elimination of the capitals gains tax. He’s already been getting flak for the freeze(as he should, having previously campaigned against such an ineffective gesture). The larger point here, however, is his reason for adopting such traditionally conservative proposals. The message is clear: inroads into conservative ground.
Bill Clinton, as president, made a similarly perplexing move. He labeled himself the “balanced budget” president. He loudly opposed big government, saying in 1996 that its “era is over.” Clinton and Obama, two left-of-center presidents, adopted ideologically puzzling initiatives. Why?
They might have been facing the cold, compromising reality. Going into his first year in office, Obama had a decisive majority in the Senate and in the House, a clear political mandate after a landslide victory, as well as approval numbers that were historically high, even for a new president. Yet, a year after that cold morning in DC when he was inaugurated, he is still struggling to pass a stripped-down version of healthcare reform, defending the virtues of the stimulus bill passed last year, and holding back on progressive measures: gay marriage, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, cap and trade, immigration reform, to name a few. If it’s left-leaning, it comes with complications. The GOP, in its superminority status, needs only to nudge any of these proposals to make it wobble.
In California, one of the most supposedly stalwart liberal states in the country, a measure to ban same-sex marriage was passed in 2008 with a comfortable margin. The legal battle to reverse the voters’ decision in that state is currently under way, reminiscent of the legal battles faced by those fighting for civil rights in the 60’s, or women’s rights in earlier in the century. While neither of these movement are strictly progressive, they have roots in progressivism: equal rights for all, minority rights guaranteed through government and judicial activism. The path leading to the fruition of any movement or cause founded on progressive ground is slow, painful, and costly. In comparison, George W. Bush easily passed three unpopular tax cuts to the country’s wealthiest, waged a polarizing war, and nearly dealt the death-blow to gay marriage, without breaking a sweat.
Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. believed American politics progressed in cycles. He believed every 15-20 years the political pulse of the nation swung from liberal to conservative and back. In “Paths to the Present,” Schlesinger theorized that the liberal eras in the 20th century were 1901-1918 (Teddy Roosevelt), then 1931-1946 (FDR), and 1961-1980 (Kennedy, LBJ, Carter). Schlesinger passed away in 2006, but he predicted in his book that 2001 would begin a new liberal era. This, of course, did not happen. Many think that his numbers were off, and in actuality his theory would make the liberal era begin in 2010. This remains to be seen. But to Schlesinger it was clear that American politics did not have a singular pulse, an underlining modus operandi all political discourse was founded on, as is the case in countries like France and Mexico. He figured our ideological bent was never rigid, just finicky.
Reinhold Niebuhr, on the other hand, believed that we have had a bent all along. His philosophical and moralistic judgement of American politics led him to conclude that America is and will always be a Christian nation. The peculiarity of our country is how devout we are to Christianity, yet how much we attempt to keep our social and political environment secular. This pulls us in different directions: to serve God, or to serve the State? As mentioned above with social movements, religiosity is not strictly a conservative trait, but it does adhere to the school of thought much more than it does to liberal thinking. The focus on piousness and tradition is very much more in tune with conservatism. To Niebuhr, America has a Christian foundation, which in turn feeds into our belief of “American exceptionalism.” Any shift away from what is thought of as Christian will probably lead to revolt. The Republican party figured this out back in the 80’s.
Liberal groups should still be hopeful. The election of Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress means victories are closer than ever before. Even though presidential and congressional vacillations can be frustrating, and crippling compromises can be infuriating, the climate is ripe for progress. The liberal agenda needs patience and resilience. It also needs to be a part of the solution. Instead of chastising elected officials for any imperfect policy proposal, it should focus on whether it is better than before, and keep moving forward.
The slow-burning process is to be expected of progressive movements in America. It took nearly 80 years to secure voting rights for women; nearly a century to grant civil rights to African-Americans; and 41 years after the Stonewall riots gays are still treated as second-class citizens under the law. But progress was made, and is being made. Perseverance is not a liberal or conservative trait–it’s an American trait.
You might want to check these out, too:
Tags: arthur schlesinger · conservative · liberal · reinhold niebuhrNo Comments
0 responses so far ↓