Elections Have Consequences

Are you as tired as I am (already) of the admonitions coming from the right and the pundits warning that Democrats should, essentially, shut up about winning the election and go about maintaining the status quo? More specifically, the "dare-you-tos" are aimed at any and all Dems with the nerve to want to institute the policy changes they ran on -- as this would be too "partisan" and "devisive."

Among those whose candidates lost this time around -- often by double digits -- it's de rigeur to suggest that the prudent thing to do is pretend the election was too close to declare a Dem mandate of any kind. And that therefore the Dem president and Dem-dominated Congress should stick to "centrist" policies and initiatives -- i.e. they shouldn't attempt to rock the proverbial boat. You know, that right-wing-constructed ship of state that's been listing so dangerously since Bush and company took the helm.

I'm afraid not.

We won, and we're going to work like hell to get our progressive agenda enacted, adopted, executive ordered and signed into law whenever and wherever possible. Politics and governing are all about power blocs colliding. When elections are won, there are consequences both for the supporting blocs that were victorious and those that were defeated. It is always so.

A New Kind of Politics
When Obama talks about a new kind of politics, it doesn't mean he wants members of the victorious power blocs to lie down and avoid fighting for their principles and positions. It means he intends to lead with as much dignity and civility as he can muster, seeking out common ground when possible.

Obama clearly wants to operate with much more transparency and good will than Bush did, reaching out to all sides and encouraging national discussions about important issues and initiatives. But the fact remains -- voters rejected the conservative, neocon, deregulation policies that have long dominated the Republican Party and its candidates. No two ways about it. The failures precipitated by right-wing Republican views and values have caused a u-turn in the nation's political psyche. The pendulum has swung.

Obama has promised that divergent opinions will be sought and carefully considered on their merits. However -- and this is a big however -- he is just as clearly signaling that the principles that guide him, and the positions those principles shape, will be at the forefront of the discussions and negotiations. They will be pushed. Hard. With measured, but steely, determination. Obama means to act quickly and decisively on key elements of his change agenda, make no mistake about it. And others who ran on the Democratic change message will do the same. As Obama has frequently said -- this is our moment.

How Will Obama Govern?
I think Obama will excel at framing issues in a way that is conducive to gaining widespread support for what he will present as common sense, practical and pragmatic positions. He'll use his street smarts, his abundant political capital and his positive personality to persuade, convince and unite Americans behind him. His governing process will be focused on building support, not ordering conformity or issuing in-your-face threats.

We can expect that the substance of his governing will be all about creating progressive solutions to the problems we face. His administration cannot and will not be about more of the same, or thinking within the box. It must, by necessity, be centered on breaking out of the constraints of the past to explore and pluck solutions from a new coalition, a new generation of Americans. The Obama alliance is populated with demographically diverse individuals who are aching to take on the new and synergistic challenges we face with fresh thinking and 21st century approaches. The prevailing energy flow is toward the future, not the past.

The New Middle
When Obama and the Dems are urged to govern "from the middle," we must remember that the middle has moved dramatically, as demonstrated in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Policies and positions once deemed "to the left" are now expressive of the mainstream of American thought.

By large margins, for instance, Americans have made it clear in polling and elections that they want the government to push for universal health care, as quick an exit from Iraq as is feasible and sensible, an enlightened renewal of our public education system, the separation of church and state and a return to accountability and balanced oversight of our financial sector, business and workplace operations. Americans clearly want our policies to reflect a genuine understanding and acceptance of the fact that greenhouse gases are dangerous to our future and that of the planet's climate.

Americans want us to pursue a green technology revolution as a primary goal. They want domestic surveillance to be overseen by a court, torture to cease, Guantanamo to close and the Geneva Conventions and other treaties to be honored. 

There's a mandate for returning fairness and progressiveness to our tax policies, asking more from those whose incomes -- earned or otherwise -- rise to the top. A healthy majority of Americans want greedy speculation tamped down and reasonable regulations adopted to level the financial and corporate playing fields. Gaming of the system and speculative manipulations of markets must be reduced. Americans want jobs, and policies that encourage their creation here and discourage companies from moving them elsewhere.

Perhaps most of all, Americans want government to shore up what long made America a place of unparalleled opportunity and economic mobility -- its once strong and thriving middle and working classes. Enough with granting every selfish wish and desire to the cream of the investor class or the rich elites at the helms of multinational corporations. We need nourishment for those who work for a living, including access to quality health care, education and financial opportunities, affordable housing, a sensible safety net and fair wages, benefits and working conditions.

Bottom Line
Candidates who strongly advocated on behalf of Democratic principles, values and positions won. Those satisfied with a continuation of the extremist ideologies of the right wing of the Republican Party lost. There will be consequences. There will be legislation passed that reflects who won and who lost. The negotiations with adherents of right-wing principles and positions will take place within a Democratic framework, not on their turf. Common ground will be sought from a Democratic vantage point, not a neocon, corporatist or theocratic one. 

Obama will no doubt work hard and skillfully to persuade and convince those initially opposed to the changes that they're necessary and make sense. He will surely seek as much consensus as possible for the changes that will be wrought in our body politic. But make no mistake, Obama and other Democrats in Washington and in the statehouses of the nation will be pursuing, as much as possible, a progressive, forward-looking, 21st century agenda informed by essentially liberal ideas and values. After all, it was Democratic candidates running on Democratic positions who won on November 4th. And elections have consequences.