Our President doesn't define himself as a Progressive

[Tom Rinaldo]

He simply calls himself a Democrat. He does not identify himself with a progressive critique of American society, though he upholds the desirability of most progressive goals for the American people. He will never rally most Americans to oppose the interests of the super wealthy in our ongoing Class War, he does not embrace that type framing of the issues.

Our President advocates empathy and support for Americans who must struggle to survive. He rarely offers condemnation of the greedy elites who are causing so many Americans to have to struggle. Our President is not focused on growing and/or mobilizing the left in America. He is more interested in winning the middle from the right. He does not want to rock the boat, he wants us to paddle together.

Pretty much that is who Barack Obama seems to me to bebe. I don't see much point now in progressives attacking him over that. The flip side of the President not openly embracing progressives is that we don't have to openly embrace him either. We can more or less coexist with different but sometimes overlapping agendas, clearly closer to Obama in views than to the Republican opposition. Likewise I think it counterproductive for strong believers in this President to castigate progressives who voice some obvious disagreements with him. There is ample room to differ and still unite in practical ways when needed.

I think it's the task of the left now to make the progressive case to America directly. To do so will of necessity sometimes require expressing where we differ in views and/or actions from out Democratic President. Honestly I think that Obama can accept and understand that, at least more often than not. It doesn't have to be bitter or even overly personal. Our President has shown the ability to work with Republicans whose overt views on most issues are more in conflict with his own than the views of American Progressives. He can handle it.

Though there will no doubt be times when progressive Democrats in Congress must fall behind the President in some votes that will make them grit their teeth to do so, that happens sometimes in politics where nothing can be accomplished without being in a broader coalition with those who are not fully with you. However pragmatic politics are no excuse for progressives to withhold their honest view of where America is going wrong, whether or not that dovetails with the views our President is expressing. The Progressive perspective needs to be heard now, and we can't count on this President to voice it. It might even make it easier for the President to move the center a bit closer to the left.