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2016 Postmortem
Showing Original Post only (View all)President Obama sends clear message to Bernie or Busters ... [View all]
... from his speech at Howard University yesterday ...
The point is, you need allies in a democracy. Thats just the way it is. It can be frustrating and it can be slow. But history teaches us that the alternative to democracy is always worse. Thats not just true in this country. Its not a black or white thing. Go to any country where the give and take of democracy has been repealed by one-party rule, and I will show you a country that does not work.
And democracy requires compromise, even when you are 100 percent right. This is hard to explain sometimes. You can be completely right, and you still are going to have to engage folks who disagree with you. If you think that the only way forward is to be as uncompromising as possible, you will feel good about yourself, you will enjoy a certain moral purity, but youre not going to get what you want. And if you dont get what you want long enough, you will eventually think the whole system is rigged. And that will lead to more cynicism, and less participation, and a downward spiral of more injustice and more anger and more despair. And thats never been the source of our progress. Thats how we cheat ourselves of progress.
We remember Dr. Kings soaring oratory, the power of his letter from a Birmingham jail, the marches he led. But he also sat down with President Johnson in the Oval Office to try and get a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act passed. And those two seminal bills were not perfect just like the Emancipation Proclamation was a war document as much as it was some clarion call for freedom. Those mileposts of our progress were not perfect. They did not make up for centuries of slavery or Jim Crow or eliminate racism or provide for 40 acres and a mule. But they made things better. And you know what, I will take better every time. I always tell my staff better is good, because you consolidate your gains and then you move on to the next fight from a stronger position.
And democracy requires compromise, even when you are 100 percent right. This is hard to explain sometimes. You can be completely right, and you still are going to have to engage folks who disagree with you. If you think that the only way forward is to be as uncompromising as possible, you will feel good about yourself, you will enjoy a certain moral purity, but youre not going to get what you want. And if you dont get what you want long enough, you will eventually think the whole system is rigged. And that will lead to more cynicism, and less participation, and a downward spiral of more injustice and more anger and more despair. And thats never been the source of our progress. Thats how we cheat ourselves of progress.
We remember Dr. Kings soaring oratory, the power of his letter from a Birmingham jail, the marches he led. But he also sat down with President Johnson in the Oval Office to try and get a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act passed. And those two seminal bills were not perfect just like the Emancipation Proclamation was a war document as much as it was some clarion call for freedom. Those mileposts of our progress were not perfect. They did not make up for centuries of slavery or Jim Crow or eliminate racism or provide for 40 acres and a mule. But they made things better. And you know what, I will take better every time. I always tell my staff better is good, because you consolidate your gains and then you move on to the next fight from a stronger position.
I'm gonna miss that guy.
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He nailed it. The "compromise is a bad word" crowd should remain the specialty of the Tea Party.
Trust Buster
May 2016
#3
Are you under the impression that he could've gotten universal single payer ...
salinsky
May 2016
#75
Stop jumping to conclusions about millions of people and 40 percent of primary voters
Armstead
May 2016
#24
It is when you use it in conjunction with ABORTION, like Hillary did.
cherokeeprogressive
May 2016
#12
Too bad authority opinions have so little influence on free thinking people
whatchamacallit
May 2016
#4
He sold them unrealistic expectations that could never happen. Bernie's doing the same.
CrowCityDem
May 2016
#68
In terms of being realistic with campaign rhetoric, there are similarities.
CrowCityDem
May 2016
#81
It's especially odd in light of attacks on Sanders' willingness to compromise.
hellofromreddit
May 2016
#13
A contingent that has already shown its ability to accept politicians who compromise.
hellofromreddit
May 2016
#31
That vocal contingent would be the first to attack him once he got in office . . .
brush
May 2016
#44
I had hope for him as a constitutional lawyer, until he tried to undo a part of it.
ViseGrip
May 2016
#10
Doesn't he have a trade deal to cram down our throats that he can focus on ?
CentralMass
May 2016
#11
I don't consider Hillary as progressive enough to make any progress, so I'm just
Fawke Em
May 2016
#21
I think a lot of people are hoping for revenge. Like in Flint, with SBS's vindictive response- fire
bettyellen
May 2016
#73
I agree with Obama completely. Unfortunately, Sanders' supporters don't/won't get it.
Hoyt
May 2016
#56
would MLK have settled for a civil rights bill that still allowed discrimination in public employmen
azurnoir
May 2016
#59