Progressive Strategery

It's been awhile since I've written anything. I guess I've been too busy basking in the afterglow of the Obama victory. Usually, I only write when I see something that I find to be outrageous. The whole "Blame Black People for Prop 8" was close, but as a black man, I'm used to being a scapegoat. The new "Obama's Not Really Black" isn't really so new, so I didn't find it outrageous enough. Even the mainstream media's attempts to tie Obama to Blagojevich didn't do it for me.

Obama won, handily. So what could possibly kill my mood?

Rick Warren.

If you're unfamiliar with Rick Warren, stop being lazy and get your google on. Mr Warren is one of the biggest evangelical ministers, if not the biggest, in America. Among other things, he helped the forces of evil get Prop 8 passed. He's a pro-life, socially conservative, right wing ideologue. And Obama has chosen him to deliver the invocation at his inauguration.

Well, I'm just here to tell you that I don't give a fuck. I don't care. I'm not bothered by it, and I'm certainly not outraged by it. What bothers and outrages me is the response by so-called progressives.

Listen. Progressives, at least 43% of the country did not vote for Obama, and don't share your progressive ideals. Unfortunately, you need a large chunk of those people behind you before you can move any sort of real progressive agenda forward. Republican politicians aren't like punk-ass Democratic pols who roll over like dogs when they're told. Cooperating with them by making it less politically dangerous for GOP pols to support progressive ideas is the only way we can get America out of this mess.

Listen. GLBT people, over 50% of Californians, for whatever reason, voted against you having the right to get married. And that's liberal California. Imagine the rest of the country. It's not right, it's not fair, and I'm shocked that it's legal. But that's the way it is. For now, you're going to have to get over it and focus your energies into winning the next battle.

You can complain, cry, and get hysterical if you want. The reality is that America is still a very divided nation. Obama told us for 2 years what his vision of change was. He said something to the effect of our politics being to small for our problems. And he was right. And him picking Rick Warren, as much as some of us may dislike him, is right.

For at least the last 16 years, but far more during the last 8, American politics has consisted of two people in a room screaming at each other. In the last 8 years we've fallen hard because we had a government that pandered to one side of the room.

We all know that, yet some progressives are arguing that Obama should do exactly the same thing, even though we've already seen how far it's gotten us.

So progressives, get out of the echo chamber, and start having actual conversations with people who don't agree with you. Rick Warren represents many mainstream Americans. More Americans than you'd like to admit. Warren, by accepting Obama's invitation, legitimatizes Obama in a way that not even winning the election could.

Progressives, the election of Obama was us winning a huge battle, but the war never ends. So stop being assholes and start fighting your actual enemies, rather than your general. Cheney admitted to war crimes this week. Maybe you could start there.