The Tragedy of Under-Reaching by Norman Solomon

Published on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 by CommonDreams.org

The Tragedy of Under-Reaching
After the Election Disaster: Back to Basics

by Norman Solomon
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/03-7

*****************
"The mass-media echo chamber now insists that Republicans have triumphed because President Obama was guilty of overreach. But since its first days, the administration has undermined itself -- and the country -- with tragic under-reach."

"Far from constraining the power of the Republican Party, the administration's approach has fundamentally empowered it. The ostensibly shrewd political strategists in the White House have provided explosive fuel for right-wing "populism" while doing their best to tamp down progressive populism. Tweaks aside, the Obama presidency has aligned itself with the status quo -- a formula for further social disintegration and political catastrophe."

*****************

Norman Solomon is a journalist, historian, and progressive activist. His book "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death" has been adapted into a documentary film of the same name. His most recent book is "Made Love, Got War." He is a national co-chair of the Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign. In California, he is co-chair of the Commission on a Green New Deal for the North Bay; www.GreenNewDeal.info.

They did empower the losers. They won and insisted on raising up Republicans like Judd Gregg, seeking advice from Lindsey Graham, appointing Republicans like Alan Simpson to a Deficit Commission. Inviting Republicans to talks about the Health Care Bill while shutting out those who were on their side. Appointing Gates to such a high position, keeping Bernanke and on and on. Were there no Democrats who could fill these positions? If we wanted Republicans we would have voted for them.

'Tamping down progressive populism'. Why did they do this? Imagine what they could have accomplished had they utilized all that energy. Instead, they caused a split among the base and weakened themselves in the process.

I did not know that when we elected Democrats and finally threw the Republicans out of power, those same Democrats would reach down into the Republican gutter and pull them back up and install them in positions of power.

A once in a lifetime opportunity, squandered.