Something I believe is worth mentioning here.

[JeffR]

Tonight I went to a lecture by Bill Fletcher Jr. on the topic of "Operating in the Obama Moment: Challenges for Progressives."

Fletcher's credentials as a labor and social justice advocate are impeccable. He is also unrepentant about describing himself as a socialist.

Useful bio info here: http://www.answers.com/topic/bill-fletcher

Fletcher spoke for an hour and spent another hour taking questions from the audience. What he offered was cogent, rigorous critique of the Obama Administration, informed by a deep knowledge of how government works, how it doesn't, and the urgent opportunity presented to the Left by the "Obama moment." Along with sharp criticism of some of the President's policies, he had plenty to say about how activists have become too atomized and internet-hypnotized to have done enough to rally for progressive causes. The Supreme Court's recent calamitous decision, he claimed, makes real boots-in-the-streets action more needed than ever. Fletcher wants engagement, noise, organizing. His misgivings notwithstanding, he believes the President is diligent, intelligent and - he really used this word - "good-hearted."

There was much more, but the takeaway I wanted to mention here is that there is valid and informed criticism of Barack Obama coming from the Left. What gets presented in the big forums here is usually, though not always, farcical, but out there in the real world, there are very smart people making very smart observations. Please don't let the electric din of internet insincerity make you forget that this is either a very big tent or it's not a tent at all.

[Cha]

1. Thank you Jeff..loved reading that.

Doesn't bother me a bit when there's legitimate criticism of President Obama in a respectful manner as opposed to disingenous speculation and incessant whining.

Obama is good hearted and I'm glad your Prof can see that..I hope there's more like him out there.

Boots in the Street is where it's going to get done.

[JeffR]

4. Just want to clarify, Cha

He's not my professor. This was a public lecture presented by one of the local universities.

[Cha]

7. I know..I just worded it

that way..sorry. Your prof..shoulda said the prof.:)

[cliffordu]

2. K&R. THANKS for reporting this, Jeff -

It's good to hear.

:hi:

[quiet.american]

3. Thanks for that, JeffR. nt

[berni_mccoy]

5. I totally agree. There are valid criticisms of anyone who is in that position.

Mistakes will be made and either they are learned from or they are not. The administration is full of human beings. And instead of having an intelligent discourse on those issues, GD is full of posts from a handful of posters that do absolutely no post unless it has some visceral attack on the President. We are almost forced into a position of constant defense against the farcical, not because we want to, but because these continuous posts do have an impact on the mindset of the membership here.

[Cha]

8. Well said, berni..

Just full of human beings.

Always carping even if they don't understand what's going on..they're right there with the negative attacks even if it was a bush program Pres Obama was doing away with to save money for our country.

[TicketyBoo]

14. They are like sharks.

Not a pleasant place to be swimming.

[HughMoran]

6. In fact, the atomized & isolated opposition screams so loud, but with a microscopic voice

...that they are easily waved off as "crazies". With no uniformity of message and ever more hyperbolic language in order to be 'heard' on the internet, it's no wonder than the frustration of many on the left has spiraled out of control. Somebody needs to figure out how to focus these many voices into one - much like a light collimator does in a fiber-optic system. The potential energy is there - like that of a waterfall, but it needs to be channeled through a turbine to make useful energy. (can you tell I'm an engineer - lol)

[Kurovski]

9. I wish teabaggers knew what Socialism was.

I wish they weren't so ill-informed.

I also wish it rained lemonade.

That wouldn't destroy the eco-system, would it?

Because I really, really like lemonade, you know what I'm saying?

[Cha]

10. Kick for perspective.

[grantcart]

11. Very interesting

It is obvious that Fletcher is a progressive for the sake of change and not ego.

[graywarrior]

12. Great info, JeffR.

Thanks for posting

[Cary]

13. I too have no problem with this and would be surprised if any real

BOGer did. Engage away, make lots and lots of noise, and organize. Please do. That's what our country is all about.

But understand the magnitude of the problems here, created by perhaps our worst president ever. I certainly regard Bush as that, and recognize that "conservatives" are unrepentant and ready and willing to continue what Bush started. That's really where I'm coming from.

[Hekate]

15. Thanks for this, Jeff. I wish I could have been there!

[JeffR]

16. Thanks, everyone. I did a poor job at best in describing the lecture.

But I was so impressed that someone who has spent most of his life in the trenches, who jumped into those trenches at such an early age, can still be so reasonable in his assessments. I don't want anyone to misunderstand; he was scathing in some of his criticism, but he never once retreated to the usual buzzphrases - that I read on the big forums here almost daily - to make his criticisms. Plus he's actually a hopeful guy. Every real socialist I've ever met was a hopeful person. Those who reeked of despair and disparagement were the fakes, and they never did a goddamned thing to advance the progressive cause. And they never will, and to hell with them.

Plus there's the nagging fact that internet dickitude is pretty much as old as the internet itself...