A Progressive Mandate — ‘Now Comes The Hard Part’
A Progressive Mandate — ‘Now Comes The Hard Part’
“The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly,” Sen. John McCain said last night during his concession speech. He’s right.
As Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman explains, “In this election, Obama proudly stood up for progressive values and the superiority of progressive policies; John McCain, in return, denounced him as a socialist, a redistributor. And the American people rendered their verdict. Now the work begins.”
A mandate for progressive change exists. In a memo released today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund writes, “Obama ran on the most progressive platform of any presidential candidate in at least 15 years, including a promise of universal health care coverage, a dramatic transformation to a low-carbon economy, and a historic investment in education.” Read the full memo below:
Our nation today is only now realizing the extent of the resounding victory for progressive ideals registered on election day. Progressives triumphed in all regions of the country and won overwhelming support from individuals of all different backgrounds. President-elect Barack Obama defeated Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) decisively, winning the most votes in history and the largest share of the popular vote of any presidential candidate in two decades. Candidates running on progressive platforms helped Democrats expand their majorities in both houses of Congress. Democrats now have the most elected members of Congress any party has held since 1995.
Now comes the hard part. Our country faces enormous challenges, many the direct result of eight years of hapless conservative governance. The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression is only the latest blow delivered to the American people after years of stagnant wages and the worst job-creation record since Herbert Hoover. Our increasingly costly health care system leaves out more and more Americans every year.
Years of war in Iraq have left Americans less safe at home and abroad despite the incredible sacrifice of our brave fighting men and women there and in Afghanistan, where the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are mounting a comeback. And our planet is now eight years closer to catastrophic climate change.
Sen. McCain and other conservatives supported these policies, and they ran this election year on ambitious conservative plans that would have gone even further. The American people rejected these stale ideas yesterday, understanding the dismal consequences of conservatism these past eight years. The urgency of our problems was central to the decisions of American voters, who were significantly more likely to say that the economy, taxes, heath care, and energy were “very important” compared to four years ago, according to the Pew Research Center.
That’s why candidates who embraced progressive solutions to these problems won. Obama ran on the most progressive platform of any presidential candidate in at least 15 years, including a promise of universal health care coverage, a dramatic transformation to a low-carbon economy, and a historic investment in education. Winning congressional candidates also embraced progressive policies. And polls showed that voters supported progressive solutions by wide margins.
In a few short months, leaders who support progressive ideals will take up the reins of government in Washington. We must rise to the occasion. We must move beyond the false choice of left versus center to embrace solutions as big as the challenges we face.
We need investments now to jumpstart our economy while laying the foundations for sustained economic growth. Restoring confidence in our economy will require a new direction for the economy, health care, clean energy, and education. And we must be willing to set priorities on government spending to restore budgetary responsibility in the coming years.
If we do these things, then we can translate yesterdayís victory at the polls into a victory for health care, clean energy, national security, and a stronger and larger middle class. The American people are ready. Now it’s time to deliver.
President Bush was re-elected in 2004 with 286 electoral votes, the smallest popular-vote margin since 1976 (excluding the 2000 election) and the lowest electoral vote count for an incumbent president's re-election since 1916. Nevertheless, many in the media were quick to echo Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that "the nation" gave Bush "a mandate." It remains to be seen whether the media will apply the same standard in assessing the results of the 2008 election.
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33 Responses to “A Progressive Mandate — ‘Now Comes The Hard Part’”
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Obama about that FISA vote , is it actually constitutionsl to pass laws rretroactively to excuse the breaking of American laws ?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:05 amWhat would the Reverend Wright have to say about our attempted coups in Bolivia, and Venezuela or our attempts to subvert the election process in other countries ?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:08 amThe hard part is trying to make America better FOR ALL American's when Republicans just refuse to see that the Nation's health is directly related to the overall health of society.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:08 amWhat restitution for the deaths of 1 1/2 million in Iraq ?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:09 amUh oh. Barack Obama has asked Rahm Emmanuel as Chief of Staff? Hmmm. A DLC'er will not be the best choice for this position if we really want a populist president...
November 5th, 2008 at 11:12 amObama is the first elected President of the 21st century.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:13 amReich-wingers are already claiming: No mandate for Obama
November 5th, 2008 at 11:15 amGeorge W Bush, take back this overcoat of shame you forced us to wear these last 8 years. It never did belong to us. It has your initials on it.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:17 amFortunately President Moron squandered his "mandate" and "political capital" in an attempt to trick the US population into thinking there was a Social Security "crisis." He was decisively repudiated and foiled at every step. We don't hear much about that "crisis" today because there wasn't one and there isn't one.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:17 amfreeman Says:
Obama about that FISA vote , is it actually constitutionsl to pass laws rretroactively to excuse the breaking of American laws ?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:05 am
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Okay, we get it. Obama's not a liberal. We knew that already.
But he is a pragmatic progressive who I believe will be ratcheting back the government abuses of the past eight years. There's a lot of shit to be undone, and it's not going to be undone in a day.
Let's get to work.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:17 amLet's hope Bush and Cheney pay for their crimes. In jail, they'll have numerous chances for "Man dates".
November 5th, 2008 at 11:17 amThe CNBC political reporter went against the "investor class" tide and called the election a mandate.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:17 amDr. Hussein Matt Says:
Reich-wingers are already claiming: No mandate for Obama
November 5th, 2008 at 11:15 am
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Yeah, I'm very surprised at this. As surprised as I was when the sun rose this morning.
That's why I'm glad Obama stated in his speech last night that he was going to be President of the entire United States, not just the 52% who voted for him. That's a refreshing change...
November 5th, 2008 at 11:19 amAnyone seen or heard from Uncle Dick this morning?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:19 amIs he still in the country?
Congratulations, USA!
Congratulations, World!
November 5th, 2008 at 11:22 amObama's mandate is unquestioned. He ran a campaign of ideas and the voters embraced those ideas. He won with a clear majority of voters. Right wing commentators will attempt to spin as they always do, but I think the American people intended to give Obama a mandate to change this country for the better. Hopefully, Obama will embrace this mandate and will start the work of rebuilding this once great nation.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:23 amIt's only a mandate when each and every one of us who supported this historic victory are willing to set aside our differences and work with the rest of America to restore this country to greatness.
The job's only half done... now comes the fun part.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:29 amRichardson for Sec/State.
Wes Clark for Sec/Defense
Buffet for Sec/Treasury
...feel free to join in...
November 5th, 2008 at 11:32 amCongratulations on your new President, guys.
It seems like the good Reverend's dream is finally coming to be a reality.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:33 amDr. Hussein Matt Says:
Reich-wingers are already claiming: No mandate for Obama
Malkin has demanded that the first thing Obama do is apologize to the wingers whose feelings were hurt by Obama supporters during the campaign.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:33 am…feel free to join in…
Lieberman for dishwasher in the US Embassy in Baghdad.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:34 amThere is so much work - economy, spiraling national debt, 2 undeclared wars, healthcare, reversing unconstitutional intrustions of govt (wiretap, Gitmo, etc.).
Remember in 2004 the Bush commercial about how Bush had inherrited from Clinton a sinking economy and national security - and had it harder than any other president ?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:36 amraynman Says:
It’s only a mandate when each and every one of us who supported this historic victory are willing to set aside our differences and work with the rest of America to restore this country to greatness.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:29 am
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More than that - we have to be open-minded and be willing to criticize this new incoming administration when we feel they're capitulating to corporate interests, or not representing the will of the people who voted to put him there.
A mandate is not a blank check. It's a contract, and it's up to us - now that we've fulfilled our obligation - to ensure that the new administration fulfills theirs.
If Obama's administration matches his man-of-the-people rhetoric, I like to think we'll see a lot more responsiveness from Washington in the next four years.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:38 amAbsolutely agree with Richardson for Secretary of State. I have heard John Kerry's name mentioned -- that would be a huge mistake as far as I am concerned.
Don't agree with Wes Clark for Secretary of Defense. I think Obama needs to leave Gates there for now and some period of time. I wonder if Powell would come back into government for that position. That may be worth considering.
I wonder if Buffet would do the Secretary of Treasury stint. He would have a huge conflict of interest to deal with I would think and have to put his billions into a blind trust. I don't have a name to suggest but I think this is an opportunity to engage the right person who might also have some experience in international banking. I don't think our treasury issues are entirely our own; the international perspective is becoming more important.
I fervently hope that Obama will be truly bipartisan in his Cabinet selections. This is his first and greatest opportunity to show what can happen when you get the best people for the job instead of the kind of partisan hacks that we have suffered from for the past eight years.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:43 amSure, as soon as McCain, Palin, and every reich-wing apologize for calling Obama and his supporters "terrorists", "communists", "radical Muslims", "baby killers", etc., etc.,
November 5th, 2008 at 11:45 amObama's not a progressive, unfortunately. His choice of Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff doesn't help, either!
November 5th, 2008 at 11:45 amObama has his hands full for sure after the destruction that the Bush Republican Criminal Mafia has done to the USA and the world...it will take much longer than 8 years to fix this mess.
I wish him and the Democrat Party the best of luck in undoing this mess.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:51 amMandate? Is that what you libs think? You think that winning the popular vote by a bigger margin than Bush, winning the electoral college by a landslide, and bringing along with you a stronger majority in both houses of Congress means that you libs get a mandate?
Silly libs, mandates are for Republicans.
/snark
In all seriousness, can I just say how glad I am that people voted in recordbreaking numbers high enough to make the election so much of a rout that it clearly repudiates the Republican party, they couldn't steal it, and no one can say Obama squeaked by.
Congratulations, America, you've got your sense back and you actually VOTED!
To all the trolls out there, ESPECIALLY RaptureReady/Darryl (what happened to the Huckster there, pal? wasn't he supposed to win since he was ordained by God or something?), PHUCK YOU, PHUCK YOUR IDEOLOGY, PHUCK YOUR ATTEMPTS TO SMEAR, LIE, AND OBFUSCATE, PHUCK YOUR ATTEMPTS AT VOTER SUPPRESSION, INTIMIDATION, AND OUTRIGHT THEFT.
To all the conservatives out there, the ones with brains in their heads, sense in their brains, and heart in their sense who voted for McCain...I can forgive you, but I will not forgive those you elected. I can work with you, but you have to be willing to work with me. I will try to refrain from anger, but you need to understand what it's been like for 8 years being called a traitor, amongst other more nasty things, simply because I didn't believe in George's Middle East Funhouse Adventure.
Yes we can.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:53 amYes we did.
And yes, we will continue.
I suggest taking all the constitutional issues to our previous opponents on the right wing , Citizens , senators and representatives educating and enlisting their support in overturning and abolishing them .
November 5th, 2008 at 12:11 pmLawyers should be approached on line and in person with the issues and told to do their patriotic duties in opposing the destruction of our democracy as it now stands after 8 years of abuses !
The constitution and our moral compass must be restored !
Thank you, CAP and ThinkProgress, for a priceless education!
Keep up the GOOD WORK!
November 5th, 2008 at 12:25 pm"liberal traitor" says it all SO well! It does take both sides agreeing to work together to make it happen, but there's a lot of smashed feelings out there to get over.
But, hey, we gotta' start sometime.
Go, PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!! (sounds SO good!)
November 5th, 2008 at 12:53 pm"Dr. Hussein Matt Says:
Reich-wingers are already claiming: No mandate for Obama"
funny, coming from the 1% mandate crowd.
November 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pmThere's not a chance in hell that Obama can start his term as progressive as we all would like. Prsesident Clinton got kneecapped in '93 by a dem congress that seemed to want to asserts its authority over him. Sam Nunn shut him down over "gays in the military" and made him look weak right off the bat. Obama needs to command this congressional majority if he is going to get things done and bringing Rahm Emanuel on board looks like a step in that direction. We are not authoritarians, "goose stepping morons" like the repubs. We're a herd of cats, but we need to be held together strongly if we want to get things done.
November 5th, 2008 at 1:35 pm