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Sarah Posner isn’t impressed with Lisa Miller’s claim that Obama is working to create a "ceasefire in the culture war." Says Posner:
[Joshua] Dubois [director of Obama's Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (OFBNP)] maintained, "There’s a culture-war industry on both sides . . . What’s helpful to the president and to us is a lot of people are weary of that. People are looking for ways out."
With this cringe-worthy denigration of reproductive health advocates as just as extreme as abortion clinic harassers, DuBois signals a future of mealy-mouthed Democrats who are pro-choice in their hearts, though timid when it comes to campaign rhetoric and policy.
Posner goes on to note how culture warriors from the right have filled the OFBNP advisory committee, yet voices from the progressive religious sphere are tokens. In broader terms, she writes of a divide among progressive religious voices more generally (see Dan Gilgoff for more):
On one side were the "common ground" progressives who are proponents of "building bridges" with conservatives. On the other side were their progressive critics, members of a burgeoning religious left that objects to the jettisoning of reproductive and LGBT rights in the name of making common ground.
So far, the former group seems to have the ear of the White House and the Democratic Party. These self-described progressives, despite their protestations to the contrary, are more interested in winning elections than standing up for a righteous cause. Will the Democrats take notice of the religious left, or has the "common ground" group, which marginalizes the pro-choice, pro-LGBT equality religious left as extremist, become the quasi-official religion of the party?
I think that question has been asked and answered, Sarah, long ago.
Look at the campaign, then look again, and then look at the inauguration. To borrow from Captain Renault, I’m shocked, shocked to find political calculations trumping policy here.
Obama is doing with religious progressives exactly what he’s doing with progressives more generally on a host of other appointments and issues: taking the base for granted and playing for centrists. To me, it looks less like a ceasefire and more like a calculated retreat. When confronted with fighting for change we can believe in or consensus, the Obama team has a record of going for consensus every time.
Jane’s right: it’s a feature, not a bug.
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Sadly, yes.
Thank you Peterr.
And Dugg right here…
Excellent post, peterr. Thank you.
With the things progressives have been fighting for, e.g., end to prisoner abuse/torture, the words from the administration have huge loopholes in them. I’m thinking we’re being handed the same shit in a different package all the way round, banksters, war, etc. I don’t call it a culture war, to me it’s class war plain and simple and I’m all for it. Let’s get all the pieces on the board and go for it.
No war but class war.
That’s exactly what it is and Obama is the U.S. equivalent of Kerensky. Not transformational but merely transitional.
Agreed. However, the very people we need to lead us there are not exactly on our team at all. They need to believe that inaction is more “expensive.” We need to bring this idea home first.
quoting mary from june of last year:
i am no longer the base. my vote and my support must be won.
“Obama is doing with religious progressives exactly what he’s doing with progressives more generally on a host of other appointments…”
This is most definitely calculated to co-opt, marginalize and/or otherwise deem irrelevant those voices with which the administration does not want to deal. This should only serve to further solidify the truly progressive voices out there in the Real World.
We voted for “change”. Obviously, we’re not getting it. Therefore, we must demand it. Taking “no” for an answer is unacceptable. The stakes are much too high for that. And by the way: Rahm E. needs to go. And on his way out, he can hold the door for Geithner, Summers, Romer and other members of the so-called “economic team”. Sort of make it a team exit. Talk about your photo op…
I for one am also shocked, shocked, that mixing religion and government is once again, as it has countless times down through the thousands of years of human civilization, proving to be a catastrophically bad idea.
One might even speculate that our government would be better off without pandering to various religious constituencies.
Me, I’m still waiting on my Office of Atheism-Based Initiatives money.
The WH needs a good dose of Liberation Theology and I know just the guy to give it to him. *g*
As a Native American/Chicano, I find this ‘culture war’ to be pure nonsense. And when the Religious Aficionados weigh-in, it becomes even more nonsense.
On a personal note, years ago, I offered to debate one of America’s experts on the Culture Wars, and he was from a major foundation that advocated the Culture War. As such, he backed away when I explained that I would start my debate on Native American religious experiences sans the European Contribution, and that scared the bejeebus out of him, especially when I followed-up with my “second tier” Argumenation, and that being Corporate America’s Manifest Destiny Exported as the presumptive foreign policy and supported wholeheartedly by the European Contribution, was an ‘unassailable’ fact. Sadly, he ’scared-off’ far too easily.
Unfortunately, the European Contribution adds nothing “frothy” to the American Dream, excepting the “arrogance for stupidity” viz a viz the CultureWar-Armageddon-Doom.” Who knows, maybe the Mayans, Nostradamus, and Sir Isaac Newton will be correct when the world as we know it, ends in December of 2012, and I will be proven wrong?
Jaango
Of course.
We have a divided country of which a significant part is really rather stupid (or at least ignorant), fearsome, superstitious and regressive. This is just the fact.
If Obama did not campaign, and now govern, with political calculations in mind and play for the centrists, he would not have been elected and thus unable to do what little (may be not so little, time will tell) that he can do.
Or do you think that President Kucinich, no matter how fun that may sound — and it does sound pretty good — is/was ever a realistic possibility?
Have you ever heard John Trudell’s “Hanging From the Cross?”
lol. wonder if we’re thinking of the same guy?
Methinks ya fergot to link the link but I’m bettin’ yer right. *g*
thanks. fixed it.
Join up here to accomplish that.
Even though he’s retired we should be hearing from the Good Rev. Give him a public pulpit and let him really speak truth to power. Maybe a segment with John Stewart for starters. Nice little segue into speaking engagements.
Hey EC: Whatup?
Little duct tape and a 12lb sledge works wonders.
Fight the culture war to win it! We do not negotiate cease fires with with the enemy. Clearly, this must continue until the president can stand in a flight suit on the deck of an aircraft carrier and proclaim ‘mission accomplished.’ ;P As we speak, Acorn special advisors are busy at planning the next offensive.
Do you know that William James once said God damn the U.S.?
Did a buncha spring cleanup, as forecasted rain was just a few drops. How about you?
Wow, this guy covered a lot of ground. Bet he was fun to talk to.
Swopa is upstairs!
Then Again, Maybe Hope is a Plan
Repent. This should help:
http://www.funnyordie.com/vide…..phone-book
Doin’ a few last-minute tax returns.
As for house-cleaning and (especially) yard cleaning? I recommend an airstrike. Quick, effective. Napalm on the lawn and you don’t have to worry about mowing for about five years, give or take.
Maybe. I don’t know much about him. The quote was in reference to U.S. counterinsurgency in Philippines.
Gives the neighborhood a nice fragrance, too.
Got in trouble with a burn pile a couple of weeks ago & had to call the fire dept for a dead grass burn, so if you don’t mind, I won’t be trying it again soon.
I did a quick scan of his wiki. Hmmm, that sounds kinda weird. Anyhoo, James had his fingers in a lot of intellectual pies.
Full name: William James
School/tradition: Pragmatism
Main interests: Pragmatism, Psychology, Philosophy of Religion, Epistemology, Meaning
Notable ideas: The Will to Believe Doctrine, the pragmatic theory of truth, radical empiricism, James-Lange theory of emotion
Probably a wise choice.
In response to Southern Dragon @11
Thanks for your acuity. I saw it on PBS.
Jaango
Speaking of PBS, looks like we might have a Lincoln Fest going on with Moyers tonight.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html
Yes, the Jameses were a prominent New England intellectual family. That should have made them interesting conversationalists. However, I’ve read two of his brother Henry’s novels and the atmospere is pretty stifling, so maybe not so much. Especially for women who were not invited into the intellectual sphere in those days.
Especially if it’s “the smell of napalm in the morning…”
A play based on a conversation with an intellectual of the time and a modern progressive might be entertaining, a la My Dinner With Andre.
I’m not familiar with My Dinner With Andre, but your plot does have a lot of merit.
1981 film. Two guys having a long conversation at an upscale restaurant in NYC. Great flik.
looseheadprop is upstairs!
Caroline Kennedy Can be My Ambassador Any Day
I’m not convinced Team Obama is going centrist. I’m afraid the Dems have been down so long, it looks like up to them. With former “boxer” Harry Reid in mind, I don’t think the Dems have any stomach for a fight – or for the progressive roots of their own party. They just want to get on and not be scolded by anyone. Fat chance, Mr. O.
The idea that ‘inaction can be more expensive’ is well understood with regard to the health care reform movement. It hasn’t been until recently when the cost has really hit businesses and governments. But, as you say, once they experience it first-hand, then they really get moving.
Suddenly they all get religion and understand the urgency of now!
Hey, get that napalm off my lawn! /geezer_rant
Stump removal can sometimes take a more focused energy. Then again, there are times when the ground is soft and a strong wind can knock a tree over. Go figure.
I don’t think it matters if Obama has Boo Radley or Jerry Mathers on his advisory committees he’s still going to do whatever he decides, probably with less input than anyone would like. Opening up a dialogue and at least acting like he’s listening to nutjobs at least might legitimize him with the rest of the nutjobs that they listen to. Give the cat a minute, he’s got a bit on his plate and this is one wacky country he’s trying to lead.