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Obama and the Future of Progressive Politics
July 31, 2004 |
Listening and cheering to Barack Obama's breakthrough speech (text, mp3) on July 28th, 2004 (my 28th birthday) was the most inspired I've been since listening to Ralph Nader at a Super-rally at the Fleet Center in 2000. His speech, as well as speeches from Sharpton, Edwards, and Kerry definitely pumped up those of us who were already rooting for the Democrats. The energy is there, and from my perspective, they would definitely lead the country better than George W. Bush's crew.
However, something I read today made me look beyond the 2004 election. Matt Bai's New York Times Magazine article called Wiring the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy essentially tells the story of how progressive donors are beginning to invest in the political entrepreneurs that will transform the country in the next 5 to 20 years. Modeled somewhat after the Republican think tanks that have given conservatives a coherent and strategic worldview over the last few decades, these networks of innovative thinkers and investors are not only looking to create progressive breakthroughs through the Democratic Party, but in fact, due to the recent changes to campaign finance law, may be able to be just as effective from outside of the traditional party structure completely. Third party anyone?
Posted by Colin at July 31, 2004 10:37 PM
