If you ask anyone on the right who the best political mind of all time is, the answer is going to be Ronald Reagan. Now if you ask someone on the left, you won’t get a uniform answer. This is not due to a lack of good politicians or progressive thinkers, but from a lack of hierarchy. The right has a defined power structure that all their loyal followers can recite in their sleep. Their heroes are well known.
They are the Fox News stalwarts, the embodiments of liberty that flutter through the news. They are constant and static, always espousing a cohesive message that people learn and become comfortable with. The absence of such an entity on the left has caused, and will continue to cause, major problems heading into the future. Currently, the only people held in reverence by the left are the topical buffoons of the right, people like the anti-government rancher Cliven Bundy, the ‘legitimate rape’ congressman Todd Akin, and the obstruction worker governor Chris Christie.
The “hero” of the left cannot be the embarrassment of the right. True leaders, activists, and thinkers need to represent progressive ideals to inspire the left. Showing how incompetent your opponent is, is a productive strategy in the short term but skipping from conservative yokel to conservative yokel isn’t building a liberal foundation, it’s just showing what you’re up against. It will be extremely beneficial to show people what American liberalism has to offer instead of warning people on how not to act.
Who Will Step Up?
Just because a clear hierarchy of progressive politicians dominate the landscape, doesn’t mean there aren’t candidates for such an organization. Al Gore almost achieved that status, but was mocked mercilessly by climate change deniers and regular skeptics who will rue their laughter now that climate change is finally accepted as scientific fact on a broad scale.
Former President Bill Clinton is another candidate for the upper echelons of the left, but his views tend to remain at the center of the political spectrum. Further, Clinton is absorbed in his charitable work internationally and cannot be a full time party voice. Paul Krugman is a leading progressive economist who is influential, but not loud whereas the likes of Bill Maher is loud, but lacks the influence that the demagogues of the right enjoy.
Perhaps this just illustrates the difference in expectations, and blind faith, by the two parties and their respective followers. There is an obvious candidate left out of the progressive hierarchy and that is President Obama.
If this article was written in 2008, then candidate Obama would have been the clear favorite to god father the party, and that sentiment might ultimately come to fruition, but anointing him in the hierarchy whilst still in office is troublesome. President Obama has accomplished many progressive achievements during his waning presidency, but there are many issues that he has caved on, losing him support amongst the far left.
Hierarchy from the Established or the Esteemed?
President Obama’s legacy is still evolving and his place at the head of the progressive movement is unsure, but there is no doubt all he has done so far for the party and those outside of it. Even President Reagan did not ascend into conservative dogma until after his time in office.
There are, however, some rising stars left of center. There is Wendy Davis, a Democrat member of the Texas Senate that made waves across the country when she led a popular filibuster to stall a harsh and restrictive abortion control law. Then there’s the upstart, newly elected mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio. De Blasio has already impressed the Democratic Party and their voting bloc by advocating free pre-kindergarten for the cities children.
In the next state over, Corey Booker, a newly elected Democratic Senator from New Jersey and past mayor of Newark, has the ambition and vision to become a long time Democratic voice. Booker has been rumored to seek a presidential run, which would surely benefit the country.
Traveling back to Texas finds twin brothers Joaquin and Julian Castro who represent the changing face of American citizenry. Making their national debut during the 2012 presidential election cycle, these two young men made a real name for themselves.
Living in Texas and being of Mexican descent, has made them attractive to the left. Joaquin is a Democratic Congressman and Julian is the Democratic Mayor of San Antonio. But none of these politicians are matching Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s ascendancy to progressive stardom.
Warren is a first time senator but, through her views and strong will, has garnered support for a 2016 presidential bid. While she most likely will not run in 2016, Warren’s view on the minimum wage, student loan debt, and aggressive prosecution of those in the financial industry that brought about the recession, make her an appealing candidate. The left needs champions of causes to show the American people how their policies can bring equality, fairness, and compassion back into the political landscape.
Those on the right will continue to make the news with the stupid things they say and misdeeds they commit, but that should not take away from a strong backbone within the Democratic Party and the progressive movement.
Lazy Activism 