I write this article for the multitude of wild-eyed idealists who joined political campaigns thinking they could be a part of movement to deliver change only for their aspirations to be aborted by the established order. I especially write this missive on behalf of the legions of Obama volunteers who had their hopes dashed by the harsh realities of who the first black president became once he entered the White House.
This issue is very personal for me. In 2008, I put all my hopes in Barack Obama only to witness in depressing fashion as my faith was returned with faithless cynicism. However, I am not alone in this bitter taste that has yet to leave my mouth; an acerbity that dances across my palate each time I hear Obama lecture us about the brokenness of our government that he was complicit in wrecking for eight years.
As I’m writing this, I am mindful that there are countless thousands of Bernie supporters, Ron Paul loyalists and Howard Dean enthusiasts, to name a few, who also put all their chips in a politician only be hit with the snake eyes of the old guard. If there is one thing that is bipartisan in DC, it’s the way dreamers are used as stepping stools to advance the agendas of political insiders.
My foray into the world of political organizing traces its roots to 2004 when I heard Obama give the “red state vs blue state” speech at the Democratic National Convention. I was marooned knee-deep in doldrums at the thought of John Kerry being the nominee and realizing that the Democrats seized yet another opportunity to miss an opportunity. My gloomy mood was lifted instantly when a man I never heard of—with a name that should have been a political non-starter back then—walked up to the podium and lit the convention hall and millions of living rooms around America on fire with his elocution.
Like sirens luring unsuspecting sailors, Obama tapped into a deep desire that Americans had to get over the politics of division as he spoke from the mount of unity. Alas, as much as I swooned at his inspiring speech, the feeling of exuberance did not last too much longer as John Kerry got swift-boated and our hopes got torpedoed by Karl Rove. I swore off politics after that year; tired of Democrats fielding feckless candidates, I told myself that I was not going to bother anymore. I had just turned thirty, I did not want to waste my youth on a venal system that was domain of “old white men”.
My swearing off did not last past the next election cycle; in 2008 I fell off the wagon and was pulled right back in by the same man who captured my imagination four years earlier. Initially I was hesitant, I did not want to commit to a “black” man knowing full well that the Democrats would find a way to pull the rug out from underneath him. However, as I observed his campaign—the more I listened to his speeches—I decided to stop being a passive observer and became an active “Obama foot soldiers”....continued...
Trust me, this ain't that type of article, this is about accountability ....read full article here: https://ghionjournal.com/hope-lives-obama-loyalist-inclusive-justice/