The Democrats Need to Grow A Pair

Obama on election night

The 2008 United States Presidential election witnessed a dramatic upheaval, as the Democratic Party gained majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, not to mention the fact that a northern liberal was elected to the presidency for the first time since John F. Kennedy in 1960. The first-ever African-American president, Barack Obama, had motivated and moved many with his call for change, and change is what the American people clearly wanted after 8 long years of incompetent Republican leadership. Finally, progressive goals could come to fruition with a Congress capable of delivering on what would surely be the president's desires for "change we can believe in".

Early promises and wishful thinking, however, has turned into disappointment as President Obama's first term has gone on. The closing of Guantanamo in one year has yet come to pass. Progress in the Middle East has been slow in coming. Gay rights has taken a backseat to more pressing issues. More troops have been sent to Afghanistan, making the prospect of a sooner-rather-than-later withdrawal a bit more unlikely. Criticism from the Left has not been as harsh as that coming from the Right, but perhaps it should be.

One of the biggest complaints against the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress has been the lack of a public option for the Healthcare Reform Bill. It seems nobody is really that happy with the end result, although the reasons for disgruntlement vary. Some important points can be taken from those polls: 1) Many Americans are woefully ignorant of what the bill actually contains and what it will mean for them; 2) More people think the Democrats than the Republicans would be better for handling of reform of the industry; 3) Most Americans want to see more government involvement in dealing with reform of healthcare; 4) Many Americans feel that the bill did not "go far enough", i.e., they are disappointed over the lack of a public option.

Pro-Healthcare Reform rallies were not loud enough

The dithering and bipartisan pandering to Republican sentiments towards reform allowed the debate to slow down to a crawl, putting into jeopardy of fixing one of the most important issues currently facing the United States. Yes, the bill was eventually passed, and it is not perfect, but better than nothing. However, the manner in which it was watered-down and beaten made many tired of debate, almost killing it before it could become real. Though passage of this bill is meaningful, it is not meaningful enough.

With majorities in both the House and Senate, and a president willing to actively promote and endorse these causes, why did Democrats sink to the Republicans' level and attempt to negotiate with the minority? It is almost undeniable that, if given the same situation, Republicans would have simply rammed through the legislation of their agenda without needing to debate it with the opposition. It's as if Democrats were afraid of wielding their power as the majority. This type of bipartisan-flakery and watering-down is not even unique to the healthcare reform movement. And it's becoming old, really fast.

The Democrats stand on the precipice of enacting actual, meaningful progressive legislation in a country that is still very conservative, overall. This is a gilt-edged chance that may not come again, and so far, the lack of a spine has allowed actual progressive legislation to either be ignored, pushed back, or diluted by a divisive, ignorant, and idea-less opposition.

Which isn't to say that the President and Democrats haven't accomplished anything significant, either. Quite the opposite, actually. One of the biggest controversies (to Republicans, at least), the economic stimulus bill, seems to be working. Obama appears to be pretty popular, generally speaking, and this can only be a good thing for an American president, especially after the depths of anti-Americanism that sprang up while Bush was in office.

Criticism from the Left isn't so much about what has been accomplished (although the lack of a public option was truly heartbreaking) but rather the chance for the potential of meaningful, progressive change to be lost. The Democrats have achieved some goals, but they had and continue to have the ability to do so much more for the betterment of the country. Progressive legislation will always be an uphill battle in a country where the word "liberal" still carries a negative connotation. But this is no time for the Democrats, the president, or progressives to be cowed by their opponents. Rather, the Left needs to stand up, be brazen, be bold, be aggressive and do what they know needs to be done, regardless of criticism or complaints from the other end of the political spectrum. The Democrats have it in their power, they just need to develop a spine, grow a pair, and the benefits will come their way for years to come.