Journal Journey

Week 14: 03 April 2016

Four years ago today, President Obama formally clinched his nomination to run for a second term, winning enough primary delegates to put him over the 2,778 threshold he needed for a spot on the general election ballot.

No such luck this year, however. This cycle has been unbelievable, to say the least. I’ve gotten a lot calmer about the outcome in recent weeks, but I really abhor the path we’re taking to get there.

During the last presidential election, I was still posting on my Twitter-focused blog. Just before the Democratic convention, I wrote a speculative nomination address for the President to give. These were the ideas I hoped he shared, the policies I wanted him to pursue, and the tone I wished he would set. I’m re-sharing them here this week to remind ourselves about a few critical points:

Substantive political debate is basically nonexistent this year.
Candidates in 2012 debated priorities, not process.
We have the power to get politicians back on task.

Here are the last few paragraphs from what I wrote just before President Obama’s appearance at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte:

Sometimes, politicians are too isolated. So concerned with getting re-elected, they close themselves off to new ideas. These next four years, with your voices as a clarion call, we need to show our elected officials, myself included, that not every good idea comes out of Washington DC. They can come from anywhere and anyone. Not just those with influence. Not just those with lobbying groups. Not just those with overseas bank accounts or who think corporations are people. You know, just once, I’d like to turn to a TV station, or pick up a newspaper, or see an update on Twitter which says, “Bi-partisan agreement reached for the good of the country.” We can do better. We must do better. And with your help, we will do better.

We are a nation of ideas. And we are a nation of actions. But far too often, the types of debates, and the tenor of these debates, have stifled our ability to get anything accomplished. That’s why it’s been hard for some Americans over the last four years. There is no doubt, however, that our country is better off now than it was on that historic day in January. We have been working together to tackle many of the problems that faced us at inauguration. And since then, we have witnessed 29 consecutive months of private sector job growth. That didn’t come easily. But our ideas are working. Maybe more slowly than we had hoped, but they are working. And to keep them working, I need you to help me over the next four years.

Our vision of the United States is shaped by us. This is still our time. It’s our time to continue looking forward to the work that is yet to come, and yet to be done. To look forward to a day when a student in Nevada, or a National Guard member in Florida, who were brought here years ago by parents looking to give their child a chance at a better future, has the opportunity to become a citizen, and make a difference in people’s lives, instead of hiding in the shadows. To look forward to a day when a grandmother in Virginia doesn’t have to decide between paying for pills or paying for potatoes. Forward, to a day where a man in Virginia can finally marry the man he’s loved for decades. And forward, to a day where we can cooperate on a budget proposal, even if it comes from a Wisconsin Congressman.

We are privileged to live in a country where even if we don’t all agree on a particular idea, we–all of us–can discuss them in a way that makes it clear that the idea is more important than which side of the aisle it came from. A country where we have the responsibility to make sure everyone will continue to be better off than we were four years ago. And when we look back, four years from now, we can say, “Yes we did move forward,” to an America where we look out for each other. Where we help one another. Where we worked together, in finding common ground among our differences toward a better tomorrow. Forward to a place where even a man from Hope and another from Crawford can work together to create something greater than the sum of their parts.

That’s why tonight, I’m looking to you California. And I’m looking to you New York. And I’m looking to you Pennsylvania. And to all of you dedicated Democratic delegates to help me finish what we started in Denver four years ago. We created hope. We created change. Now, let’s carry them forward. Forward, to finish what we started.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless these United States of America.

Pretty presumptuous of me, I know, but I couldn’t just sit there. I wanted to be part of what makes this country great: participatory democracy. We now have more ways than ever to get our thoughts in front of the eyes of others. We can Tweet to governments, leave comments for elected officials, and ask candidates questions during one of the many, many spectacles now passing as debates.

People talk about the democratization of technology. But what does that really mean? Are we really empowering people? Does reading this give you any more influence? Or are we just using these powerful platforms for nothing more than boasting about job changes or — heaven forfend — sending open letters to closed minds?

I want to propose a new tax: Every time you write a think piece here on Medium about how unhappy you are about something, you also have to make an equal effort to help fix the very problem you’re griping about. It can be as easy as voting in a local election, or as grand as running for office yourself. But you have to do something — no more free passes.

My tax for this post? I’m registering people to vote. If you need to register, or want to update your voter information, get in touch. (You need to be registered by 23 May if you want to vote in the 07 June primary.) If you need other ideas on how to make a change in your own community, let me know. We can all do better. And we all should. Otherwise, we’ve got nothing to complain about.