The Illusions of Liberalism

Rabbi Michael Lerner's argument in the WaPo yesterday, urging a progressive/liberal politician to run against Obama in the primaries in order to force Obama back into the progressive camp in his policies is really inane and unrealistic.  He provides this laundry list of positions for a progressive candidacy:

The basic platform for such a candidate is clear: Unequivocally call for an immediate end to the presence of U.S. troops, advisers and private U.S.-based security firms in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, and replace the "war on terror" with a Global Marshall Plan that roots homeland security in a strategy of generosity and concern for the well-being of everyone on the planet. Domestically, call for a massive jobs program; a freeze on mortgage foreclosures; a national bank that would offer interest-free loans to those seeking to create or expand small businesses; immediate implementation of the parts of the Obama health-care plan that would benefit ordinary citizens and build support for a health plan for all citizens; dramatically lower prices for drugs that treat critical diseases such as AIDS and cancer; a strong tax on carbon emissions; and immediate prosecution of those government employees involved in torture or cover-ups to justify the invasion of Iraq. This candidate should push for the media to provide free and equal time to all major candidates for national office as well as for constitutional amendments requiring only public financing in elections and, separately, for corporations to prove every five years to a jury of ordinary citizens that they have a satisfactory history of environmental responsibility (much like the Environmental and Social Responsibility Amendment, or ESRA, advocated by the Network of Spiritual Progressives).

This policy platform must be matched with a willingness to talk unequivocally about the spiritual and ethical need for a new bottom line - one of love, kindness and generosity. We need a progressive push for a new New Deal, which in the 21st century could be the Caring Society: "Caring for Each Other and the Earth."

According to the Gallup Poll, about 75% of Americans consider themselves either conservative or moderate.  Only about 20% of all Americans would agree with Lerner's list of political positions (that's the percentage of 'liberals' in the American population).  We truly are a center-right country.  Does Lerner believe that that small group of liberals is going to force Obama to change his default position as a 'pragmatic centrist' (actually closer to Bluedog Democrat than to liberal). Not a chance.

Liberals/progressives are never going to be able to elect someone on the above enumerated platform.  The best they can do is hope to fill some slots in a 'centrist' (whatever that means) Democratic administration and work from the inside to fulfill their purposes and goals. 

It's time for liberals to stop looking for their political messiah, because they're constantly deceiving themselves about 'liberal-sounding' politicians like Obama, who they imagine to be made in the very image of their own liberal desires.  This one turned out not to be the 'One' (although liberals don't accept that fact even now--they just keep wondering why the object of their desires has left them, rather than realizing that he never was what you thought he was).  Lower your expectations, liberals.  He's not like you, and for that matter, neither is Hillary (or Bill).  They are just very successful with their rhetoric at making you think they are.

I know, I know, it's unfair.  True liberals rarely have a real choice in Presidential elections.  At least since 1980, the choice is between conservative or less conservative.  But that's the current nature of country and its political system.  Liberalism could well take as its motto what the the Rolling Stones once sung: "I can't get no satisfaction."

Addendum:
I should probably here make a distinction from liberals and those on 'the left'.  Liberals tend to be a little more mushy and sentimental in their political thinking, while the Left are more realistic and hard-nosed.  For example, liberals in general went all gaga over Obama in '08, while the Left (such as on the Counterpunch website) were suspicious, if not hostile, to Obama, seeing him for what he actually turned out to be, a pragmatic centrist/moderate conservative willing to jettison 'liberal' principles whenever it suited him, which turned out to be most of the time.