Oct 22 2009
Robert Jensen on Grassroots Organizing in the Age of Obama
The campaign to elect President Obama last year actively engaged millions of Americans who were previously indifferent or alienated from the political process. But just a mere 9 months after his inauguration, a rightwing backlash hostile to everything Obama-related, seems to have out-organized progressives. Obama’s election campaign infrastructure has remorphed itself into a group called Organizing for America, firing off emails to millions of supporters around the country. Only recently did OfA seem to enjoy a successful mobilization with hundreds of thousands of people making phone calls to support a publicly funded optional healthcare system. Does the future of the progressive movement lie in a liberal president’s ability to mobilize it for his political agenda? Or do progressives need to return to the historically effective approach to activism?
GUEST: Robert Jensen, Professor of Journalism at University of Texas at Austin, and author of many books including Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our Humanity, Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity, The Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism and White Privilege, and his latest All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path to the Prophetic Voice.
Robert Jensen will discuss his feminist critique of pornography
Thursday October 22 at 7 pm
Occidental College, Johnson Room 200
Eagle Rock
One Response to “Robert Jensen on Grassroots Organizing in the Age of Obama”
Professor Jensen says he didn’t speak out against Obama during the campaign – as if that was a good thing.
No wonder Obama and Co are continuing a kinder, gentler Bush III/Clinton II agenda. They can get away with murder (literally and figuratively) since the only critics they have to worry about are racist teabaggers. Those with legitimate concerns such as Prof Jensen continue to remain silent or offer up tepid, ineffective hand wringing criticism and protest.
Silence from people like Jensen who know better does nothing to force politicians to do right by the people. By not challenging, criticizing, and holding politicians accountable, said politicians will continue to play voters for fools.
Further, silence can’t inform voters on the truth – something they don’t get from mainstream media. Thus, voters remain ignorant of the real deal about issues and politicians and remain easily swayed by soundbites and slogans coming from media, corporate interests, self-appointed hustler spokespersons, and political parties.
Yes, focus on organizing at the local level is important. However, those at the national level wreak major havoc on our lives. Those who seek our votes must be held accountable. The only way to do such is to have an informed public who knows the who/what/where/why on issues and politicians so said public can do a better job of fighting for its rights against the political/corporate class that continues to work against the public interest.
Professor Jensen and those like him know the who/what/where/why if they give a damn about the people they need to get off their politically correct high horses – as well as off the Democratic party plantation – and speak up. That means challenging and criticizing the Democratic wolves in sheep’s clothing just as they do the Republicans.