What the Progressive Response Should Have Been

By: Harry Waisbren

Matt Stoller brings up a point that any progressive or general person who wants change should consider. He writes about how a real progressive candidate would have "stepped on McCain's message" following the RNC:

A real progressive candidate would have stepped on the Republican National Convention by pointing to the arrest of Amy Goodman and saying 'We do not arrest journalists in this country for reporting a story, we do not cage our citizens, that's what they do in China.  Because if security forces at political conventions are willing to arrest peaceful protesters and journalists, they are willing to arrest you.'  The youtube video of Goodman is really shocking, and 800k people have seen it.  It's there for anyone to see, viscerally powerful.  If anyone wants to know what a strong progressive message looks like, it's that.

That would have instantly moved all the press from the Xcel Center into the streets and put the emphasis on the security apparatus.  Palin would be an afterthought.  And the election would be decided on the basis of whether the public wants a President who stands up for their rights or whether the public wants a President who stands up for the government's right to imprison them.

I think Stoller is entirely right that the disturbing militarization of the RNC should have been a prime talking point and action item. The most important change our country needs is to END OUR PATH TOWARDS BECOMING A POLICE STATE!

This is a bipartisan issue that has fueled the base of the democratic and republican party (through the Ron Paul supporters) alike, and Obama should care enough about civil liberties to deal with the repurcussions his campaign would face from defending the dirty hippies. In fact, such repurcussions very likely could have been turned positive, as it would have been a democrat actually showing backbone and standing up to the Republicans for once. Instead, we get to see their typical dance of running as far from the notion that they are liberal as possible despite what it means for the country. This is exactly why democrats are a bipartisan laughing stock---they are willing to sell out any core belief in the name of political expediency, and yet don't even see that it makes them look like the nerd willing to sell out his best friend to sit at the popular kids' table. 

Don't think this issue is important? Watch the Amy Goodman arrest video and ask yourself if this was the country all of the patriots that came before us fought and died for: