Taking the Movement Out of the Obama White House
I just read the news that Van Jones was forced out of the Obama administration…. This is a serious tragedy on three levels.
First and foremost, Jones was one of the only movement progressives in a policymaking position in the Obama White House. By that I mean, he was one of the only people in the White House who came out of grassroots movement work and not just political/partisan hack work, and one of the only movement progressives put in a policymaking job, and not ghettoized into a political/tactical job….
Second, Jones being forced out will not mollify the racists, crazies, tea baggers, Republican congresspeople and other assorted conservative freakshows – it will only embolden them….
Finally, the Jones announcement will inevitably create a chilling effect on the aspirations of other movement progressives. Van is a fantastic person who has done fantastic work. He’s kept his advocacy real and didn’t compromise his principles. And so when he was appointed to a high-level White House job, it seemed to validate that you could, in fact, keep it real and also advance in American politics and government. That is to say, his story seemed to prove that an outsider could also succeed on the inside – and that outside advocacy doesn’t automatically prohibit you from one day working on the inside.
My disappointment is creeping in. I was willing to overlook or be patient on some things, but between this and the failing health care reform efforts… *sigh*
