What We Know Now (part 1)

Today, for the 11th time in his presidency, President Barack Obama travels to an American city to offer words of comfort after unspeakable tragedy.

The fatal shootings by police of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota, followed by the deliberate killing of 5 police officers in Dallas, Texas - events that occurred within days of each other, set off what may become a long, hot summer of protest.

Television, print, and social media bristle with a gamut of talk ranging from reasonable discussion to literal screaming matches. Whether or not guns kill people or people kill people, there are a lot of guns and a lot of killings, and everyone whose life matters is - or should be, looking for change.

Having worked as a community organizer after law school and before politics, then-Senator Obama brought his knowledge of how to effect change to his 2008 campaign for the presidency.

In January of that year, he told supporters:

“The reason our campaign has always been different, the reason we began this improbable journey almost a year ago is because it’s not just about what I will do as president. It is also about what you, the people who love this country, the citizens of the United States of America, can do to change it.”

By early February 2008, then-Senator Obama had already built a movement for change from the bottom up and was surging in all the primary polls. His campaign itself had become an example of the way change works - “bottom up.”

In March 2008, in his noteworthy Speech on Race, he insisted that America can, and has, changed:

“The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old - is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know - what we have seen - is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope - the audacity to hope - for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.”

Others saw that then-Senator Obama’s campaign for the presidency was more than that:

“What we are witnessing is not just a candidate but a profound, massive public movement for change. My endorsement is more for Obama The Movement than it is for Obama the candidate. That is not to take anything away from this exceptional man. But what’s going on is bigger than him at this point, and that’s a good thing for the country. Because, when he wins in November, that Obama Movement is going to have to stay alert and active. Corporate America is not going to give up their hold on our government just because we say so."  -Michael Moore

In September 2008, then-Senator Obama talked about change in a candidates forum:

 “It doesn't happen from the top down. It happens because the American people look up and they say, we imagine a world not as it is but as it should be, and we are willing to roll up our sleeves and put in the hard work to change this country, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, state by state. And that, I think, is the kind of president I would like to be is one that inspires more of that feeling and provides the avenues to express it." 

Today in Dallas, President Obama will speak words of comfort, he will encourage people to “listen to each other,” and surely he will hope and pray that change can progress in a peaceful manner.

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For a compelling history of the 2008 campaign, as told by news media, politicians, and ordinary people, see King's Dream: Barack Obama Becomes President of the United States of America.

On January 8, 2008: The Power of Millions of Voices

Despite predictions to the contrary, both Hillary Clinton and John McCain won their New Hampshire primary votes in 2008. And also despite predictions to the contrary, then-Senator Barack Obama lost that primary vote.

The people spoke. Just when you thought they were doing one thing, they zagged and went another way. Regardless of the outcome of that election, the point is that the people have the power to do what they want.

During tonight’s town hall on the subject of gun control, CNN announced their newest poll showing that 67% of Americans support President Obama’s recent actions to strengthen gun sale background checks.

Although the chorus of cynics is loud and dissonant, and the odds seem impossible, 67% of Americans are ready for change.

When he lost the New Hampshire primary in 2008, Mr. Obama told the disappointed crowd that he was “still fired up and ready to go.” “We know the battle ahead will be long,” he said.

“But always remember that, no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change…When we’ve been told we’re not ready or that we shouldn’t try or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed…Yes, we can.”

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For a compelling history of the 2008 campaign, as told by news media, politicians, and ordinary people, see King's Dream: Barack Obama Becomes President of the United States of America.

Ch-ch-Changes

In case anyone thought otherwise, President Obama is no lame duck just chilling until he is out of office. Yesterday, he met with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss executive action to combat gun violence in America. This will no doubt cause explosive reactions from his opponents.

Back in 2008, during the New Hampshire Democratic Debate on January 5th, reference was made to a survey showing that voters saw Hillary Clinton as the most experienced and most electable candidate. But they “liked” Senator Obama more and saw him as an agent of change.

When New Hampshire voted for Mrs. Clinton that year, they must have known that “likability” really isn’t an important factor in the race for the presidency.

And after 7 years in office, President Obama surely knows that likability and change is a dicey combo. He’s opting for change.

Watch the president’s weekly address from January 1: Making America Safer for Our Children.


For a compelling history of the 2008 campaign, as told by news media, politicians, and ordinary people, see King's Dream: Barack Obama Becomes President of the United States of America.

Debate No. 1: Change v. Maverick

Jim Lehrer moderated the first 2008 presidential debate, held on September 26. While intended to cover national security and foreign affairs, the U.S. financial crisis weighed heavily during the opening questions. Lehrer's attempt to encourage eye contact during the opening was somewhat futile.

Senator McCain hammered Senator Obama on earmarks and pork barrel spending. Obama chastised McCain's complicity during an orgy of spending under President Bush. "You voted for almost all of his budgets. To stand here and say that after eight years you're going to lead on controlling spending and balancing our tax cuts for middle-class families ... it's kind of hard to swallow."

On foreign policy, McCain cited his reputation as a maverick, particularly when it came to banning torture. McCain touted his many foreign travels and relationship with foreign leaders, and claimed Obama's views on foreign policy to be naive.

Obama challenged McCain's effectiveness. "Over the last eight years, this administration, along with Senator McCain, has been solely focused on Iraq. That has been their priority. That is where all their resources have gone. In the meantime, Osama bin Laden is still out there. He is not captured. He is not killed. Al Qaeda is resurgent."

By 12:22 a.m. on September 27, MTV News published a comprehensive debate report on their website. Spirited commentary ensued.

Change Happens

On September 11, 2008, Barack Obama and John McCain participated in a candidates forum on service. Host Judy Woodruff of PBS asked about Republican presidents who promoted service initiatives.

Mr. Obama noted that Teddy Roosevelt was his "hero" and that Roosevelt understood how to mobilize citizens.

"And that's why, you know, one of the premises of our campaign from the start has been that change happens from the bottom up. It doesn't happen from the top down. It happens because the American people look up and say, we imagine a world not as it is but as it should be, and we are willing to roll up our sleeves and put in the hard work to change this country, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, state by state," said candidate Obama.

As a candidate and as president, Mr. Obama has consistently and repeatedly made the case that change comes from people who stand up. He returned to the theme (and was mocked by some) in his convention speech last week: "You are the change," he said.

Interestingly, one of the most marked examples of bottom-up change is the development of the Tea Party in the years after Obama's election in 2008. A few people imagined a world as they think it should be, put in the hard work to run for office and get elected, and continue to promote their view of the world.