_The West Wing_, written and produced by Aaron Sorkin, is one of the most prolific TV series based on the American political system. Even today, the issues addressed in the series are incredibly relevant. Thanks to Netflix, I’ve had the opportunity to go back and rewatch this wonderful show, and one episode in particular seems applicable to politics today.
In Season 1, Episode 9, titled “The Short List,” a seat has opened up on the Supreme Court and President Bartlet is presented with an opportunity to nominate whoever he likes. Naturally, things don’t exactly go according to plan, but one scene in particular sticks out to me. President Bartlet meets with the retiring judge and receives a scathing rebuke for his timid decision. The justice insists that the president, a Democrat, should nominate someone who stands for what he believes in, rather than pick a centrist in order to improve his standing with the opposing party in Congress.
What does this have to do with American politics in 2013? President Obama was re-inaugurated this past week, and in his inauguration speech he called on the American people to help him enact major changes. He promised that entitlements wouldn’t be touched in the upcoming fight over the fiscal cliff and recorded the first mention of the LGBTQ community in an inauguration speech. By all accounts, his speech was a rousing call for progressivism, and certainly a good way to start his second term.
However, we’ve heard this all before.
In 2008, then-Senator Obama campaigned on a progressive platform, promising change to how things were done in Washington, D.C. He swore to revamp American healthcare, close Guantanamo Bay and eliminate all subsidies for the oil and gas industries. But I have to scratch my head and wonder, has he followed through on those promises so far?
Some would argue that the appointment of Justice Sotomayor, the removal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and the Affordable Care Act are signs of Obama’s staunch liberal ideals. And while those are all worthwhile achievements, what is missing from the picture is his unwavering support for big banks, his continual concessions to the House Republicans and escalating drone attacks.
And what is amazing about all of this is that not many prominent Democrats have spoken against any of these actions. Guantanamo Bay has not been closed. According the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, drone strikes have killed 176 children to date. Virtually none of the banks involved in the recent subprime-mortgage crisis have been prosecuted — instead, they’ve been bailed out while the average American suffers more every year. The war on drugs has escalated. Whistleblowers have been attacked and incarcerated on multiple occasions.
Many Americans on the right have attacked the President as a far-left, big-spending socialist. The reality is that President Obama’s actions haven’t been one of a progressive. Rather, his first term was marked by center to center-right decisions.
However, I believe there is still hope. President Obama has the opportunity to be the Reagan of the Democratic Party — the iconic leader that affects politics for more than a decade. The President has shown he is willing to listen to what the American people want, but he can’t respond if there is no outcry from the people.
We need to be the departing justice from _West Wing_, pushing and encouraging our President toward effecting actual change. Without our continual outcries, President Obama’s second term will be the same as the first: disappointing and marked by a lack of any significant progressive change.
