It Appears Our President-Elect Is Not About to Let Us Off the Hook...

[liz_marcs]

Hunh.

Now this is interesting. It appears that President-Elect Obama wasn't joking when he said that We the People are going to have to lend a hand if we want to dig the U.S. out of its current predicament.

In a bizarre way, it makes sense. You've got all these people mobilized from the presidential campaign, so why not transfer all that energy into the hard work of actually governing?

Either this will be a new evolution in U.S. democracy, or it's going to be an utter disaster.

ChangeDotGov has just been launched. Its purpose is:

Change.gov provides resources to better understand the transition process and the decisions being made as part of it. It also offers an opportunity to be heard about the challenges our country faces and your ideas for tackling them. The Obama Administration will reflect an essential lesson from the success of the Obama campaign: that people united around a common purpose can achieve great things...

I've been poking around the site and it's rather interesting, especially with the agenda and policy statements. If this evolves like the campaign Web site did, it'll be fascinating to watch.

But still...hunh. I'm pretty sure this is a first.

You know, I once joked to Mom!Marcs that I half-suspect that Obama looks at the job of president as kind of being like Ultimate Community Organizer. The way this Web site looks, I might not be all that far off.

Comments

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

Huh. Interesting.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

If nothing else, it bodes well for transparency at least.

re: transparency

[cuddlycthulhu.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't be the first since he did the google for government legislation early in his career.

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

Indeed it does. And if he's serious about asking for ideas... this could be something good.

[badasher.livejournal.com]

Getting the people involved in their own governing....sounds like a good idea to me. Civic disinterest has always been an indicator of the slow road to collapse....trying to reverse that is a good thing.

[velochicdunord.livejournal.com]

Seconded. Yes, you'll get a cheerful wacko faction, but citizen involvement is key getting buy-in for any collective (and potentially difficult) decisions. Especially in the current divisive clime. The only way for extreme right-wingers to disown any collective input and the resulting action is to not take part. And if you've disavowed the society and it's collective decisions, your shouting won't be taken seriously.

It's easy to be cynical and negative when you just see the surface. It's more difficult when you're more familiar with the issues, what your fellow ciitzens want and the resources available... and when you see stuff happening.

It's not going to be easy (hoo boy - come to a Toronto community input meeting!) but it will be interesting.

[cuddlycthulhu.livejournal.com]

I think it could be argued that organizing the nation is definitely part of the job.

[theantijoss.livejournal.com]

You don't sound like you think it's a good idea? I think it's not only a first, it's an important first. We really should engage people in the process, because that's exactly what the process needs in order to change. We have been apathetic, depressed and cynical for so long... taking this energy and hope and putting it to good use is a thrilling change!

Yeah, I'm still sort of high on the Hope Buzz. *G* I don't expect everything in the universe to be perfect now, but I expect that for the first time in a long time, maybe things really can change for the better.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

No-no-no.

I think it's a really good idea — in theory.

I'm a little curious about how it'll play out in reality. *headscratches*

It's one of those ideas that so took me by surprise that I kind of have to approach it sidewise, kind of like a crab, before I can wrap my head around it.

Still. Transparency. GOOD!

[theantijoss.livejournal.com]

Hee. I agree. I'm very interested in seeing how this goes!

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

I remember hearing about this some months ago, how the training for some of the organizers/leaders in his campaign included this idea of transitioning the network from the mobilization of supporters in the campaign to the mobilization of citizens to take part in government. The network and infrastructure would be retained with a shift in focus.

I think the idea is a great one since I completely agree with him - if this nation is going to get fixed, then we all need to work for it. Despite the accusations to the contrary, he isn't a miracle worker. We need to come together and be involved if we want to progress realized. My support in him as a candidate is based on my belief that he is what this country needs, a passionate voice that inspires us to make change happen. He's energized the citizenry and now we need to do something with it.

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I meant if we want to see progress realized and my support of him. I need to go home.

[bellatemple]

As long as that sucker is updated as things progress and more importantly, grows links to specifics of how the changes are to be put into effect, I think that this website could be an excellent resource both for the people and the administration.

This assumes, of course, that folks put this resource to good use. After all, much of what is being done within the government is already transparent and open to public opinion. That website just adds another way in which to do it, one that looks like it'll be more accessible to those who, you know, don't have relatives working in several branches of the government/aren't working for a company that operates as an engine for transparency/feedback, already.

I'm looking at that site, at the moment, as evidence that our President-Elect and his campaign/administration is canny enough to make good use of current technology to ensure that the founding idea of this representative democracy: "by the people, for the people", remains in effect. A bit like the launch of the Sunday morning radio address. That's something that I've appreciated all along during the campaign process from Obama and his people, and it's good to see it continuing right along the way now that he's won the election.

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

I can get behind that. Seriously.

[dawnmipb.livejournal.com]

Part of me was afraid Tuesday night that America was just saying, "All right! You're hired! Here's your new office and here's all the stuff you have to clean up. Good luck, and we'll check on you in a couple of years, see how you're doing. We're counting on you! Don't let us down!"

Looks like he was afraid of that, too.

Except....man, that economy page looks expensive.

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

I don't know why, but just seeing this page made my eyes well up with tears.

This entire election I've been either intellectually engaged or joyous, but now I'm freakin' moved.

[pewter-wings.livejournal.com]

I've sent mine in. :)

[smhwpf.livejournal.com]

I think it's a very positive sign. I've always though that - apart from a McCain victory - the biggest danger was people voting in Obama and then thinking "job done" and going home for the next four years. There will be powerful forces seeking to push Obama in the wrong direction and holding back change, and so there needs to be an equally powerful force pushing him forward.

Of course people submitting their views on a website is totally not enough and could become nothing more than a gimmick, but it's a good statement of intentions and attitude.

[tnrkitect.livejournal.com]

There is a LJ feed already set up for the blog there: changegovblog

But the feed has not pulled the post from 4:09 pm today yet.

[tnrkitect.livejournal.com]

as well as changedotgov

[tnrkitect.livejournal.com]

Another interesting link is here: Apply for a Job

Want a non-career job with the administration? submit your interest there.

[itsabigrock.livejournal.com]

I just have to say...politigasm.

This is exactly what I was hoping would happen. All of these people who have been saying they love America and that they are Patriots with a capital P, well, now it's time to put up or shut up. if you really love America make it better.

I am so looking forward to the next eight years I can hardly keep it in.

[drmercurious.livejournal.com]

*Blinkblink* This is so FAR out there as far as politics go that my brain is still in a state of shock.

I agree with you -- this'll either pay off in spades, or bottom out like a bottomless pit.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Obama looks at the job of president as kind of being like Ultimate Community Organizer.

He wants us to go from Yes, We Can to Yes, We Will :)

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

Because my job touches on organizing, all my listservs, RSS feeds, etc have been abuzz with the question of what Obama would do with this huge grassroots network he created--whether it would be abandoned or morphed into something new under his presidency. The appearance of Change.gov and what it hints at has created some big smiles in the organizing world. Here's hoping it continues to play out this well...

Thank you!

[lynne-0315.livejournal.com]

Hey there, Liz,

Thanks very much for posting about this. I posted a thread at a forum I help moderate and gave you credit.

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,30026.msg435118.html#msg435118

If that's not OK for some reason, let me know and I'll remove the reference to you.

I hardly ever post at livejournal, but I read a lot, and I always enjoy your posts.

Thanks again,
Lynne

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Nobody ever said a democracy wasn't hard work.

[velochicdunord.livejournal.com]

Liz, I'm going to post a link to this on my LJ. You've said it far better than I can.

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

It's certainly smart to not let go of the support and momentum right now when it's at it's peak and there is far too much chance of a mini-crash between now and January without anywhere to really direct that energy.