What’s the Vision Driving Change?

8 T I K K U N W W W. T I K K U N . O R G M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 8 What’s the Vision Driving Change? THE CONTRARIAN BY GEORGE VRADENBURG T his political season appears to be the Year of Change. Barack Obama’s campaign is defined by “change”; Hillary Clinton is the candidate who can make “change” happen; even President George Bush says he would campaign for “change” were he running . All of us, it would seem, are looking forward to something different than what we have today. Somethingsnodoubtwillbedifferent:wewillwitnessthefirst female or African-American major party presidential candidate. And,importantly,wewillseeadramaticshiftinAmerica’sforeign image with the end of the Bush presidency. Butwillthevisionofournewleadersimplyreflecttheordinary course adjustments associated with a new presidency or truly transform the direction of the nation? First,wecanexpectachangeoftone.WhethernamedClinton, Obama or John McCain, our next president will likely diminish Washington’s partisan, bickering tone. All three candidates, both in wordanddeed,haveatrackrecordofworkingwellwithmembers of the opposing party. Second, while differences in detail abound, we can expect changesindomesticpriorities. ContrarytotheBushAdministration ,thethreeleadingcandidateshaveemphasizedglobalclimate change,increasedaccesstohealthinsurance,andresponsiblefiscal policies in their campaigns. Third, we can expect at least modest shifts in foreign policy. WhilethereseemtobemajordifferencesbetweentheDemocraticandRepublicancandidatesontheIraqWar ,noneoftheleading candidates have advocated an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. McCain would pull out troops at a pace dictated by security conditions on the ground and with an eye to restoring the strength of a U.S. military sapped by war; Clinton and Obama would pull out troops at a pace intended to drive political reconciliation and with an eye to reducing American casualties. And none of the candidates differ significantly on the need for an aggressive response to the War on Terror, on our commitment to Afghanistan, on a wary posture toward Iran, or on active steps to preserve stability in Pakistan. None of the candidates have reservations about our commitment to Israel or the modest efforts Bush is making to promote a two-state solution. Unfortunately, none of the candidates have yet embraced the Strategy of Generosity advocated in this magazine. These changes, while not unimportant, are the adjustments expected in a change in the presidency. On the other hand, we shouldnotexpectthetransformativechangeimpliedbyObama’s soaring rhetoric. An expensive health and welfare program cannot be squared with our fiscal position; an immediate end-thewar position is at odds with a lengthy, phased pullout from Iraq. The separation of powers in our Federal government, the rigidity of Congressional composition created by gerrymandering, the balance of lobbying power across issues and constituencies, and the protection of minority rights in the Senate create significant structural impediments to truly transformative policy change. OurFoundingFatherswererightlysuspiciousofrestingexecutive power in the hands of a monarch or demagogue and built structurestocheckthatrisk ,evenifonepartycontrolstwobranchesof government. Moreover,thiselectionwillbecloselyfoughtandisnotlikelyto producethekindoflandslidethatwouldprovidethemandatefor transformativechange.Inthegeneralelection,theracewilllikely be contested between two compelling narratives, each offering a distinctive and appealing vision. The Democratic vision will be one of national unity and harmony ,inspiredbyaleaderwhosepersonalstoryembodiesapostracial (or post-gender) America coming together to address shared challenges through an active, consensus, and expensive government. The Republican vision will be one of a nation driven by personal achievement and liberty, inspired by a leader whose courage, sacrifice, and patriotism reflects values of individual responsibility , innovation, and constrained government. These two themes—community and shared values on the one hand and individual achievement and liberty on the other—are competing narratives of and in America. If both candidates are equallyeffectiveinchampioningtheirrespectivevisions,theelection will be closely contested. This does not mean that this election is unimportant—quite thecontrary.Thevisionsofthetwopartieshaveimportantimplications about what change we can expect in the next four years. We all want change, and the kind of change ordinarily attendant to a change in administration will no doubt occur. However, the vision that will transform and accelerate change in America has yet to be presented to the American people. I George Vradenburg is publisher of Tikkun, and often disagrees with our editorial opinions. 5.editorial:Editorials+Columns 2/10/08 4:28 PM Page 8 ...