American politics just keeps getting more polarized. Be assured that Obama wants it that way. I argue in Radical-in-Chief that Obama’s long-term hope is to divide America along class lines (roughly speaking, tax payers versus tax beneficiaries). Obama’s attack on the Supreme Court at his 2010 State of the Union address, his offensive against the Chamber of Commerce, his exhortation to Hispanics to punish their enemies, and several similar moves were all efforts to jump-start a populist movement of the left. Like his socialist organizing mentors, Obama believes that a country polarized along class lines will eventually realign American politics sharply to the left. Yet the entire strategy is based on the need for an activated, populist movement of the left. So far, Obama has failed to create such a movement. His expensive economic agenda has provoked a populist counter-movement of the right instead: Obama’s nightmare.
Now, however, Obama may belatedly be getting his wish. The very success of the Tea Party is calling forth an opposing movement of the left. Obama’s exhortations may have failed to polarize the country along class lines, but his policies have finally provoked the long-sought battle. The once-dormant legions of Obama’s group, Organizing for America, have now been activated. This is the moment they were created for.
In Radical-in-Chief, I describe the “inside/outside” or “good cop/bad cop” strategy favored by Obama and his organizing mentors. The idea is that a seemingly moderate “good cop” politician works on the inside of government, while coordinating his moves with nasty Alinskyite “bad cops” on the outside. Reports that Obama’s own organizers helped put together the Madison protests fit the model. That coordination is necessary to achieve Obama’s real goal: kicking off a national grassroots movement of the left that he can quietly manage, while keeping his distance when necessary.
Obama’s good-cop role allows him the flexibility to occasionally criticize protest tactics that cross the line. Yet the reality is that our presidential good cop and his bad cop buddies are in this together. Intimidating protests at the homes of enemy politicians are par for the course with Alinskyites (and, yes, Alinskyites think of their targets as “enemies”). Obama understands all this, and you can be sure that he’s on board with the protests held at the homes of Wisconsin Republican legislators, whether he disowns them or not.
As I show in Radical-in-Chief, Obama began his organizing career planning and participating in just this sort of intimidating protest (a fact largely hidden in Dreams from My Father). As Obama moved into politics, he switched to the good cop role and funneled foundation money to his Alinskyite pals, while using their hardball protests to support his legislative agenda. Meanwhile Obama perfected his calm, post-partisan persona. It’s all a game developed by the president’s Alinskyite (and socialist) organizing mentors.
We are destined for still more polarization. Neither side can pull back, because the financial crunch is going to have to be resolved one way or another. We either scale back government and the power of public employee unions, or we move toward a structurally higher tax burden and a permanently enlarged welfare state. The very nature of the American system is now at stake. The emerging populist movements on both the right and left recognize this, and so cannot turn back from further confrontation.
Conservatives may win this battle, but they need to understand that the possibility of failure is real. As I’ve argued, Obama’s long-term strategy of class-based polarization and realignment can succeed. That is why he’s been willing to take tremendous short-term political risks. From Obama’s point of view, Wisconsin means that the risks have been worth it. With an activated movement of the left now ready to oppose the Tea Party, the permanent transformation of the country Obama has been after from the start is in prospect.
The best way to check Obama’s ambitions is to identify and expose his broader strategy . At any rate, as the country divides into opposing movements, most of us could soon be forced to choose up sides. Obama may succeed in putting some distance between his good-cop persona and his bad-cop friends. Yet the more likely outcome is that his radical intentions and alliances will be clarified over time. It’s happening now in Wisconsin. Years of widening political polarization may have been mere a dress rehearsal for what we’re about to experience. That is what our Organizer-in-Chief has been planning all along.
You realize Glenn Beck has been saying this in every way he possibly can over the last couple of years? I guess it is just becoming so obvious it is undeniable.
Are we waking up too late to stop this runaway train?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA desire to polarize America seems the only logical explanation for a President who always sides with the minority on the left against the majority on the center-right. A President who frames the current conflict in Wisconsin as an assault by the GOP on our friends and neighbors who should not be vilified. It's discouraging that a man who wants us to believe he's willing to reach out to those he disagrees with views the fiscally-responsible folks in Wisconsin as the bad guys and the folks carrying signs with Hitler references and crosshairs targets as the good guys.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree with Mr. Kurtz's characterization of Obama's strategy, but I think it's obvious to nearly everyone that Obama is behind these Wisconsin protests. Obama is radical, but to me he also seems very clumsy, even when carrying out his Alinsky-inspired plans.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI was asked to stop posting at Hot Air because I wouldn't disavow my belief that this country is heading for a new civil war. Instead of North vs. South, this one is going to be Right vs. Left, or more accurately, Productive vs. Leech. Obama seems to be determined to provoke just such a conflict.
We conservative/libertarian minded need to recognize that politics is nasty and going to get a lot nastier. THe leeches see their way of life being threatened, and they will do whatever it takes to preserve it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm not typically an optimist, but there's an asymmetry at this point that favors the private taxpayers over the public unions. Losses by the unions will decrease their numbers, wealth and power, and make future victories by them less likely. On the other hand, the bright spotlight placed on union contracts and union behavior causes the ranks of conservative reaction to swell. I disagree with Kurtz, to the extent that he thinks that sharpening the battle lines is an advantage to Obama and the Left. Shifting power and wealth from the private sector to the public sector is best done quietly and deceptively. They can't win the war if the stakes are clear. Walker holds all the high cards in Wisconsin.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThose are excellent points, and they should guide how conservatives and Tea Partiers respond. We must NOT help foment the permanent division which you say Obama wants. We must always act on the principle that these protesters, however much we disagree with their tactics, are our brothers and sisters, Americans, who are simply misguided at the moment, being used and manipulated by others.
If we take to the streets (peacefully) to counter-protest, then the image becomes one of two competing camps. That furthers the polarized image of America. Also, having our folks out there counter-protesting runs a real risk of violence breaking out, because the other side will do everything they can to provoke it, knowing that the media will then blame conservatives, rather than the union thugs.
What we must do is quietly remind everybody that we've already held the election, and we have elected representatives in place to do their jobs, and we support them doing it.
I suggest a massive writing campaign. REAL writing. Let everybody who supports what the Wisconsin governor and elected legislature are trying to do write a postcard and mail it to the state capitol in Wisconsin. Let the image be of postmen bringing in stacks and stacks and stacks of mail in support of sticking to principles and respecting the outcome of the last election.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree with DonnaDiorio that Beck has been all over this topic. As I understand it, Beck believes the Left wants to sucker the Right into violent actions that the government can then use as an excuse for suppression, martial law, etc.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRAMMiller, I believe that it is more likely that it will be the left that commits violent acts. Then the left will use the violence as justification for ever more govt control.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRubbish. He's a trained socialist, but he's barking up the wrong tree if he thinks the rabble he wants to stir up will support a bunch of privileged union hacks making twice the median income.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell, our president is doing an excellent job of keeping tea party supporters energized, and building support for them. The tea party will only become ugly if the governor of Wisconsin gives in, an unlikely prospect.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIs anyone actually convinced to change beliefs by thuggery and law breaking?
Do the (anti)Democrats expect to intimidate the legislature into doing its bidding?
I think it is important for Americans to speak up. A counter protest will get some media attention, and I think there will be a stark contrast between the union thugs' protests and a typical Tea Party protest - we can't just sit back and write postcards - the media is not going to cover that story.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo PatHMV:
I disagree that the Tea Party should not come out to counter protest. The key though is any counter protestors should be very well trained before hand, the same way that MLK followers were, to not resort to any violence, and not carry any unreasonable looking protest signs. They should also make sure to have plenty of video cameras with them. That way, when the union thugs resort to violence, and the MSM tries to blame the violence on the Tea Party, we will have video on hand to broadcast on Briebart and Fox that shows the truth, peaceful, moderate, Tea Party folks, being beaten up by union thugs.
That is one reason why Beck had frequent programs about the non-violent protests of MLK. He knew this day would be coming, and knew that the right would have to turn out to counter protest, but only non-violent protest tactics would work.
This presents a useful contrast, between non-violent Tea Partiers, with sensible moderate signs, who clean up their litter, vs violent union thugs, carrying hateful signs, who beat up on others, and trash the place. It helps expose the Alinskyites for the thugs they are, and makes it clear that there are plenty of sensible conservatives out there to peacefully oppose them. The American people can then see the truth, despite MSM lies, and realise who they should support, and also realize they are not alone.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTwo years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the peak of student protests in 1968-70 exposed me to the radical Left, so what Kutz is saying about Obama is no surprise to me. However, people without that kind of exposure may find Kutz's view unbelievable--the true Obama and people like him are outside of their range of experience.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseUnfortunately, you can see in those videos how the high school kids are being organized by their teachers to participate. First, they learn no history or economics from those teachers, then they are organized as foot soldiers. Greta Van Sustern interviewed one of those kids last night. "Taxing the rich" is the solution to the deficit, according to him. Not only are they ignorant, but they have been deceived and taught Marxism.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"I suggest a massive writing campaign. REAL writing."
Yeah, a flood of unread letters. That'll show them!
Public protests are visible. The press can fail to publicize them, the press can demonize them. But they cannot hide them.
A flood of letters? Shredded and forgotten in minutes.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs the game clarifies, the two sides will naturally polarize along the "tax payers versus tax beneficiaries" axis. So the obvious question becomes: how many are there of each?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou either have to be very very young or completely oblivious to what has happened in America over the last 20 years. It has been hate radio demanding confrontation that has created the confrontational politics that has come home to roost in the last 5 or so years. Beck? Beck is a barstool philosopher peddling his opinion as fact. Polarized? There are many who think the left are emasculated girly men who shrink away from the correct thinking of the right. A simple argument garnered from Limbaugh or Hanity will make them shrink back under the rock from whence they came. The truth is: if you poke a sleeping giant enough times , he will wake up.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseStanley, do you really think that public employee riots in favor of more money work at this point?
There have been a few teachers demos in NJ and they haven't accomplished much. Conservative social media has been good at highlighting the unfortunate nature of the protests.
I don't think the legislators will be intimidated.
Targeted demos at private homes should be countered by defense of property and suppression of trespass. Most states permit effective defense of the home by homeowners.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePractical approach:
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIn an week or two (assuming this drama lasts that long-I think it will), Tea Partiers march to the Governor's Mansion in support of the Governor's efforts correct out-of-control government spending including the union's preferred status. You cede the capitol to the Demo's but choose the mansion. When attacked (thugs can't help themselves, they just must do it), film it and point out that this was a peaceful march to a different venue and that it is the unions who are out of control, as is the budget.
Stanley, I love your work, thank you. Radical-in-Chief is my favorite book of the past year. When I talk with friends about the Obama disaster, they can easily identify the problems of his presidency, but when challenged on why he does what he does, they can never offer anything better than "he's stupid" or "he's being poorly advised". Yet when I explain the stealth-socialist goals and methods, they usually scoff and mock. At least I'm on the record at the family dinner table: on New Year's Eve, I told everyone that 2011 would be the year of union-backed urban riots in the USA.
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