Latin Songs, page A16

I was interested in the juxtaposition between these two photos at opposite ends of page 16 in this morning’s NYT print edition.

The top photo accompanied the article “Immigration Rally Draws Thousands” and marks a rally in DC yesterday advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. The second article can be found here.

A few questions….

Is the juxtaposition really fair?

Even if his agenda looks like a ten course meal, can progressives really expect the President to get behind and push any one or two issues beyond health care or Afghanistan that trip off alarms in the culture war?

Is it unrealistic for progressives to hope certain issues can be pushed more than piece meal, or or more than symbolically, given feedback from the White House that America (and/or Congress) is not ready, or only “so ready” to embrace cultural issues?

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http://profile.typepad.com/janinsanfran janinsanfran

I don’t know if it is “realistic” but if we are serious about our agendas, we need to keep demanding that the President push on with the matters he campaigned on. That seems realistic to me.
Otherwise we are acquiescing in the view that democracy is just theater. This may be true, but we can’t afford to submit quietly to being necessary extras in the games of elites.
bystander

Dunno, Michael. I look at it this way. Bush 43 (with the help of his predecessors since Reagan) have pushed this country into an incredible hole. Obama with the help of the DNC (and its subsidiaries) applied for the job. Obama wrote his own job description. And, the voters in the primary spoke. Then, the voters spoke in the national election.
A whole lot of new voters, and especially new voters from some traditionally under-represented groups made the effort to give Obama a decisive victory. A mandate. And, it was the kind of mandate that, while it couldn’t appease the 33% Bush dead-enders, it did cut a huge swath across the republic. He took states with large representative Hispanic and Latino populations (my own among them). Now, can this man walk and chew gum at the same time, or not?
History called. He campaigned that he was the man for the job. If he wasn’t up to taking the risks, or wasn’t prepared to answer the call he should have stayed in the Senate. Lots of folks tried to encourage him to wait an election cycle, or two. Apparently, he decided his time was now. But, it ain’t, and never was, about him.