Obama Whiplash Got Me Down

I can’t be the only person on the left who is experiencing whiplash in my relationship with President Obama.  It isn’t love/hate.  It is more relief/caution.  When I voice this, people tell me to consider the alternative.  They mean McCain.  I mean SOS Clinton.  I was privileged to see Obama at the Costa Mesa Town Hall a few weeks ago.  He was clearly met with a crowd who believe he is their rock star.  I haven’t seen that kind of crowd since Ground Control talked to Major Tom at the Palladium.  But a president is not Bowie ~ it is not time for pedestals or rarefied air.  It will serve no one. 

My remedy has been to assign meaning to Obama’s leadership practice, a la Margaret Wheatley or Juanita Brown.  He calls on everyone in the room, listens to all opinions, takes the pulse of the group; demonstrating the principle that “all of us knows more than one of us.”  However as the weeks pour by I am increasingly concerned that the group in the room is not a wide enough net for a consensus that includes women and girls, lesbians and gays, progressives and, for the most part, a lot of people who put him in office.  If you practice the principles of organic leadership, but not invite all sides with an eye on balance, you will not find out what “all of us” know.  (frankly it appears to me that there is more outreach to the right and they exercised the right to decline.)  Starting with the most obvious ~ what room are the pacifists speaking?  Or even a legislated Department of  Peace?  Escalating the war in Afghanistan was not on my TO DO list and eliminating the word war does not make the blood less red. 

Women on the left are aware that the Global Gaga Order has been rescinded, Ledbetter Act has been signed, Ok, Ok.  Today we are waiting to see how far the Bush midnight HHS Conscience Rule will reach into our lives as it went live at midnight last night.  But the commission that was finalized this last week may be a significant indication of what is a foot, the source of wicked whiplash and did you notice?  (not your fault as media has not said anything about it.)

This quote by Frances Kissling alerted me to another very disturbing room full of appointees informing our president, "The 10 remaining picks did little to rectify the anti-reform, anti-woman, anti-gay tilt of Obama’s Faith-Based Advisory Council. Not to mention the conspicuous absence of a single academic theologian."

W. Bush installed the Faith Based Advisory Board.  Before I voted, I assumed that Obama would close it.  The fact is he expanded it.  He appointed 25 people to address four priorities: economic recovery, reducing abortions, encouraging responsible fatherhood and improving interfaith relations.  This sounds very important in the hall of social justice, gender liberty and family support.  

Here is just some of the information I have been able to cobble together about the 25 members:

• 19 represent religious organizations (none involved in reform, all belong to religions that are conservative on choice, women and family.  PLEASE note this means conservative male clergy advising on women and reproduction)
• 6 representative non-religious, community based organizations.
• One Hindu (woman)
• Two Muslims (1 woman)
• 2  religious men are known supporters of women’s rights; Rabbi David Saperstein and Reverend Harry Knox

We submitted many names of religious and community leaders who would balance out the over-representation of male evangelicals that dominated the first religious appointments. We were largely ignored. The final list makes clear that other groups lobbied as well. The Catholic bishops got a seat at the table. Orthodox Judaism, the National Council of Churches.           Frances Kissling

Here is a bit of information about the women who are going take on this council of mostly conservative men and will have to manage a significant imbalance.

• Nancy Ratzen President of National Council of Jewish Women, advocate of women’s rights and reproductive choice
• Reverend Sharon Watkins the first woman president of the Disciples of Christ
• Bishop Vashti MacKenzie, African Methodist Episcopal Church which opposed to abortion rights.
• Anju Bhargava, founder of Asian Indian Women of America.  Hindu priest
• Reverend.Peg Chemberlin, president-elect of the National Council of Churches USA.
• Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies Washington, DC
• Melissa Rogers, Director, Wake Forest School of Divinity Center for Religion and Public Affairs Winston-Salem, NC
• Diane Baillargeon, President & CEO, Seedco New York, NY

For more information about the members – see this piece by Frances Kissling.  The majority are described as anti-gay, anti-abortion, pro-family, pro-life, etc. 

If you are asking – what the hell does she want?  First I wanted the whole office shut.  That would be a great sign of the separation of church and state.  Second choice is a group of diverse people that demonstrates a diversity of opinion; how about an atheist? A Buddhist? 51% women?  People of color?  In particular, a Native American?  Have you seen all the different icons that Vets have on their graves? 

I want a room, that when canvassed, represents the CHANGE WE (even me) HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

Comments

[Carolyn Cook]

Zoe,

Incredible article! I just saw Frances Kissling speak in DC at the Clearinghouse on Women's Issues. She was fantastic and it was a very eye opening presentation. Thank you for spreading the word in a most eloguent way.

Carolyn