Reply #10: Actually, you do need a bunch of acts of civil disobedience. [View All]

Without civil disobedience, only white men would have the vote. Without civil disobedience there would have never been a labor movement. Without civil disobedience there would have never been OSHA laws protecting the work environment, or even a 40 hour work week (remember them?).

Without agitation from the left, the Democratic center would do nothing.

Yeah, we're a big tent but the tentpole is set way to the right - there is no gentle, equilateral bell curve of right-middle-left dems.

Obama himself MIGHT be center, rather than center right, but if we expect any action on the left from him it is only going to be because we leftists make ourselves heard disproportionately to our numbers. We KNEW he would not back single-payer. We KNEW he was 'right' enough to be invited into the DLC - and though he didn't limit himself by accepting that invitation, the invitation said enough by itself.

Obama will NOT nudge congress unless WE nudge both him and congress. That's just the way it is, living with the DLC and blue dogs.