As part of his effort to limit the influence of corporate lobbyists and
other big money scoundrels, John Edwards
announced this
weekend that, as president, he will invite one million people every two
years to participate in a
deliberative democracy
forum to hatch and debate policy ideas as a way to put ordinary people front
and center in the governing process. It's like having one million
consultants, but instead of the consultants being hacks providing
self-serving and often false advice, they're ordinary people finally getting
a bit of access to the governing process. I'd caution that this kind of
effort is a great incubator of ideas but doesn't substitute for developing
the raw political power necessary to get laws passed - though it can help if
the million participants act as ambassadors for the ideas they come up with.
Nevertheless, this kind of idea reflects something truly exciting about the
prospect of Edwards as president: he really sees the presidency as a
movement-building opportunity, believing that good government flows not so
much from the quality of the people in government but from the competing
strengths of the movements that put them there. He's constantly looking for
ways to bring new people into the process and into the progressive movement.
This is in such contrast to the more common Hillary Clinton transactional
model of leadership: you elect me, a really smart person, and I'll deliver
for you. It largely leaves the non-elite out of it (except when they're
invited to participate in artificial "conversations" where they're not
really listened to). Edwards's message, in contrast, is much more: elect
me, and we'll work side by side for common goals - and build our movement
all along so that we'll be stronger for future battles. It would be unique
in the history of modern Democratic presidents; it's almost unique in the
history of prominent national Democrats - and it's making me giddy just
contemplating it.