Introduction:
This blog is, at its heart, about New Mexican politics. However, its mission is far broader than covering the day-to-day political highlights from the Land of Enchantment. In sum, as its name suggests, this blog will offer commentary on how voters from across our state can begin to take a more active role in the political process that governs their lives and begin to successfully demand more effective, responsible political leadership.
What is Progressive Politics?
The word ‘progressive’ has come to mean many things to many people. Perhaps most commonly, the word has attained a misleading and inaccurate association with liberalism. While it is true that most people who identify themselves as progressive also hold political values that would be categorized as liberal, for this progressive, it means something quite different. To me, progressive means an unrelenting pursuit of the truth, a desire to fully understand all issues and, most importantly, a willingness to work with anyone, regardless of party affiliation, to uncover the realities behind the problems we face and craft real solutions that positively and meaningfully impact people’s lives.
We have come to a disastrous stand-still in terms of our country’s political discourse. In the halls of Congress, lawmakers have stopped truly listening to one another, and, more regrettably, to their constituents. Instead, political leaders make robotic speeches dictated by special interests largely responsible for their continued reelection. Indeed, our elected officials have, in large part, become less interested in crafting good policy than their continued political survival. Politics, in sum, has become more about the elected than those they were elected to serve.
However, we must not, and, for the betterment of our future, cannot, believe that our current climate represents the inevitable and unchangeable evolution of the political process. In fact, there do exist responsible lawmakers amongst us at all levels of government. There are a select few charismatic leaders who transcend the bonds of special interest patronage and speak nobly and passionately for their constituents and their concerns. In order to ensure the election of more of these responsible leaders, who seem to understand the intended purpose of responsive government, we simply must open a more honest discussion about what is going on in our country. In short, progressive leadership requires a progressive electorate. We are the answer we need!
Being a progressive citizen, contrary to popular belief, does not require you to be a left-wing liberal. It simply requires a sincere commitment to bettering your own life and the well-being of those around you. If this sounds like something that you can get behind, then this blog is for you.
A Political Turning Point: New Mexico Approaches Election Day
New Mexico stands at a crossroads. Much like the rest of the country, critical political issues challenge Gallupians in the northwest to their counterparts in Hobbs in the southeast. Folks in the Land of Enchantment struggle daily with the worrisome state of the economy, inability of low- and even middle-income citizens to afford quality health care, a continuing debacle in Iraq, which has claimed the lives of some of our bravest daughters and sons, as well as an ongoing battle over how to best address the country’s immigration issue, which, of course, is of particular importance to our state. As Election Day nears, we seek bold leaders with innovative solutions to our most vexing problems. In truth, however, the best route to creating the political process we desire and deserve rests with us. Indeed, if we begin to hold our candidates and elected officials to a higher standard, a standard that demands of them nothing short of a mastery of the issues about which we care most and a commitment to dialogue with constituents regarding these important issues, then we will finally win the political future that many have dismissed as wishful thinking, but that we know is our rightful prize from effective government.
For these important reasons, I, the ‘New Mexico Progressive’, have launched a blog devoted to inspiring New Mexicans from all backgrounds to care and become better informed about the political process at the local, state, and Federal level. This blog also seeks to empower New Mexicans with a new desire to demand more of elected officials and those running for office. I believe that, for far too long, our political leaders have received a free pass from their constituents. When people become disenchanted with the political process and resolve that there is nothing they can do to make government work for them, elected officials gain the ability to act primarily in their own interests, as well as those of well-paying lobbyists unconcerned with the welfare of the public writ large. This, of course, can and must stop. We have the power to create great political change in New Mexico just by gaining a better understanding of the issues that most impact our lives and learning more about how our elected representatives address them.
On 04 November, 2008, New Mexicans will head to the polls to cast their votes in one of the most important votes of our time. Each of the Land of Enchantment’s three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one of its U.S. Senate seats will be up for grabs. It is no overstatement to assert that the very direction of our state’s political future hangs in the balance. Add to this the critical presidential election, which, after eight years of the Bush Administration, an administration that has created immense political, economic, and military issues that will require nothing short of brilliant political stewardship to remedy, will in many ways decide whether our country becomes an effective and willing partner in the international effort to create a better, sustainable future, or continues to drift off course into a secluded, reactive stance that bolds poorly for our liberty, security, and ability to carry out the very dream upon which our Union was founded.
In these serious times, the urgency of our good judgment is at hand. We must come to know both the issues and candidates that will move us forward, understand how our lives are and can be impacted by government, and use this information to make an informed decision in the best interest not only of ourselves, but of our communities and state.
This blog hopes to play an important role in this process. It will offer commentary on developing political news from New Mexico, as well as across the country, with an aim to help those in our state keep up with issues and leaders important to them and, ultimately, decide responsibly in November. Moreover, this blog will serve as an open forum and offer readers the opportunity to share their opinions, comments, and questions on the issue of the day and your humble blogger’s thoughts thereon. Hopefully, the open exchange of ideas produced by this blog will represent a microcosm of the more open, solution oriented political environment it hopes to create.
The Role of Young People in the Progressive Movement:
Young people, people of my generation, have a special role to play in creating a more progressive political process. For far too long, we have been left out, or, more accurately, left ourselves out, of the highest level of governmental decision making in this country. We are at once deeply concerned with the problems that plague our world, but unwilling to engage in exactly the type of political activism necessary to assuage them. Many folks wrongly assert, however, that young people, in order to increase their say in U.S. politics simply must vote more. While voting represents an absolutely essential element in winning for ourselves more political might, we must also develop better communication with our elected officials and let them know our demands, as well as the issues about which we care most. Issues like the environment, dwindling Social Security, and an educational system on the ropes will all, and, in many ways, already do, critically impact our lives, and we need to take action now to ensure that our elected officials are doing all they can to address these issues effectively.
Join the Ride:
With that said, I enthusiastically invite you to take part in what I hope will become an exciting and influential addition to New Mexico’s political discourse. Read and respond while drinking your morning coffee, or as you slowly drift off to sleep in the evenings. Whatever the case may be, stop by often, and always leave your honest thoughts at the door. The New Mexico Progressive values your opinion and the positive change they can engender. The power of many begins with the power of a few. Off we go!
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