(Community Matters) Last week having lunch with a friend after the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell signing ceremony, we talked about the apparent randomness of events leading up to this legislative success. I found myself comparing events to a business entrepreneur’s success. Investors have learned to place their bets on entrepreneurs at least as much as on products/services. Business plans always change – the environments we assess definitely will change, the positions and alliances of stakeholders evolve, and competitors always surprise us. We’ve learned that the best entrepreneurs react agilely – and yes pragmatically – to an extraordinarily dynamic environment. I hadn’t previously thought of the concept of political entrepreneurs but I am doing so now. Though my analogy isn’t fleshed out, I do feel great that our community has “invested in Barack Obama” and though plans & timelines change, we’re seeing payoffs much higher than likely in any other outcome of the 2008 primaries and general.
other realizations I’ve expressed in correspondence this morning:
It’s regretful that some still don’t see how Pres Obama *did* start working on this from his first days in office. And, it’s understandable there’s still frustration that everything didn’t happen on Wednesday.
Not to dismiss one iota of regret, sympathy & appreciation for those who must still serve in silence (for at least a few more months), a transition period was/is inevitable. We wouldn’t have garnered the votes without the certification requirement. And, though we will always wonder, I fear we might never have garnered the votes had the President issued an executive order overriding DA/DT earlier in the 2 years of his presidency.
Pres Obama’s realization of this campaign promise happened with the constant and increasingly loud outside agitation from many on this list – certainly many former servicemembers and organizations. I forget who but someone on this listserve reminded us last year of our responsibility for leadership & organizing – of pushing the envelope of expectations – while we have friends in office. As to would it have happened without Dan and others’ civil disobedience, without the outrage channeled through our community’s bloggers, without the crafty inside & grassroots politics of SDLN & HRC, without tens of thousands of calls & signatures delivered by Organizing for America – I don’t think so, and that’s not criticism but further confirmation of last year’s reminder. . . .
When emails earlier this week veered from administration accomplishments to what hasn’t been accomplished – it was a startling moment. I’m admittedly a glass is half full guy; I’m nearly always optimistic. And yet, the reverse perspective wasn’t only startling, it was helpful. I’m glad our community includes both. I suppose some of us are hard wired one way or another and rather than taking offense to the other perspective, I am gonna try to remember it’s compensating for my blind side. No doubt I’ll fail to remember this at some time and will express frustration in some way.
Last week after the signing ceremony while having lunch with a friend, we talked about the apparent randomness of events leading up to this legislative success (DADT repeal). I found myself comparing events to a business entrepreneur’s success. Investors have learned to place their bets on entrepreneurs at least as much as on products/services. Business plans always change – the environments we assess definitely will change, the positions and alliances of stakeholders evolve, and competitors always surprise us. We’ve learned that the best entrepreneurs react agilely – and yes pragmatically – to an extraordinarily dynamic environment. I hadn’t previously thought of the concept of political entrepreneurs but I am doing so now. Though my analogy isn’t fleshed out, I do feel great that our community has “invested in Barack Obama” and though plans & timelines change, we’re seeing payoffs much higher than likely in any other outcome of the 2008 primaries and general.
Barney Frank says two down and two to go, others say three more to go. Either way, after two years, we’re two down and that’s more legislative progress than we’ve ever made. I’m beyond convinced we backed the right political entrepreneur. I hope the rest of us believe so too.
Community Matters 