Will MoveOn.org Move On? I Hope So.

I'm hoping Senator Obama wins the presidency tomorrow night. My hopes lie not in the fact that I see Obama leading this country in the right, more humanistic direction. Nor do they lie in the belief that his plan to cut taxes on the middle class will help stimulate the economy. No, I've come to terms with these and other issues weeks ago. Tonight the main reason I want Senator Obama to win tomorrow is so that MoveOn.org stops badgering me with incessant emails and phone calls.

I was once a proud member of the online community, signing petitions and sending them to my friends in emails. I even went so far as to encourage others to join. However once the primaries began I (an Obama supporter since day one and an extremely liberal individual) soon grew increasingly weary of the constant emails and plugs for money. Then as the bid for the White House drew closer to its conclusion, my weariness turned to annoyance as MoveOn members badgered me over the phone, practically forcing me to volunteer (apparently "maybe" in MoveOn's dictionary means "yes"). If this was not enough, I continually receive emails to this day asking for money or my time to ensure that Barack Obama wins the White House. I can't take it anymore!

Still you might be wondering why I'm upset. Shouldn't I enjoy their efforts since they're campaigning for my candidate? The answer: yes, but mostly no. Let me explain.

I love the fact that MoveOn has rallied so much support and grassroots activity for this election. Kudos lads. It's because of efforts by MoveOn members and other organizations that we're going to have a high voter turn-out this election with citizens certainly being more well-informed than they were last time around. Yet from here my enjoyment ceases and falls into a state of contemplation.

Given MoveOn's fervent support for Obama I can't help but wonder what they will do once he goes into office. Keeping in mind that MoveOn has always been a Democratic Party linked organization, its unsurprising that underneath their campaign for more citizen participation in government lies an agenda to usurp Republicans from positions of power. This has probably gone largely unnoticed because we've had a Republican president for the last 8 years, almost the entirety of MoveOn's existence. But once he is sworn into office, will they give Obama the same treatment they gave Bush?

I mean lets be realistic. It's highly unlikely Obama will meet expectations. Anyone who thinks the second he swears in the country will change for the better is either on cocaine or a moron. On top of this, Obama will need time and support to organize his plans and move them forward, after which it will probably take at least a full term before we start to notice the affects. All the while business, citizens, and congressman will surely get disgruntled about a multitude of things and President Obama will come under fire. Which then begs the question: Will MoveOn continue down its former path of citizen participation and critical evaluation of the government, or will it become Obama's core support group?

I'm sorry to say but given their conduct in the last 5 months, I think the answer is puppet. It's quiet clear to me that MoveOn has transformed into nothing but a front for one party/individual, to the point that I don't know if I can stay a member of the organization. The essence of MoveOn was change, change in the way citizens speak out against government policies and reach out to Congress. With Obama in office I can't see MoveOn being so aggressive, largely due to the fact that they put so much time and effort into getting him there. Thus, there is no other option but for them to become a front through which the Obama administration can spread their message. Will there still be petitions? Yes, I'm positive MoveOn will still have some petitions. Yet they certainly won't have any criticizing Obama, and by failing to do so they will help to silence the democracy they've tried to foster.

Some one call Jim Henson. I found him a new puppet.