Many of us who see Obama as representing quite a number of real and likely avenues of desirable change nonetheless realize that the job of grassroots mobilizing and activist campaigns would not win even were a strong Obama victory to occur.

There still is a power structure in this country, there still is one in Washington, and that doesn't go away just because someone else is in office. And one's hopes for improvements are often sensibly relative -- a political candidate may offer many better policies and approaches than the status quo, but this need not make that candidate seem as some secular saint or revolutionary.

These problems are systematic in origin and nature and will be just as hard to fight as other systematic problems.

For example, the linked AJC note does not even mention the role of the telecom amnesty amendment in Thomas' challenge to Barrow. And previous coverage emphasized other reasons for Thomas' and other challengers to incumbents' entry (including against Rep. John Lewis). For example, some of Lewis' challengers cited Lewis' early backing of Hillary Clinton and late switch to Obama. Regina Thomas has also cited a need to confront an overly Atlanta-favored leadership.

From the AJC in April:

State Sen. Regina Thomas of Savannah says she’s jumping into the Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. John Barrow to thwart an Athens Mafia that controls three of the state’s 13 congressional districts.

Thomas was on Tim Bryant’s talk show on WGAU (1340 AM) in Athens this morning, declaring that she hadn’t given the slightest thought to the possibility that she might be weakening Barrow to the point that Republicans might actually have a shot at the 12th District congressional seat in November.

“It is time for a change. It is time for equal representation. And we feel that we don’t have that at this time,” Thomas said.

Explain, please, Bryant implored.

“You have three congressmen from the Athens area,” Thomas said.

http://tinyurl.com/56velv

So far her challenge is likely to be seen on the local level as involving other issues, and Obama's national campaign may be perceiving these situations such as Regina Thomas' challenge not just as her own challenge to Barrow but situated with a few other primary challengers to Democratic incumbents -- even Rep. John Lewis faces challengers, at least one of whom has stated that her challenge was based in frustration at Lewis' late switch from supporting Hillary Clinton to supporting Obama.

http://tinyurl.com/5ozoy4

Thus if the threat of telecom amnesty is a strong motivator to Regina Thomas or other challengers, it's going to have to take local pressure to make it an issue at all.

I know Obama has come out against FISA and telecom amnesty -- I mean, as you wrote, in a strong and meaningful way...

I meant to suggest that the job of grassroots mobilizing etc. wouldn't go away after an Obama victory.

Open Left has a similar take on this (absent the telecom amnesty element) and observes that "it is up to us to create a progressive check on Obama, and we might just have our first opportunity." True enough, obviously. What offends me, in addition to his support for Barrow over Thomas and his silence over telecom immunity, is the notion that these are Obama's early efforts to "consolidate his power." Huh.

This is why it's essential for progressives to continue the fight at the local as well as the national level. And since I haven't been searching for a political savior I have no difficulty agreeing with Glenn on the need to identify and begin addressing these cynical political calculations.

I'm getting very weary of this exclusive country club mentality of Democratic office holders doing everything in their power to protect their own. Some ballots have a check box to vote the party line; it would be nice if they had an anti-incumbent check box.

When Obama is elected, we're not going to be able to relax, put our feet up, and ignore the government for four to eight years.

The one thing about an Obama victory we will be able to take some comfort from is that -- I hope -- the administration may actually pay a little attention to the people, rather than just totally ignoring us. So all our noises may actually have some effects then, unlike it usually does now. But we will have to keep making noises.

Another thing,

To actually get into a position to minimize the influence of money in politics, we have to get people of a mind to do so elected. -- LWM

Yes, I know what you think. I know that is your belief. You are why I fear for the future of this country. Not BushCo, not Pelosi, not Hoyer...YOU.

Please listen to me everyone.... Whether he realizes it or not "LWM" and those who believe as he does are attempting to sell you a lie. He and those like him are doing you as great a disservice as the BushCo's, Pelosi's and Hoyer's. He and his ilk either cannot grasp or refuse to acknowledge that it is the system, as it has been gamed by the corporate/MIC establishment and willing politicians, that is now the root of our problems. LWM wants to work "within" that system to bring about change. How many times have we heard that before? Ask yourself -- how often does that work?

More and better politicians of any stripe are not the answer for two simple reasons. First, we will never be able to elect enough of them all at once to affect serious change in the short term. It will not happen and you all know that. Secondly, because we can not elect enough of them this round, those that we are successful in electing will either be compromised and/or marginalized by the time we are able add to their number with even "more and better." Do you see the "one step forward, two steps back" aspect of it all? You must see it.

There have been people saying and attempting what he proposes for the entirety of our history as a nation. What has been the result? What has been the outcome? You are watching it. You are living it. You are "fighting" it right now. If you follow his lead you and your progeny will be doing it for decades more and your children and their children will end up right where you are now (if they are that lucky). The entire thing has become a vicious cycle of vote and be screwed, vote again and be screwed again...over and over. Voting and hoping is not only unrealistic it is harmful.

The LWM's of this world are not for change. They think they are but they can't grasp that their plan, as shown in the blockquote above, is an absolute fantasy that will bring about little to no change in the long term. He is in effect asking you to believe him or your lying eyes. Don't let him do it to you.

By all means, do go out and vote for who you think is best but do not kid yourself into believing LWM's fantasy. And do not kid yourself into thinking that 3 ad campaigns directed at wayward politicians, who are supposed to be on your side in the first place, is going to have a great impact in the long run. You may win this battle and that would be great but If you truly want change you might as well force the issue with the group of politicians we already have. If you want real change you will have to force the issue at some point so why not now?

I am not advocating or calling for violence here. I am asking that we collectively wake up and take a bodily stand. The only kind of stand that will scare them. The only kind of stand that has a chance.