I have been following the series "What Will It Take to Bring Obama Home?"

What has surprised me is the apparent "mandate" that Progressives think that Obama received from them in 2008.  Obama received about 95% of the Black vote - up a few percentage points from historical Black support.  How is this mandate different from the support received by all recent Democratic Presidential hopefuls?  I don't see any new, overwhelming mandate.  Just because Obama is the first Black President, there seems to be an implied "significant promise to right the wrongs of the past 150 years."

Progressives have always led the way as "America's conscience."  And 2008 was no different. The "change we can believe in" led many Progressives to assume a full endorsement of "THEIR change agenda" by Obama.  In reality, Obama forged a successful campaign that secured 52% of the overall electorate - of which only a small number were Progressives.  That was no small feat of tight wire walking at dizzying heights.

When addressing the question of how to "bring Obama home" what must be considered is the difference between governing and campaigning.  To govern, he needs 60 votes in the Senate - and he must overcome 100% opposition of Republicans in the House - to get anything through Congress. It is as simple as that. Can Progressives help him forge a 60 vote alliance in the Senate?  Can Progressives overcome unanimous Republican opposition in the House?  How, then, do we expect Obama to achieve this when he cannot cast a single vote in congress?

What Progressives don't seem to understand is that the "opposition" redoubled their efforts to thwart virtually everything Obama tried to do that was remotely progressive - including challenging his birth, calling him a socialist, and suggesting he was outright un-American.  The powerful forces against him left him to simply fall on his sword as a martyr to progressive idealism, or negotiate the best deal possible in the face of the efforts to defeat every measure he championed.  In spite of this, the 111th congress has been described as the most productive in decades.

It seems that Progressives are so focused on the "code words" of the opposition that they fail to see the positives in the "rising tide" of the progress that has been made on Obama's watch.  While demanding handouts as "targeted programs" we let billions of dollars escape our grasp while crying about betrayal.  Not only that, we allowed the Republican spin machine (the Tea Party) to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  And now we have a divided government with a weakened majority in the Senate.

We need one million people in the streets demanding social justice.  They also need to show up at the polls and vote in every election.  What I want to know is "Where are the progressive voices in Congress leading the charge?" Have we only Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich to turn to?  Where was our support for Alan Grayson when he needed the progressive votes to keep him in Congress?  How did we allow Republican governors to defeat the Democratic governors who were at least sympathetic to progressive causes get run out of office?  Now, these conservative governors are dismantling the foundations of the Progressive Movement.  How can we lay this at Obama's feet?

I too spent many hours campaigning, knocking on doors to get out the vote, and making calls at telephone banks  - in 2008 AND in 2010.  The struggle never ends.  Change is hard - and slow in coming.  As a politician, Obama has demonstrated in the first instance that he knew how to forge a winning coalition of the young, progressive, professional, and seniors.  That was only the beginning.  To get re-elected, he must regain old support, and forge a new incumbent alliance.

Progressives need to take to the streets again - registering new voters, encouraging 2008 voters to support Obama in 2012, and reminding Obama and all politicians who seek our votes that we won’t go away and settle for half-hearted measures.  We can’t walk away like so many did in the 2010 elections.  Progressive issues have always been a part of the Democratic Party agenda in my lifetime.  They should remain so, because there is no viable alternative.

President Obama has demonstrated that he knows how to forge a winning coalition of voters to get elected.  He has made steady progress out of the deep hole left by Bush, and he will forge another winning coalition of voters to get re-elected. If he gets 100% of the progressive vote, he will still need 5 times as many votes of others to win again.  We progressives can either help him win and continue the trench warfare necessary to fight for every inch of progress that has been made over the past 150 years. Or we can resort to character assassination and become a major factor in getting him un-elected.  Are we such fools to make that false choice?

It comes down to the ALTERNATIVE!!!  I believe that Obama is governing (negotiating) from a position that is the best hand WE helped to deal.  We would be better served to spend all of our efforts trying to defeat the opposition, get as many progressive candidates elected at the local and congressional level, and provide all the support we can muster to get Obama re-elected.  Reality suggests that we must make the best of the situation that we are confronted with. Obama is not our enemy.

IF YOU THINK THIS IS BAD, YOU WON'T LIKE THE ALTERNATIVE!!!

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BlackCommentator.com Guest Commentator Roger Madison is a retired corporate sales executive, and the founder of iZania, LLC (www.iZania.com) - an Internet Networking Community for descendants of Africa.  The key focus of this online community is economic empowerment for Black entrepreneurs, professionals and consumers.  Mr. Madison is a native of Farmville, Virginia.  A graduate of the George Washington University School of Business and Government Studies, he currently lives in Columbus, Ohio. Click here to contact Mr. Madison.