Hungry for Change

Democratic Illinois Senator Barack Obama says that, along with Democrats, many Republican and Independent voters are looking for change in the midterm elections.

Sen. Barack Obama: Here's the problem. Our government has not been engaged with people to say, "Here's how we're gonna partner with you." And that's why I think this election on November 7th is so important. Because whether it's on healthcare, energy, job growth, funding college educations, on all these issues, we can make progress if we stop with this ideological, absolutist approach that the Bush administration has taken, and focus on common sense, pragmatic solutions to some of our problems.

And I think what's interesting in this election, as I'm traveling around the country, it's not just Democrats who are hungry for that. Independents are hungry for it, which is why generally, Democratic candidates are doing so well. But there are a lot of Republicans in there, out there as well, who feel like their own party has been hijacked, and is not focused on the right things. And I think that presents a tremendous opportunity for those of us who believe in a progressive America.

Tavis: On the one hand, Senator Obama, it does, in fact, present an opportunity. I think you're right about that. On the other hand - let me play devil's advocate here - on the other hand, particularly if you're gonna reference King, and consider yourself, as I certainly do, part of the Kingian tradition, the only thing that one finds in the middle of the road are yellow stripes. Or maybe in Texas, a dead armadillo.

Obama: You stole that from Jim Highwater.

Tavis: Jim Hightower, yeah.

Obama: Jim Hightower.

Tavis: Jim Hightower, yeah. But you've gotta have the courage of your convictions to say something that not everybody else is saying. And in a world where everybody is rushing to the middle, including Democrats trying to rush to the middle, what makes the message in [your book] "The Audacity of Hope" different than what everybody else is saying, which is let's get to the middle, as opposed to standing with courage to be a truth-teller?

Obama: Well, I think that the Democratic Party and progressives generally have gotten confused in getting trapped in this debate about are you liberal or are you centrist? I'm not interested in being a centrist or rushing to the middle, in the sense of just splitting the difference with a radically ideological Bush administration. And that's how I think we got into trouble in many instances, was we just kept on splitting the difference until you find out you don't stand for anything, you just keep on compromising.

There have to be some core principles that we believe in. I think that given how much money we spend in America on healthcare, we should have universal healthcare. Now, I'm agnostic on how we achieve that, in the sense that if you are interested in free market solutions, and you can explain to me an efficient way through markets-based programs to make sure that everybody's got healthcare, I'm not gonna be opposed to that just because it's not a government-run program.

I may be skeptical; you may have to prove to me how it is that you expect to provide healthcare to everybody. But I'll be open-minded to any ideas. What I won't compromise is the goal, which is universal healthcare for everybody. And that, I think, is the approach that we need to take. I'm less concerned whether something is considered strictly liberal or conservative.

I want results. And if we can achieve results, then I think that you can mobilize people across a whole host of different party labels. But what I won't do is compromise on the goal. And making sure that there are measurable results to achieve that goal.

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