Some people who read my entry praising Bob Brady wondered whether I was giving up on my efforts to change politics in Philadelphia. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is important to distinguish between individuals and political systems. As I pointed out, many of us who met with Congressman Brady were impressed with him. (I met him a few years ago and have been talking to him from time to time since the Neighborhood Networks organizing conference, so I’ve been impressed for a while.) But that doesn’t mean I’m impressed with the Democratic Party he chairs or the government that is controlled by members of the Democratic Party.
I begin my campaign speeches by saying that politics in Philadelphia is broken. I’m not going to stop saying that just because I happen to like Congressman Brady. And I’m not afraid to say that at ward meetings. There is no contradiction between liking Congressman Brady, liking a lot of ward leaders, as I do, and believing that a lot that happens in our politics—and a lot that doesn’t happen—is disturbing, or worse.
I’m a political scientist by trade and we political scientists tend to think that political and social structures, institutions, and organizations are usually a lot more important than individuals. It may be in Congressman Brady’s interest to overemphasize the limits on his power as head of the confederation he leads. But there is no question that there are limits beyond which he cannot go without losing his position as chairman of the party. And every ward leaders, every council member, and even the Mayor also face limits on their actions beyond which they cannot go.
The problems in our politics are deep and have more to do with the political and social structures, institutions, and organizations that exist here than with the character of individual political leaders, many of whom are decent people with the interests of the city at heart.
And, by the way, we progressives are not the only ones frustrated by the political system. Starting from the top on down, in private conversation many of our political leaders express their frustration with politics in the city. They bemoan the slow pace of change, the inability of Philadelphia to adopt the innovative public policies that found in other cities in the US and around the world; the lackluster quality of so many elected officials; the slow economic growth; the continuing, grinding poverty that afflict so many people here; the abominable murder rate; and the power of money both in the ward system and maybe more in the development process that, among other things, is likely to create casinos in the last places anyone wants them.
What is it going to take to change politics in the city? Leadership is the easy answer. And it actually is part of the answer: We need a Mayor and Council members with a vision of, and a commitment to, real change.
But new leadership is not the whole answer. And one or two new leaders won’t make much difference at all. There are no great gains to be won if we have two progressive council members who, like David Cohen and Angel Ortiz, get consistently outvoted 15-2. But we should not forget that, in an earlier period of our history, when he had forged a coalition with, among others, John Street, David Cohen was a very influential member of Council.
So a few leaders won’t help. And new leadership won’t just happen by itself. We need a political movement committed to change to support new leaders, and to bring pressure to bear on other elected officials. We to organize and convince our fellow Philadelphians that we can get more out of politics than a little help with L&I, or a pothole fixed, or some money for a community association. We have to organize to convince people that things can get dramatically better. We must organize to encourage people to have hope for politics in the city.
If we can do that we will create a movement and a passion for change. And not only will new leaders then emerge, but many elected officials who are often frustrated with politics in the city will be energized to reach higher than they do right now. Then the possibility will come about of creating a new coalition of progressive forces that will make a real difference to what our city does.
I said at the founding conference of Neighborhood Networks that 600 really committed Philadelphians can change this city, not just by electing new political officials but changing politics enough to bring out the “inner progressive” in the elected officials—and even some ward leaders—who are frustrated by politics but don’t know how to change it.
Nothing I have seen in the last fifteen months has given me any reason to doubt that this is possible. During that time, I have met and talked with many elected officials who have a strong progressive streak and who are frustrated with politics. And I have been meeting people in every part of the city who, whether they call themselves progressives or not, share the hopes of those of us who would like to shake things up in Philadelphia politics.
We have not yet found the 600 committed activists we need. But I know they are out there. And every day, a few more get involved in our political life. I think we are getting close to the critical mass we need to find those 600. And if we find them, they will mobilize enough of their fellow citizens to make a real difference in 2007 and beyond.
I started by saying that political and social structures, institutions, and organizations are more important than individuals. I want to conclude by reminding everyone that it often happens in human history that structures, institutions, and organizations that have survived for years and seem absolutely and totally impregnable, collapse or are radically changed almost overnight.
In 1985 everyone thought the Soviet Union was a solid, unchangeable fact of life. By 1990 it was gone, even though many of the leaders of post-Soviet Russia were long-time communists.
Here is my prediction: in the not too distant future, perhaps even by 2011, politics in Philadelphia is going to be dramatically different than it is today. And that will be true even if some of the political leaders who take us into the new era are those in power today. For they will face a changed political system that gives them both the incentives and the opportunities to act politically in different ways than they do now.