“Our democracy works best when people come together to solve problems, not simply by voting every few years but also by participating in a wide array of voluntary organizations—the “civil society” that serves as a mediator between the power of business and money and the authority of government. Politicians need to listen to people’s problems, help them forge solutions, and give voice to their hopes, rather than stoke people’s fears and prejudices.
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Republicans thought they were being smart mocking community organizing. But what they didn’t understand is that their smug comments weren’t simply an attack on Barack Obama but on the entire grassroots chain of change that has, for over 200 years, made America a more democratic and humane country.”
