(via Global Grind)

*note* Thanks to the prowess of GlobalGrind.com editors, this post was originally accompanied by a pretty scandalous pic of Kim Kardashian. I couldn’t bring myself to actually publish that here in my space but, fyi, as a result of the pic, I got my highest # of click throughs and page views ever on their blog. Ha! I’ll use James Bond here instead.

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Thousands of confidential, secret documents with potentially dangerous information about some of the most important, powerful leaders of the free world are being released against the will of the federal government.

Hey gang - Can’t figure out how to embed these two appearances but last week I had the privilege of participating in two really interesting post election discussions.

The first was Charlie Rose the night of the election. Hadn’t finished getting turnout results yet so most of the conversation was just speculation at that time about what the obvious “Republican Tsunami” meant for Obama and his presidency. Co-panelists were Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jack Welsch, Al Hunt and others. Check it out here:  http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11269

The second was an incredibly fun, intimate radio and webcast hosted by Farai Chideya, Pop & Politics & WNYC. This discussion had a particular focus on race and included Melissa Harris Perry, John Ridley, Rosie Perez and others. So much good analysis. Check it out here: http://popandpolitics.com/blog/miss-our-nov-3rd-live-radio-show-read-on/

Enjoy!

Below is my piece that ran on CNN.com last week: 

Many will call the 2010 election the rejection of the Obama agenda heard round the world. But young voter turnout tells a very different story.

CNN’s exit polls show 55 percent of voters age 25 to 29 voted for Democrats, compared to 42 percent for Republicans. Even more progressive, 58 percent of voters age 18 to 24 voted for Democrats compared to 39 percent for Republicans.

Ironically, the group often labeled fickle and impatient have remained solidly committed to the agenda of change they overwhelmingly voted for in 2008. In the face of record unemployment and the very circumstances that pundits speculate make the country more resistant to change, young voters sent a very clear message of support for Obama’s agenda.

So if the largest and most diverse generation in American history is so progressive, and members voted decisively Democratic, why the so-called “Republican tsunami?”

Because Obama himself wasn’t on the ticket.

The candidates who were running had the responsibility to engage and turn out young Obama voters — and apparently completely failed to do so.

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE, a nonpartisan think tank that researches the civic and political engagement of young Americans, early exit poll estimates put the share of votes cast by young people at 10 percent, compared with 12 percent in 2006.

CIRCLE found the turnout rate — that is, the percentage of 18 to 29 year olds who voted — is hovering around 20 percent, compared with 23 percent in 2006. Placing 2010 in its proper historical midterm context shows that the actual difference in share and turnout from four years ago to now is relatively minor. But candidates and campaigns expecting a magic showing of young Americans comparable with 2008’s record levels were quite disappointed.

For young voters, Tuesday was the manifestation of a basic, tried and true campaign rule that applies to all voters, young and old, black and white, Republican and Democrat — to turn out voters you must target them respectfully and early. Case in point: In youth-dense precincts targeted by Rock the Vote and nonpartisan voter engagement groups within the Vote Again 2010 coalition, youth turnout rose from 2006. If only candidates had learned the not-so-tricky trick.

The good news for Obama and 2012 progressive candidates is that there is still hope. Young voters have not shied away from the political ideology that is intrinsic to their generational identity.

If campaigns invest the time, energy and resources in speaking to young people where they are, talk boldly and consistently to them about the issues they care about in ways that appeal to them and frankly, target them the way every other “key” (translate: respected) voting block is targeted, we could see a very different picture in 2012.

I had a really dope conversation w a colleague of mine today about the relationship between irony and righteous anger. An older professor suggested that due to our generation’s [laugh at everything-irreverent-sarcastic-nothing is sacred-trust no one-we get the joke] irony, we lack a sense of frustration & rage that is critical to effective activism and social change.  In other words: Is the Obama generation too ironic to act? 

For me the answer is a clear no, although my friend suggested that I explore what it is about irony that older folks are so afraid of. Without a clear understanding of that, my resistance to that perspective usually goes something like this: “You’re old. You just don’t get it. And you don’t like things you don’t get.”  I admit, that’s probably too simplistic. 

Neverthelss, I really do believe that our attitude is, as Cornel West’s said in a review of book called Chic Ironic Bitterness: “sophisticated irony and subtle humor that contributes to the possibility of genuine civic trust and democratic life.” In my mind, anger relates to values and irony relates to strategy. We get angry when something offends our core earnest believe in that which is good and right and true. Irony is how we manage and channel that anger so as to be self-aware, pragmatic, and, one would hope, more effective. The two, anger and irony, are not mutually exclusive and in fact, for our generation, are almost inextricably tied.  

Sure - Maybe there is a tipping point where irony breeds cynicism, but even then, cynicism in the effectiveness of an obviously, blatantly broken system is fine as long as it is accompanied by an earnest belief that we as citizens - as humans - with all of our smarts and incredulity, still have the capacity deep within us to effect change.

All that said, tomorrow morning I’ll be w the most ironic of them all down on the National Mall will [thousands] [millions] of other folks at the March to Restore Sanity/Fear w John Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Although a part of me is frustrated that all of these people are spending valuable time and resources traveling to DC instead of being home knocking on doors, volunteering for campaigns, and getting their friends and families to vote the final weekend before the election, I”ll still be there, ready to dance to The Roots, take goofy pics with my friends, and laugh at what I’m sure will be an amazing lineup of speakers. I’ll be thinking about this topic, searching for answers and hoping that this gigantic display of irony is really just a sharpening of a savvy anger that we’ll all go back to our communities and wield at the polls. 

I’m sitting up late looking at the beautiful Denver skyline, working on my plenary speech for tomorrow morning on “Expecting Change & Seizing Opportunity” and thinking about how crazy the times are that we are living in. In the past 2 weeks I’ve been to Chicago (Facing Race), Atlanta (Ignite 2010 with the League of Young Voters & Vibe.com), New York (leadership summit), Virginia (voter registration rally), and now Denver (Community Matters ‘10), speaking to audiences of all ages, ethnicities, & income levels - with everyone ultimately looking for the same thing: Insight into these crazy times we’re living in & the inspiration to believe and hope that this period of exciting but somewhat uncomfortable change will leave us stronger and better than ever before.

I don’t know how good a job I’ve done at providing insight or offering hope these past few weeks, but all I know is that I truly believe that the answers to our most pressing problems and the ideas that will allow us to seize the opportunities of our changing political/environmental/cultural/economic landscape will come boldly and beautifully from this generation. 

I believe that the hip hop and skateboards and blogs and progressive religion and languages and science and social networking and technology and social entrepreneurship and everything else that our generation believes in is just what America needs to dig deep, push past the growing pains of revolution, and come out 10, 20, 30 years from now with our heads held high as a nation soaring the highest heights of humanity. 

Now let’s see if I can convince my audience of that tomorrow morning…