Back in 2004, after a particularly bad game against the hated Yankees, Red Sox star pitcher Pedro Martinez was asked about his struggles against the Evil Empire. Instead of making excuses, all he could offer was “What can I say? I tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy.”

It is no secret self-described progressives feel the political success of Barack Obama’s moderate liberal philosophy is somehow fraudulent. In light of this, the butt-whoopings Progressive Dane-backed candidates received in the recent Madison City Council elections are akin to Martinez being owned by the arch-rival Yankees. Madison’s political left can move forward in a myriad of ways, but one of the best would be to cut the excuses and own up to its failures against Obamaism.

The political philosophy of Obamaism can be best defined by a results-based liberal platform and a well-organized and committed field campaign. It is clear Obamaism drives members of Progressive Dane to near insanity because of its moderate platform that puts results above ideology, and the fact moderate liberals are now beating progressives at their own game of grassroots campaigning.

This dynamic was evident in the high-profile City Council races in Districts 2 and 8. Progressive Dane has traditionally enjoyed success in these districts because of its organizational structure and progressive message. However, it’s been said success breeds complacency, and it appears the local left was unprepared for two candidates to make serious challenges in these districts.

Bryon Eagon’s connection to Obamaism is pretty clear, as he was the Wisconsin State Coordinator of Students for Barack Obama. By all accounts, he organized effectively and campaigned extremely hard for the District 8 seat and had a completely competent platform of relevant issues that led my controversy-craving editors to proclaim, “WTF, Bryon?”

His success contrasts with that of Progressive Dane-backed candidate Katrina Flores, who lost in the primary to a political neophyte whose claim to fame at UW will forever be as the political Cookie Monster. In a story published in The Badger Herald last week, Flores partially blamed her defeat on being too busy with other things to run a committed campaign, instead of saying something along the lines of “I half-assed it and was hoping to win using the progressive label.”

While Eagon’s triumph was expected, the true shocker of the Common Council races was Bridget Maniaci’s epic upset over progressive stalwart Brenda Konkel in District 2. Normally a four-term incumbent with a strong record of fighting for progressive issues would seem to be a shoe-in, but in recent years Konkel has cast herself as A-Rod’s arch-enemy to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s Red Sox Nation.

Obama’s success can be partly attributed to his promises to put ideological differences aside to actually get policies passed. This desire for action is clearly alive in District 2, as Konkel’s obstructionism on the council provided a contrast to Maniaci’s promises to work with her colleagues to achieve results. Konkel’s rabble-rousing was a dominant narrative of this race, and thus her loss is a clear sign voters of District 2 felt it was time to move on from those tactics.

Konkel and her allies’ response to Maniaci’s upset victory was to primarily blame the city establishment for declaring war on a true principled progressive. Blaming the “establishment” is a bush-league way of owning up to a losing campaign while acting like a sore loser by denying Maniaci the credit she rightfully deserves for a phenomenal campaign. Maniaci’s campaign represents everything the far left despises about Obamaism — a moderate platform not based on antagonizing the mayor and a candidate who organized and campaigned her butt off — and her victory over Konkel is obviously a painful defeat that is going to take progressives a long time to get over.

The recent elections show Obamaism is going to continue to challenge Progressive Dane’s traditional power in local liberal politics. The left can continue to make excuses for its failures, or it can own up to its shortcomings against this new kind of local political campaigning. In short, perhaps it’s best Progressive Dane tip its hat and call Obamaism its daddy.

Zach Schuster ([email protected]) is a graduate student studying water resources engineering and water resources management.