Jones to Netroots: in four years, you may miss George W. Bush
In the closing keynote address at Netroots Nation, civil rights and environmental activist Van Jones called for a New Deal-esque movement to create green jobs to forestall an economic crisis and warned Netroots audience members that should not take for granted that changes will come with Barack Obama’s potential election to the presidency.
In the closing keynote address at Netroots Nation, civil rights and environmental activist Van Jones called for a New Deal-esque movement to create green jobs to forestall an economic crisis and warned Netroots audience members that should not take for granted that changes will come with Barack Obama’s potential election to the presidency.
"If we are not careful, if we are not smart, this could be four years as the precursor to the kind of right wing backlash that will make us miss John McCain, make us miss George W. Bush," Jones said. "Don’t think it’s not possible — there are dragons on the right who in their anti-immigrant hatred, in their war mongering jingoism, in their commitment to drill and burn their way out of the energy crisis, will make you miss John McCain."
Jones drew a parallel between the situation surrounding the election of former president Jimmy Carter to the White House and the enthusiasm among liberals about Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy. Stagflation in 1970s — prompted by skyrocketing oil prices — derailed Carter’s presidency, and it "probably" would derail an Obama presidency as well if liberals "are very intelligent starting now," Jones said.
To prevent this from happening, Jones proposed the creation of a green jobs movement that would lower demand for energy while creating jobs, such as work retrofitting houses with more environmental safeguards and rebuilding public transit systems.
