As part of his effort to limit the influence of corporate lobbyists and other big money scoundrels, John Edwards announced this weekend that, as president, he will invite one million people every two years to participate in a deliberative democracy forum to hatch and debate policy ideas as a way to put ordinary people front and center in the governing process. It's like having one million consultants, but instead of the consultants being hacks providing self-serving and often false advice, they're ordinary people finally getting a bit of access to the governing process. I'd caution that this kind of effort is a great incubator of ideas but doesn't substitute for developing the raw political power necessary to get laws passed - though it can help if the million participants act as ambassadors for the ideas they've helped develop.
Nevertheless, this kind of idea reflects something truly exciting about the prospect of Edwards as president: he really sees the presidency as a movement-building opportunity, believing that good government flows not so much from the quality of the people in government but from the competing strengths of the movements that put them there. He's constantly looking for ways to bring new people into the process and into the progressive movement. This is in such contrast to the more common Hillary Clinton transactional model of leadership: you elect me, a really smart person, and I'll deliver for you. It largely leaves the non-elite out of it (except when they're invited to participate in artificial "conversations" where they're not really listened to). Edwards's message, in contrast, is much more: elect me, and we'll work side by side for common goals - and build our movement all along so that we'll be stronger for future battles. It would be unique in the history of modern Democratic presidents; it's almost unique in the history of prominent national Democrats - and it's making me giddy just contemplating it.