Professor Jason Johnson was quoted in a September 18th Philadelphia Tribune story about Rebuild the Dream, a project of former White House advisor Van Jones focused on job creation, affordable education and retirement security.
Hiram College’s Jason Johnson, author of “One Day to Sell” and a prominent political scientist, is skeptical.
“That stuff does not work if you don’t go to the mat for what you want,” argues Johnson. “That’s the thing about the tea party — they don’t have any real policy platform.”
“If [Jones] wants to create a movement like the tea party, then he has to obstruct until he gets what he wants. The movement is nothing but a bunch of words, means nothing if you’re not willing to use it as a vehicle to force the change you want.”
Johnson suggests Rebuild the Dream should be willing to “primary” Democrats into submission, similar to how tea party activists threatened Republicans in key Congressional districts with primary challenges.