Can someone more liberal than Obama be elected in 2012 ?

[steve2470]

I would like someone more liberal than Obama as POTUS in 2012, but given the state of the corporate media and the lack of political knowledge of the citizenry, can that be done realistically ? As we all know, the state of the economy in 2012 will be crucial to who wins. I'm afraid that unless the economy gets substantially better in 27 months, an R will be elected just because he or she is new. God help us if Palin gets elected :/

[derby378]

1. Who did you have in mind?

I don't think Kucinich can pull it off. Most of Obama's 2008 primary opponents were relatively centrist as well.

[steve2470]

5. Howard Dean would be fine, but I can see another media hatchet job

on him, just like last time. I honestly don't know.

[stray cat]

2. It hasn't happened recently - green party candidates and Kucinich have not faired well

in national presidential elections.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. From your keyboard to the ears of she who can make it happen.

[phantom power]

4. That's not going to happen. As incumbent, Obama will be our candidate.

[mike_c]

7. define "our"-- I mean, are you going to be fooled AGAIN...?

I keep going back to Reagan for the archetypical story about American presidential politics. Reagan ran hard on a fiscal responsibility platform, then during his first term in office he ran up the national debt to record levels and started the death spiral of the middle class, which continues today. When it came time for a second campaign, he ran again on the same fiscal responsibility platform-- the guy who had just broken the bank, and was for all intents and purposes running against his own fiscal record-- and Americans elected him again and gave him a second chance to screw us thoroughly!

Yeah, I can see Obama being recycled for a second term. The history of American voters learning from their mistakes is not good.

[phantom power]

8. I don't *think* I'm "fooled," just observing that Obama will be the Dem candidate.

Which should not be confused with my opinions about him, good or bad.

[geek tragedy]

13. Well, go out and canvass for Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney then.

Because that's the alternative.

[mike_c]

15. that's one of the oldest and tiredest talking points ever....

"Our candidate sucks, but the other one is worse, so you should vote for the sucky candidate to keep the suckier candidate out of office."

Thanks for offering to let me play, but that's a loser's game and I'm tired of it.

[Name removed]

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[RKP5637]

6. I have the same concerns too that an R will be elected in 2012, because so

much of the citizenry is easily led around and seems to lack so much in terms of political knowledge. Rather, they just react to whichever hot button the MSM is paid to push by the politicians.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. If the pugs take both houses of congress in 2010, perhaps.

If Dems hold Congress the pugs will win the presidency in 2012.

Two-party system has its draw-backs...

[truth2power]

10. No. Because they're not "elected". Just sayin'. n/t

[Davis_X_Machina]

11. No. Next....

[DailyGrind51]

12. A lot can happen before the campaign for 2012 begins, especially if Reps take the House.

"The Left" may become more motivated to retain the White House for the Democratic Party.

[rurallib]

14. well, they would have to be nominated by the republicans

and I don't think they have anyone in the category "liberal"

[KamaAina]

17. Of course.

Just not in this country.

[AnArmyVeteran]

18. No, the corporations who own our elections would never allow it.

It's impossible for any person who would represent the people to run or win an election. We are FORCED to vote for corrupt candidate A and corrupt candidate B, both OWNED by the same corrupt corporations who fund their elections. What's so pathetic are people who keep voting for corporate whore A or corporate whore B, without even considering any other candidates who haven't sold themselves out to run. The US is a country of fools who actually believe their votes count. What does it matter if it's candidate A or B if they are both owned by the same corrupt thugs who have the money to buy them?

In the 90s, the Reform Party would have changed campaign finance laws to prevent elections from being controlled by those who were rich, but people voted for Rs and Ds and nothing has changed. The two major parties don't want campaign finance reform because they OWN the current corrupt system, and as long as voters keep supporting the corrupt status quo they will NEVER have politicians who will represent them. How many times do the people need to be knocked on the sides of their heads with two-by-fours before they wake up to that fact?

We had a golden opportunity to truly take back our country in the 1990s, but party loyalists gave away their votes to one of the two major political machines and now our country is worse off than ever. We will never change our country as long as the two major political parties know they have millions of willing dupes to blindly vote for them. The people need to break their unhealthy addiction or our country will continue its slide into oblivion.

Your choice: Wake up or remain in a coma.