If Obama is challenged in '12 it won't be on the left (by Feingold/Dean/ DK) but on the right

[book_worm]

and there is a reason that Evan Bayh is hording about $10 million in campaign money rather than help in key Senate races last night (boy Sestak could have used a chunk of that). Is it to run for Governor? maybe--or is he going to assess the situation and challenge Obama in the democratic primaries?

Right now I don't think that any dem will challenge the president, but I'm convinced that if one does it will not be the left wing of the party (who are generally supportive of this president) but the right wing.

[soleft]

1. I think Bayh's got his eyes on the White House

I was at the gym this morning, and tho I couldn't hear what he was saying, he was all over the Squawkbox on I believe cnbc.

[crazylikafox]

8. I heard him on CNBC this AM pretending to be a Democrat

He's definitely running. He acted like he was sorry the DEMS lost but said Dems needed to move to the right. What a smug asshole.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Good luck in the primaries, Evan!

:sarcasm:

[treestar]

3. Could be

The left has utterly failed to get ITS message across. This country is so far to the right, that obviously, it does not support even the supposedly "timid" changes the Dems got through in the past two years.

[ampad]

4. I think you are on to something

Those who keep saying that he is going to be challenged by Dean or Feingold are stupid. They are stupid living in some kind of fantasy land. Actually not only are they stupid but they insult the intelligence of Dr Dean and Feingold. Feingold and Dean are smart politicians. They know exactly what would happen to the party if they decided to challenge Obama. Not only that they seem to care about the party especially Dean. I do not think I can say the same about Evan Bayh. However, if he does decided to go there he better be ready for some serious backlash.

[Wednesdays]

5. Won't happen

It's political suicide. With people clamoring for more extensive healthcare legislation, and not less, they're not going to throw their weight behind a Blue Dog, when they've at least got Obama. And that is just one issue of many that Obama has the advantage.

That is, unless Bayh comes up with an aggressive plan (such as public option or single payer), and so on. He'd have to completely re-invent himself for that.

No, a Blue Dog challenge ain't happening in 2012. In 2016, however, maybe...

[bornskeptic]

10. Which voters were clamoring for more extensive healthcare legislation?

The ones who voted for Toomey, Rubio and Paul? Which of the winning Republicans was clamoring for a public option or single payer? I recall most of them were claiming they wanted to end government-run healthcare. So you're saying that posirtion inspired people who wanted government-run healthcare to vote for them?

[Dinger]

6. Good Point (nt)

[glitch]

7. He's got an editorial in the NYT today -- he's running. Asshat.

Him, not you :hi:

[Enrique]

9. how does a democrat go to the right of Obama? n/t