I'm not thrilled with the President's first term, but who's going to primary him?

[Bake]

Seriously ... who else is going to run against him in a primary? Who else could possible win in the general election?

As I see it, we got nobody right now. So I still support Obama. Not enthusiastically, but I support him and will vote for him.

Bake

[COLGATE4]

1. Nobody. You and I are in the same boat. n/t

[AverageJoe90]

2. Agreed.

Also, kicked & recced. =)

[trueblue2007]

3. NO ONE !! STOP SUGGESTING IT! U a Dem? Support the President.

[JDPriestly]

36. I will probably vote for him -- but I will hold my nose while doing it.

He has compromised and compromised.

People were furious with the bankers and worried about Social Security and their pensions in 2008, so they voted for change -- and since that is what Obama promised -- he got elected.

First thing Obama does is put the bankers -- the bankers the voters hate -- in charge of the economy.

That was stupid. Sorry. But that was the stupidest thing. And then Obama compromised with regard to one thing after another -- no public option (and therefore no realistic way to put downward pressure on healthcare costs) -- continuing troop deployment in Iraq -- and the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich.

All stupid moves.

Obama is the least horrible alternative thus far. I am very disappointed that no Democrat has had the courage to come forward and challenge him. It's a sad day for America. Who cares about party allegiance. I care about my country. And the Republicans who are running for president would be catastrophes for my country.

Obama is second best -- and not a very good second best.

I support Obama's call for higher taxes for the rich, but I question how willing he is to really go for that goal. I have a feeling he will make a show of campaigning for higher taxes while secretly giving his Wall Street buddies yet another huge handout. Uggh. These are ugly, ugly times.

Hurrah for the folks demonstrating on Wall Street!

[SlimJimmy]

37. There are *many* Democrats, including myself, that would like to

see a different Democrat in that office. That's not party disloyalty, it's understanding the political landscape, and wanting something more.

[SomethingFishy]

52. Stop suggesting it?

Don't participate in Democracy? Follow blindly anyone with a "D" behind their name?

I am not a "Dem" they aren't liberal enough for me, but I usually vote Dem because they are always the lesser of 2 evils

I don't understand this kind of thinking at all. Is it not my responsibility as a citizen to vote for the person I believe will best lead the country? Whatever the letter is that comes after their name?

[defendandprotect]

81. If you are a democrat -- you support your conscience -- not 'lesser evils" ---

Voting for the "lesser evil" only moves the party and the Congress further

to the right -- and a long record of that since the 1960's when RW political

violence came out into the open and took not only our president but our

people's government --


We've been being warned for more than 40 years about our Congress and elected

officials SELLING themselves to the rich/corporatists -- we can no longer ignore

that reality!!


Global Warming and the threat to all of us is also becoming clearer -- something

the private interests who control our natural resources still want desperately to

hide until it is too late --

[Enrique]

4. no one n/t

[MADem]

5. No one. The people who want another candidate need to say their goodbyes

and stroll on over to a third party for the next election, who will put up a team of idealists with impossible goals and a minuscule following, and then come crawling back after their visionary candidates bring in a fraction of a percentage point at the polls.

[Little Star]

6. Sad to say, I don't think anyone viable wants to primary him. Soooo

with no other options I've got no where else to go. I'll be voting for him in the general.

[defendandprotect]

82. Please stop the "no place else to go" thinking -- it's fear-based and not helpful ....

there are many other places to go --

Many democrats who can challenge Obama --

From Bernie Sanders to Ed Schultz --

And if you paid any attention at all to 2010, I think you understand the need to

move on from Obama and find challengers!

[EOTE]

7. Russ Feingold, Alan Grayson, Bernie Sanders.

That's just off the top of my head. I'd give any of them my utmost support. And if it was unsuccessful, at least it would send the message that democrats must actually govern like democrats from now on, lest they be kicked to the curb.

[Bake]

11. Feingold was weak last time he ran.

Grayson couldn't even hold his House seat. Bernie Sanders? I love him, but he's not even a Democrat (strictly speaking).

Who else you got?

Bake

[EOTE]

20. I don't need any more than that.

You can say what you will about them, but I think the mere action of having a primary would do a world of good. If Obama loses because of it, I couldn't care less. It may hurt in the short term, but maybe that's the wake up call needed to start electing real democrats.

[gateley]

34. I would love to have Bernie, Grayson or Feingold as President,

but none of them would win right now.

And with this group of Republicans there is no "short term". They would take the country down.

[tblue]

In my dreams.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. Russ is supporting Obama

Grayson is running for his old Congressional seat. Sanders isn't technically a Democrat and AFAIK still supports President Obama. :shrug:

[EOTE]

21. I really don't care.

All I care about is an effective challenge. Saying that it's futile doesn't help anything. Democrats need to realize they can't abandon everything that got them elected in the first place and get reelected.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. If nobody steps forward

then discussing a primary challenge is merely an academic exercise. If there was a huge groundswell among most of the party for a primary challenge a la Carter, then I suspect that somebody will emerge to challenge him, right?

[EOTE]

29. It's near tautological to suggest that if no one steps up, a primary challenge won't occur.

That's apparent on its face. The question is whether or not there should be one. And I definitely believe there should be. I think there's a decent chance we might see someone step up in the next few months.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

54. We shall see

My money is on no primary challenge and Obama wins re-election.

[dionysus]

57. keep wishing. if anyone tries it'll be a larouchie type loon. there'll be no real primary.

[defendandprotect]

88. 2010 was a groundswell -- and it shouldn't be ignored ---

It was the public saying that they well understood the betrayals of Obama on universal

health care in back room deals with Big Pharma and the private H/C industry --

and on the wars -- and they had had enough --


Unfortunately, Obama stepped up to compromise even further in putting Social Security,

Medicare/Medicaid on the table -- and in finding other ways to keep back room deals in

place -- a la the new Super Congress --

Obama has already harmed Social Security by interrupting its funding -- and COLA's --


I certainly won't give Obama another crack at any of this --

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

33. And both Grayson and Sanders support Obama. It's one thing to crticize. It's altogether another

to understand the realities of the political system.

Russ and Bernie support Obama and will support Obama regardless of their disagreements.

[gateley]

31. We "sent a message" in 2010, and look how that turned

out. It would be even worse this time, with the Republican taking the WH, to boot. :scared:

[EOTE]

32. Maybe we need to send a different message this time around?

Like if you refuse to actually govern as a democrat after getting elected by democrats that you're guaranteed to be a one termer? I think that's a pretty powerful lesson right there.

[gateley]

35. Not going to take that chance. I'm not willing to shoot myself

in the foot. There are other ways to accomplish these goals without hurting ourselves, but the problem is not enough people are willing to make the effort. :(

[EOTE]

40. I wish I knew what these ways were.

I don't see anything but corporate candidates getting elected until we show that we're not going to take it anymore. Unfortunately, I don't believe it's possible for anything to get better before it gets worse.

[gateley]

49. I'm somewhat in agreement, feel as though it'll all have to

come crumbling down before we can begin to rebuild it the right way. But I'm hopeful that piece by piece, it may not have to come to that -- I'm thinking of Wisconsin, Wall Street and of course Egypt and Lybia.

But I don't agree that allowing the Republicans to take hold of the WH would suddenly snap the Democrats into shape. I think the message has been heard but we need to ensure that we win back the seats we lost -- and then some. All 2010 did was make it more difficult to accomplish anything we wanted. :(

It's going to take work and we need, IMO, to work on our local representatives and get more of them elected. It'll grow from there. Hopefully. :scared:

[treestar]

51. Laughable

Like the person themselves in the fulcrum of the whole thing. It's most important for Obama to learn this lesson. Who cares what happens to everyone else? And Obama won't suffer from that. How many regrets could he have? Very few. More time with family and to do millions of other things.

[dionysus]

59. because like our "friends across the aisle", some are so eager to "make obama pay" they'd literally

flush the entire country down the toilet to do it. it's funny, yet sad at the same time...

[dionysus]

58. just come out and say you want Obama to lose to the republican already. geez.

everyone here knows it. just say it, make it official.
:rofl:

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

56. russ won't even run for governor in his own state. he's done holding office for now.

[defendandprotect]

83. How many Dems have we who aren't pre-bribed and pre-owned by corporations?

There are tons of democrats who can challenge Obama --

though I'd prefer Bernie Sanders -- Alan Grayson --

[banned from Kos]

8. Ironically Kucinich is mentioned but he probably won't survive his own primary

The whole idea is a fucking joke.

[Bake]

14. Kooch did so well last time, right?

He's a joke. I love his policies, but he'll never get the nomination, much less win a general election.

Bake

[defendandprotect]

84. Populists don't do well against cororate money machine -- !!!

[tblue]

15. Not a joke.

It's called desperation. Things ain't getting better with the cast of characters we've got.

[EOTE]

25. Seriously. I'm all for a Hail Mary.

It may not be successful, but who the hell can call what we've got right now success? I think a primary challenge is very unlikely to be successful, but I still support one whole-heartedly. Things certainly can't get much worse.

[dionysus]

61. "Things certainly can't get much worse." give us a teabagger for president and you'll quickly learn

how much worse things can get.

[EOTE]

66. If that's the case, then it needs to get worse before it gets better.

I'm not content to allow the democratic party quickly become the republican party. At least if a teabagger becomes president, the people would actually blame the republicans. It's bad enough that we've got a corporatist president that the republicans call a socialist, but he has to accept the blame for the economy as well. If a republican were in office now, at least republicans would be getting the lion's share of blame.

[dionysus]

68. the classic nader style argument. give republicans full control and let em burn the country down.

if you want to let the republicans ruin the country, and cause massive suffering, just in the hope that it causes a major leftward shift in politics, thats not only terribly selfish but terribly naive.

[EOTE]

69. A democrat seems to be doing a pretty damn good job of letting the country burn.

With the occasional dry bone thrown to progressives to make them think he's one of them. I'd much rather not get those occasional dry bones and instead let a republican take the blame for the mess they created. Then at least we might have the chance of getting someone decent in office.

[dionysus]

71. dupe

[dionysus]

72. then you better get to work helping the republicans win next year.

[defendandprotect]

85. +1000% ---

but I'd still prefer Sen. Bernie Sanders -- !!

[olegramps]

62. What makes you think that anyone would be more sucessful....

It is impossible in the present political climate to assume that a candidate that refuses to compromise on any issue would be more successful than Obama. The Republican Party is dedicated in destroying every New Deal policy regardless of the consequences. They stated that they were intent on crushing Obama even if it destroys the Republic. So how does it make sense that someone who is absolutely uncompromisingly dedicated to the principles of the Democratic Party that are primarily issues regarding the working class can be any more successful than President Obama? I am not giving Obama a free pass on the issues and believe that he could have challenged the Republicans by taking a number of critical issue to the public as he now seems to be doing. The Republican Party has gone off the deep end with their members cheering executions, drug testing welfare recipients, homophobia, Evangelical extremism, no taxation of the wealthy, destruction of Social Security and Medicare, enthusiastic endorsement of war, etc...ad infinitum Good Luck with your candidate.

[EOTE]

65. What makes me think that anyone would be more successful?

Because they'd have to be trying pretty damned hard to do any worse. It's not just that republicans refuse to compromise with Obama, it's that Obama rolls over for them every damned time. He's getting exactly what he wants.

[olegramps]

74. And you think that Hillary would have done better?

[dionysus]

60. do you realize if you replaced obama with kucinich right now, nothing would be different?

with our current congress, everything would still be obstructed by the GOP. and once dennis realized in order toget *anything* passed, he'd have to start watering shit down and working for the repukes, he'd be labelled a DINO and a sellout here.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. Kinda, sorta the way I feel.

Disappointed, but I know he's the best thing we've got going right now.

[tblue]

10. I never thought I'd feel like this.

Isn't that sad?

[defendandprotect]

87. Why is it sad -- If you're awake enough to understand the difference between principles

and betrayal?

The public is waking up and they made that clear in 2010 --

[kctim]

12. I still enthusiastically support President Obama

And it is good that you hear that ringing.

[tblue]

13. Please tell us what it is you enthusiastically support.

Not being snarky. Honest. Just looking for a reason.

[TwilightGardener]

50. I support a guy who's doing his damndest to keep the country from

totally coming apart at the seams, and to make things more fair and just than they were before. He is not a failure. He has achievements. He has halted our slide into the abyss, even if we're still hanging on the edge. And he didn't have much help--in fact, he achieved quite a bit despite the hindrance of economic terrorists in Congress, and 24/7 hate radio and TV, and unprecedented worldwide economic trouble. I have to laugh when people say they're "disappointed". What the hell do they think a Democratic President in this day and age can accomplish, beyond what Obama has done?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

55. +1

n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. Oh, well....

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." John Quincy Adams

[kentuck]

18. The break in reality.

Some folks are not very thrilled with this President but will vote for him because there is no one else. And some are very thrilled with this President and cant wait to vote for him. Why is there this break in reality? Who is out of touch? Can someone explain how one supporter could see the President's "achievements" so differently from another supporter??

[FiveGoodMen]

22. Some people watch what he does on important issues

Others listen to his speeches or re-read THE LIST(TM).

[Douglas Carpenter]

28. liberals and progressives have dreamed for soooo long of electing a real progressive to the White

House. Since that has not happened in more than forty years - it has been a lifelong dream for most of us. I knew that Sen. Obama was a centrist every since he first appeared on the national scene. I expected him to follow centrist policies when he was elected. I thought that even a cursury review of his record and an open minded look even at his rhetoric revealed that fairly clearly. So I am not that disappointed. But some people clearly were not listening so closely and those tended to react in one of two ways. Some with fury and a sense of betrayal. Others with delusion and denial relying on sophisticated sophistry to convince themselves that we have already arrived in the promissed land - we just need a second term and once again another Democratic majority like we had two years ago to get it all organized.

[FiveGoodMen]

44. In any age but this one, I'd have expected better than what we got from a GOP president

So I don't think anyone was being overly optimistic when they expected more than this!

And he's only a 'centrist' in the perverse and distorted language of the right.

He's a kinder, gentler neo-con.

[Rabblevox]

19. Agreed. I vote for him again, but no longer will campaign or donate...

to him again.

My time, effort, and the few dollars I can afford will be going into the OR-1st race (David Wu's seat) which used to be reliably blue but is now very much in play.

[SlimJimmy]

38. I'm with you. I will be donating to local and state candidates only. (nt)

[defendandprotect]

79. They're already absorbing part of that message -- which is why Obama is sounding a bit more left

at times -- backed off Social Security, for one --

but would you really trust him again?

Imo, he has destroyed his own credibility and one of the last things I'd do

is give him another crack at destroy Social Security and Medicare -- though

he has already largely succeeded by knocking out the funding for Social Security --

and by ending the COLA's -- and by his new SUPER CONGRESS which is simply another

way to deliver "immaculate conception" decisions which keep the public from

understanding what's going on and holding anyone responsible!!

"Fool me once ... " -- ???

[Douglas Carpenter]

23. yeah that pretty much sums up how a large number of Democrats including myself feel

[creon]

26. No one.

There is not anyone with the stature and the gravitas to run against him in the primary.

There may be a vanity challenge, but that is all it would be.


I am far more interested in a Democratic Congress with enough liberals to do useful work.

[WI_DEM]

27. The ghost of perennial presidential candidate Harold Stassen

[gateley]

30. No matter who primaries him, that person could not WIN the

election.

So I'm with you, except maybe a bit more enthusiastic.

[woo me with science]

48. Oh, I strongly, strongly disagree.

Probably four years ago you would have been right, but, then, people thought *Obama* would bring change.

We are in desperate times. There are protests on Wall Street. Americans are losing their jobs and their homes, with no end to the pain in sight. All of Europe is protesting over austerity, and Americans are watching as our politicians move in the same direction. They see the obscenely wealthy banks and corporations raking in unprecedented profits, while our government pours the war machine into new countries. They observe all this while they are losing their homes and cannot afford to feed their families, and while the Super Committee prepares to slice even more dramatically from their shrinking piece of the pie.

Ron Paul, a candidate who used to be considered a weird clown in the corner, is now gaining unprecedented support because he is the ONLY candidate talking about ending the wars and holding the corrupt banks accountable. Many people are willing to overlook his scary libertarianism to send a message on these issues. Other voters are disillusioned and don't know *what* to do.

Why? Because ordinary Americans are desperate and angry that both major parties have abandoned them, prioritized their interests below those of the bankers and the warmongers. Polls show an overwhelming disgust with BOTH parties at this point. They are looking for a candidate, any candidate, who will begin to reverse this path toward their impoverishment and devastation...what is being called, sickeningly, the "new normal."

Obama was swept into office with a mandate and both houses of Congress three years ago, because people thought he would stand up for their interests and change the Bush trajectory. Today, people are even more hungry for a candidate who will acknowledge the real pain they are facing and stand up for their interests for a change. A genuine Democrat who ran with a laser-focused agenda of supporting the interests of working people over those of the banks and the war machine could attract unprecedented support. He or she could win in a landslide.

[gateley]

53. I see the points you're making, but the majority of people

I see day-to-day aren't even aware of the protests. The majority of American people don't pay attention until shortly before an election. They're not going to vote for a name they're unfamiliar with during the primaries (if they vote during the primaries at all).

Ordinary Americans ARE desperate, I agree, but I think they'd be more inclined to vote for the Republican candidate than someone who is an unknown simply because they have a D behind their name.

It's a minority, in my opinion, who are or can or will pay attention and get involved.

[defendandprotect]

77. ... and more and more Global Warming is becoming clearer and the betrayal of our Congress

and elected officials in SELLING themselves to capitalists/corporatists

and the SELLING OUT of democracy and the general welfare for a buck!


This is a liberal nation -- 80% of the public want an end to the wars --

give them two candidates who are strongly anti-war and see how quickly they

will move on from Obama!!


Give them two candidates who advocate MEDICARE FOR ALL and see how quickly

they will vote for them --

They understood in 2010 that Obama had sold them out in back room deals with

Big Pharma and the private H/C industry and they stayed home --

[defendandprotect]

76. Disagree --

[blkmusclmachine]

39. So Obama's guaranteed to get your vote. Which means you've got nowehere else to go:

And no one else to turn to. Which means you have NO VOICE. No one's listening to you. That's the definition of DEFEAT. And with your vote guaranteed to go to Obama, the only thing this "Democratic" Pary will take away in the end is that going Right WORKS. And so they'll keep on going to the Right. Forever, and ever, and ever. You can't go Left by voting Right.

[JNinWB]

41. I will vote again for Obama.

Not looking to go somewhere else.

Happy with him.

Sorry.

[EOTE]

42. Lots of people are happy with him. Doesn't mean they're right.

So long as you're aware you're supporting a corporatist. Things are going to continue very much as they have been the past 10+ years if he's reelected. If you think that's a good thing, then you should vote for him.

[Bake]

47. Yeah, I'm feeling pretty defeated.

Sigh.

Bake

[defendandprotect]

78. That doesn't happen by accident -- purposeful planning to demoralize liberals ....

and make them feel there is no place else to go --

[JoePhilly]

43. Mythical FDR's clone ... kind of like the GOP's plan to clone the Mythical Reagan ...

There will be mo primary.

Its well past time to move forward on this silliness. Although some will still use it as part of a masturbatory fantasy.

[LoZoccolo]

45. No one.

lol

[lunatica]

46. Here's a look back at what you probably ignored or maybe never knew about

Your sour outlook is really based on ignorance. And by ignorance I only mean the act of not knowing something. Not as an insult.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x772937

[Name removed]

63. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

73. then you better get to work for the republicans then!

[defendandprotect]

80. What you are ignoring or under informed about is the long LIST of right wing decisions by Obama ...

many of us are capable of seeing both of those lists side by side --

and they make quite clear that we elected a president who is more concerned

with the corporate welfare than with the general welfare --


and I certainly wouldn't give him another opportunity to be even more harmful

to Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid!


Obama has already interrupted the funding for Social Security and ended the

COLA's and put Social Security and Medicare in the hands of a shiny new

SUPER CONGRESS -- the successor to his "Cat Food Commission" -- YIKES!!


I'd also suggest that you reflect upon the 2010 election which Obama preferred

to use as an argument for "more compromise" being needed by him --

Rather, it was a clear message the public/voters very well understood Obama's

betrayals on MEDICARE FOR ALL -- and his back room deals with Big Pharma and the

private H/C industry.

2010 was a clear message from the voters and not to be ignored --


:nuke:

[Le Taz Hot]

64. There's nothing to fear.

The Democratic Party Bosses will make sure there is no primary challenge. Welcome to "Democracy," v. 2011.

[dmosh42]

67. Better to try and get progressives in Congress!

[defendandprotect]

86. 74% of the publci want to completely dump the Congress -- 2010 did happen --

and there's no way to ignore it --

The public well understands the betrayals -- on universal health care, on the wars --

Watch out in 2012 -- unless we get someone we can implicity trust -- such as

Sen. Bernie Sanders!

[defendandprotect]

75. Sen. Bernie Sanders would be the best bet -- someone we can implicitly trust ...

But there are others -- and evidently there are people trying to work on

finding challengers --

The problem is that the vast amount of corporate money backing Obama requires

someone as "white hat" as Bernie Sanders which would give us almost a "word of mouth"

election -- and the debates.

But I won't be voting for Obama -- in fact, the longer he's in office the clearer it

is that she should be out of office!!