Obama deserves a primary opponent

[merbex]

Without making too long a post, I will say that Bill Clinton and the DLC'ers started us on this road by listening to Robert Rubin and Larry Summers and that there has been a shift in what the 'power brokers' of the Democratic Party stand for, but it mostly happened under the radar and when the 'general population' think of the Democratic Party they think of the 'brand' that FDR and LBJ built.

The foundations of that 'brand' are Social Security and Medicare.

You want to remake the 'brand'?

Because that seems to be what Barack Obama is on a mission to do.

There needs to be a broad range discussion about that.

Among all Democrats.

Traditionally that happens through a primary.

I am willing to bet at this moment that if Barack Obama is the nominee against a nameless GOP candidate the number of blanks in the presidential box will beat all records for most blanks recorded.

Is that anyway to elect a President?

I say no.

I say we need a vital conversation about where the Democratic Party is heading and who is taking it in what direction.

This is the day to ask yourself why you are a registered Democrat or why you nearly always vote Democratic: is it because of programs like SS and Medicare, or is because of individual politicians who put a 'D' after their name but who seem to have no political principles besides getting themselves elected and re-elected?

[msongs]

1. funny how primarying a conservative dem is usually considered good, unless it is Obama lol

[WI_DEM]

2. He does, but I don't see anybody doing it.

I don't see any name democrat I should say like a Feingold or a Dean. Maybe Kucinich, but he wouldn't be taken seriously--because he's run so many times.

[pscot]

11. He'll be primaried if

the speculations in the WaPo are realized. Public outrage will demand it.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. I will not vote for a Democrat that cuts Social Security or Medicare...

I will not support a party that abandons its core principals to pass a bill. If the Republicans want to bring the house of cards down, we can pick those cards up when they've fallen. The party stands with the people or I leave it.

[jefferson_dem]

4. ...only if you are interested in selfishly dividing the party...

and creating obstacles to the (re-)election of a Democratic president.

No thanks.

[merbex]

5. Hellooooo? You don't think by his 'deal' he HASN"T divivded the Party???

Have fun manning those phone banks by yourself.

My prediction: a record number of BLANKS where a vote would be for President......Obama has crossed a HUGE line and deserves to lose and when he does, it is his OWN fault.

[ladjf]

6. Our only hope to elect a Democratic President would be for

Obama to step down in 2012, a move that will most definitely not happen. nt

[ladjf]

7. In my opinion, Obama is the first Democratic President who was

a de facto Republican. nt

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[polmaven]

9. Oh, not this again!!!

:eyes:

[polichick]

10. I am a registered Dem only to vote in our closed primary, and I am no longer sure...

...there's enough of the "Democratic brand" left to revive it. imo it's more likely that a true people's party will arise.

It's worth pointing out that the best "Democrat" we have left in the Senate - the one who day in and day out fights for the people - isn't a registered Dem.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. Who are you advocating for? You?

:shrug:

[BobbyBoring]

13. I heard an interesting scenario the other day

Hillary will step down, Biden will take her job, and Hillary will run as VP for Obama!

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[SkyDaddy7]

16. Why would she do that?

She has far more power where she is...And I doubt she will run in 2016 anyway.

[Name removed]

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[bornskeptic]

17. Yes, think how much fun he could have crushing the backstabber like a worm!

Those who suggest a primary challenger would hurt him in the general are totally off base. The dummy wouldn't get over 5% of the primary vote, so he or she couldn't do any serious damage.

[merbex]

19. You know what I call a backstabber?

Someone who runs as Democrat and cuts, fiddles with, and diminishes SS and Medicare

A DEMOCRAT is someone who DEFENDS SS and Medicare

Maybe that concept is too hard for you though huh?

Cults make everything so easy - especially personality cults

[Bodhi BloodWave]

31. sooo, your advocating FOR obama correct based on your post? nt

[Ice Number Nine]

18. but there won't be one, and he will be reelected. What will you do then?

[CakeGrrl]

20. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Name them. -nt

[mzmolly]

21. Why? Because the media is effectively playing liberals?

Please wait for non tabloid-media information before assuming the worst.

[elleng]

22. Then Clinton should have been primaried.

You really want to kill us all?

[merbex]

23. You F**k around with SS and Medicare, you've already killed the

Democratic Party

Oh, and BTW, Clinton should have resigned - people would have rallied around Gore and he would have won re-election.

How's that scenario?

Clinton started this bs by appointing Rubin, Summers, et all.

Do some reading and quit the cult of Obama -

DEFEND SS and Medicare and Democrats win - we won for 40+ years that way.

The DLC ers get in the Party, we can't hold a majority.

Wake up

[elleng]

24. I'm at DU for constructive, friendly conversation.

Don't know about you.
:thumbsdown:

[merbex]

25. I'm here to strategize about Democrats winning

I see defeat every time a DLC er gets into a position of power within this Party

If you don't think SS and Medicare are worth defending, why are you a Democrat?

I've had enough of Trojan Horses in this Party

[elleng]

29. Would be useful if strategizers understood others' points of view,

and didn't misinterpret.

Clinton #1 DLCer.

SS + Medicare clearly 'worth' defending; I participate in both, as does my father, and as I hope my daughters will. No doubt about it.

I also understand when there's a need to restructure things, try to learn how and when that can be done, credit smart people like PrezO for seeking to do such, without harm but with benefit to the corpus.

[merbex]

30. See absolutley NO NEED WHATSOEVER to 'restructure'

SS or Medicare

SS contributes NOTHING to the deficit.

[Phx_Dem]

26. ..

:crazy: and :puke:

[NYC Liberal]

27. Unrec, as I have with all primarying bullshit since 2009. n/t

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

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[craigmatic]

32. The reality is that few in the party have the capeability to raise enough money to challenge Obama

and the ones who do aren't running.

[merbex]

33. You don't need a lot of money to run a grassroots campaign in NH

All it takes is people willing to go door to door

And if there is a significant amount of support registered for the challenger on primary day the message will have been delivered.