A Democratic primary challenger to Obama in 2012?

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Icarus27k

Council Member
Apr 4, 2010
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Believe it or not, liberals/left-wingers in the US such as myself are hoping mad at Barack Obama and looking for someone to challenge him in 2012 from the left. The "compromise" that Obama recently reached with Republican Senators over extending George W. Bush-era tax policy has been a kind of last straw. But it's more like the culmination of long-simmering anger that people on the left have at Obama that is finally spilling over. Some of the Democratic names that are most often mentioned for a left-wing challenge of Obama are:


Howard Dean, former DNC chairman and 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate.

Russ Feingold, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who just recently lost re-election to that office.

Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Representative from Ohio.

Tom Harkin, U.S. Senator from Iowa.

Other names will inevitably come up over the next year or so. My favorite would definitely be Feingold. Despite his re-election loss in his home state, he's still the best quality current U.S. Senator. And, I actually think Dean, Feingold, and Harkin could win the 2012 Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.



Oh, and for the record, a primary challenge to a sitting U.S. President is almost unheard of. The closest it's come to happening was in 1948, when incumbent Dem President Harry Truman was unpopular and former Vice President Henry A. Wallace almost challenged Truman. Wallace instead decided to run as a third party candidate (the Progressive Party), but after reading the historical record, I'm convinced Wallace would have defeated Truman if he ran in the Democratic primaries.

Anyway, I hope Obama does get a challenge.
 
FiveParadox

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
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Given that perhaps one of the greatest advantages that His Excellency the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, had enjoyed during the presidential race, was the fact that Americans were desperately seeking some drastic change from the questionable policies of The Honorable George W. Bush, the 43rd President. Now that the Democratic Party has wrested control of the presidency away, and that initial "must change now" attitude has largely dissolved (at least on the part of Democrats), would most of the electorate be willing to spend the time and energy getting to know the next candidate, if successful, or would they just default to the Republican Party, as the unnerving results of the last mid-term elections suggested?
 
I

Icarus27k

Council Member
Apr 4, 2010
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FiveParadox said:
Given that perhaps one of the greatest advantages that His Excellency the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, had enjoyed during the presidential race, was the fact that Americans were desperately seeking some drastic change from the questionable policies of The Honorable George W. Bush, the 43rd President. Now that the Democratic Party has wrested control of the presidency away, and that initial "must change now" attitude has largely dissolved (at least on the part of Democrats), would most of the electorate be willing to spend the time and energy getting to know the next candidate, if successful, or would they just default to the Republican Party, as the unnerving results of the last mid-term elections suggested?
Click to expand...

I don't think we know for sure what will happen in the 2012 election. That is a long time in politics. There are plenty of examples in recent US history were voters didn't act en masse to vote for "change", which is really just the opposite political party. All one would have to do is look at recent Presidents that got elected to a second term to prove that (Bush in 2004, Clinton in 1996, Reagan in 1984).

The general election in 2012 would have just as much of a chance of being like a year where "change" isn't some big thing.
 
I

Icarus27k

Council Member
Apr 4, 2010
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I like the Dean Scream. It wasn't even that big of a deal. The video doesn't show it, but the noise inside the room was super loud.

It's just sort of taken on an urban legend status.


In any event, Dean later became the greatest chairman in the history of the DNC.
 
H

Highball

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Jan 28, 2010
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I wonder why they don't ask some of their more reputable members like Charley Rangel, John Conyers or Maxine Waters to consider running? They've all been closely looked at recently for a variety of charges.
 
DaSleeper

DaSleeper

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That's OK YukonJack.....If they would run an ultra left like Dean...that would make Palin seem like a moderate and possibly make her a shoo-in.....if she can drop the rhrtoric:smile:
 
I

Icarus27k

Council Member
Apr 4, 2010
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YukonJack said:
Primary challengers, by and large, do not fare too well.

Here is an article (with comments):

Has a sitting president ever been challenged for his party's nomination?
Click to expand...


Somehow, I feel it would work this time. If the US can elect an African-American President, the Democratic primary voters can defeat a sitting US President.

I half expect Obama to pull a Lyndon Johnson and decide not to run again, if he gets the inclination that he would lose the primaries.

DaSleeper said:
That's OK YukonJack.....If they would run an ultra left like Dean...that would make Palin seem like a moderate and possibly make her a shoo-in.....if she can drop the rhrtoric:smile:
Click to expand...


Dean vs. Palin?

Dean would win.
 
DaSleeper

DaSleeper

Trolling Hypocrites
May 27, 2007
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Icarus27k said:
Dean vs. Palin?

Dean would win.
Click to expand...

In your dreams....
 
I

Icarus27k

Council Member
Apr 4, 2010
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No candidate that has her own reality TV show is going to be defeating many people in an election.
 
DaSleeper

DaSleeper

Trolling Hypocrites
May 27, 2007
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Icarus27k said:
Reagan never had a reality TV show. But Palin does. ick.
Click to expand...

The left likes to calls it a reality show to demean Palin....but it is more along the lines of an informal documentary on Alaska...

But whatever turns your crank.....you're only fooling yourself...nobody else:lol:
 
damngrumpy

damngrumpy

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Mar 16, 2005
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Much too early to talk about the 2012 race. It depends not on the mood of Americans it depends
on the economy. I believe the US economy will provide the backdrop, as the second wave of the
disaster is about to strike at the heart of the failing empire. A double dip recession is coming and
quickly, it will also take Canada with it this time. The crazies such as Palin will be out in full force
but I think cooler heads will prevail in that party. The problem for the Republicans will be that they
are all conservatives. If there is a deep recession, or worse, Americans turn left in huge and I
mean huge numbers. This will be the lefts opportunity to rise, providing they don't pick a lefty
crazy. Obama is a disappointment because he did not steer the ship left, he allowed himself to
be surrounded by the left version of the idle rich and that is becoming apparent. Obama is not
left at all he is a middle road Liberal, and that has been a problem for the Democrats.
I once had much more faith in him than I have now, for some reason he allowed himself to be
painted into a corner, he had to act quickly and with determination to catch the old conservative
voices off guard. His problem is we can talk about this and come to a compromise, America is
not ready for compromise, economically they are fighting a re-run of the economic civil war and
the present billionaires are trying to take America back to a time before the Great Depression.
Working people have to stand up and be counted here and Obama has to make the big decision,
will he lead, follow or get to hell out of the way. America has to institute patriotism in buying habits
and in legislation to force a revitalizing of the job market, manufacturing, and investment. Anything
less than that will see the American Super Power collapse into an economic back water that will
resemble the fall of Soviet Russia. Blame it on Reagan, first for wanting the Russians to tear down
the Wall, and secondly for establishing trade agreements that allowed American business to take
over the governance of the Republic through financial shenanigans.
 
Y

YukonJack

Time Out
Dec 26, 2008
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This is a fairly long article, more than likely beyond the attention span of your typical liberal. Nonetheless, read and heed especially the part about the futility of primary challengers of any sitting President.

Also, for those who made their life-long ambition to slam FOX News, as the mouthpieace of thr Republican Party, pay attention to the part about MSNBC, and its greatest hero, Keith Olbermann.

The American Spectator : A Smorgasbord of Schadenfreude

We already know how uniformed you FOX bashers are. Don't make your ignorance even more evident by dismissing this article just because it appeared in The American Spectator. Even a blind pig can find an acorn from time to time. Or even the stupidest farmer can grow big potatoes sometimes.

And of course, don't skip over the comments. They give you the indication of the heart-beat of America.
 
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