Reply #154: Excellent Points... [View All]

[onpatrol98]

You make an excellent point, but if a challenger seemed to be gaining the upper hand, would the current President simply walk away. I think its doubtful. Perhaps there is one thing that you force me to consider in terms of high minded ideals. A challenger would push the President to the left...but, temporarily. I just don't see how one wins.

I don't see a primary challenge as a winning proposition. Even if the primary challenger actually won the primary, I think it would alienate an important part of his base. I could be wrong. But, I think the current president is still a very popular president. Perhaps he has truly angered progressives, I'll concede that point. But, I think moderate democrats are frustrated but content with Obama as president. I think many in the African American community would see this as an opportunity to knee cap a president that it still very popular in the African American community. It doesn't mean there isn't frustration. But, I can't imagine many that would actually welcome a challenge. Rather it would be seen as petty and proof that prejudices exist even within the democratic party. Perhaps a progressive tea party. After all, Clinton ticked off a boatload of democrats...but he wasn't thrown overboard.

Independents...love them or hate them, are needed to win the White House. I could be wrong, but I don't believe this group is looking for President Obama to lean further left. I think they really are tired of the bipartisan bickering and I think the president probably made more headway with this group in the last two weeks than he did in the last two years. What democrat would this fickle bunch pick over President Obama?

And, finally...what other democrat do you really want to carry that banner. Step right up...which of these lucky politicians actually sees a positive outcome in challenging the First African American US President? I think the only group besides die hard progressives and a few media types that would be happy would be Republicans. Republicans have a slim to none chance of getting anywhere near the White House in my humble opinion in 2012. Not because the economy may improve, but because they have losers in their lineup. They simply won't choose any candidates better than President Obama.

1) Why force a democratic president to fight for financial resources against another creditable candidate during a primary, when we have the White House?

2) Why force him to move (in theory) to the left, when Independents are signaling more than ever that they're not there and they're needed to win the White House. It's not a love them or leave them proposition.

3) Why give Republicans the gift of a weaker candidate? Although, sometimes a primary challenge can strengthen a candidate. But, if your goal is to remove him (not you specifically), I don't see the primary challenger in a sweet position either.

4) Why force other democratic politicians to choose between the current sitting president and a new possibly losing candidate? How is this a winning strategy? Which dimwit currently sitting in office would actually support the primary challenger? For two years, they'd be ducking and dodging the media. It's a career killing question in this current atmosphere. If you say the primary challenger, you tick off democrats that still find the president popular. If you pick the current president, you tick off progressives.

5) Finally, where's the challenger? We would have to already know the person who wants this job. They would already need name recognition. Bernie Sanders? I don't believe he'd challenge Barack Obama. About the only democratic politician that I can think of that would be even willing is Anthony Weiner. I think he'd love a shot. But, I think even he recognizes that in a popularity contest (and it still is one), he'd lose easily. Howard Dean wouldn't. Kucinich...I don't know, but I lean to no. He's already lost and lost badly. Why try against a popular democratic president? Maybe the guy with the Taliban Dan commercials, Grayson. Perhaps he would be willing. But, he's all over the place. One day he's brilliant, and the next...he's putting out Taliban Dan commercials.

6) Not that we should probably care...but I think the rest of the world would think we've lost our minds.

I think the candidates that could win...wouldn't run. I hope candidates that we all know wouldn't have chance in the world, should just say no and walk away.

I do think you're right. If the president walked away, most of this would be avoided. But, if democrats that were still fond of the president smelled a rat (behind the scenes effort to boot him unjustly), I think it would just split the party further. I think that was part of that whole puma problem. They perceived a rat, a setup, and some of those folks aren't coming back. Would he walk away cleanly? I just don't know. I had pondered whether or not he'd run. But, since he says he is...I don't see him bailing later.