Someone asked me "who do you want to replace Obama with?"

[Pab Sungenis]

I said "I want to replace him with the guy the Democrats nominated in 2008."

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Exactly right.

[Hart2008]

2. But did he ever really exist? Was he just a blank slate on which you projected your hopes? nt

[elocs]

3. People were told what it was thought they needed to hear to gain their support,

and then people heard what they wanted to hear and got caught up in the historical excitement as they did project their hopes onto a candidate who would never really deliver them.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Did Hart 2008 really exist?

[Hart2008]

6. Did Beyond Geography really exist? nt

[mitchtv]

8. yes, that's what I always thought

fill in your hope here....

[bvar22]

19. THIS is NOT a "Blank Slate":

I'm tired of the persistent but erroneous myth that "Liberals" didn't listen during the campaign.


EFCA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMNVIQqatyU

NAFTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtbLEKHsi0&NR=1

Cadillac Tax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wmN3wvhNM&feature=player_embedded

Support for LABOR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA9KC8SMu3o

Public Option & Mandates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acc6Wn_BWlk

Restore America’s Honor
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-15-2010/respect-my-authoritah

Transparency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5t8GdxFYBU

WARS without Congressional Authorization
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejvyDn1TPr8





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Hart2008]

21. His record of performance was largely blank at the national level.

The reality is that he was new on the national political scene, and had almost no record to judge on his ability to keep promises, confront the opposition, etc.

Yes, he was great at making promises, but talk is cheap and deeds are precious. The problem is not that you didn't listen to what he said, but you didn't question his ability, or his heart, to fight for what he promised. You didn't demand a record of performance, determination, and steadfast resolve.

The truth is that many voters, "fell in love" with him, but didn't really know him. It's like running off to marry someone after a whirlwind romance, and only later realizing that you didn't really know that person. Now some of the older and wiser heads here are trying to politely say, "we warned you about this, but you wouldn't listen", and some people are still in denial.

They want to blame the Repukes, when really it is our leader who has been timid by comparison to other recent Presidents in asserting the executive power of the Presidency against the leadership of the lower house. What I see is a "split the difference" politician who is afraid to play hardball with the Repukes. He has shown first naivete, then shocking weakness on the debt ceiling drama, and that weakness will cost him something now.

[woo me with science]

38. Thank you. nt

[theoldman]

5. Hillary Clinton?

[FrenchieCat]

7. Hardy Har Har!

Did anyone ask you if you were working to replace the Fucked up Republicans
voting for all of the shit that you hate?

[Hawkowl]

12. Get rid of the enabler

And it will be easier to get rid of the Republicans.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Yeah.....

Is that your theory?

I don't buy it.

We got rid of 64 Dinos last time,
and things are looking very much worse,
far as I can see.

[Hawkowl]

18. O.k.

Get rid of the enabler in chief, and yes, things will get better.

[Ikonoklast]

41. The House and Senate will magically vote differently.

Ignore political reality.

[Fearless]

9. I'd rather have had the guy they should've nominated in 1980.

No Reagan. No trickle down idiocy. No neo-cons in power behind the Bush Admin. No stupidity.

[BackToThe60s]

10. Ted Kennedy?

If so, you're right. We'd have single-payer by now.

[Fearless]

13. Yes indeed. n/t

[Ter]

26. Why oh why didn't he run again in 1984 or 1988?

He was still young enough. :(

[Fearless]

29. It's what the Democratic Party does to unsuccessful candidates...

Look at Gore and Kerry too. :(

[Ter]

30. At least both of those won their Party's nomination for president

Gore was unsuccessful in 1988. I feel Kennedy could have won the nomination if he ran in an open primary, rather than challenge a sitting president. I don't think he would have beaten Reagan in 1984, but I do think he would have beaten Poppy Bush in 1988.

[Hart2008]

40. CM says, the Dems bury the wounded. NT

[fadedrose]

34. He was a poor loser when Jimmy Carter won....

I watched the convention. He refused to shake hands with Carter and would not cooperate thru Carter's term in any meaningful way. Then there was Chappaquidick, and that's probably the main reason he didn't run. His first wife, the divorce, etc., piled on more reasons.

I liked Carter then, and I still like him. Kennedy should have made a very public apology. I never saw one...

Kennedy went on to be a great Senator. He had no choice. Failure was not an option. It ended up that I liked him a lot for his real effort.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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

[Fearless]

14. ****** Selective hearing and generalizations *********

:eyes:

[donheld]

16. There are a few who blame Obama nothing

No buck ever stops with him. EVER.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

39. And there are a few who blame him for everything

And give Bush and the Republicans a free pass. Everything is this President's fault

[Number23]

17. That is soooo creative!!!1!one!

[harun]

20. A Congress that isn't corrupt.

[Hart2008]

22. You aren't an English teacher, because if you were you would have corrected him.

"You do want to replace Obama with whom?"

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[JNinWB]

23. When Obama was running for president

He could promote a lot of policies that are no longer affordable since the economic collapse.

Remember the economic collapse?

American voters do not particularly like "big government" programs---even in times of prosperity. They only approve of programs that directly benefit themselves or their families. Voters have internalized the Republican critique of entitlement programs as a prop for the lazy and undeserving. Unless you can convince voters otherwise, the era of BG is over. These same terrified voters hate deficits and get hysterical about tax increases.

Giving inspiring "story-telling" speeches and pounding his bully pulpit wont move many to change their minds; these R memes have become a part of the American DNA.

[RichGirl]

24. I wouldn't replace him if Jesus were running.

Although I'd replace Biden with Jesus. Obama could really use a true Liberal as VP.

[JNinWB]

25. Why does Obama even wants to run for re-election

The Presidency, especially now, is a thankless job. I'm sure Obama and his family could have a wonderful future without this constant criticism.

Life is too short for him to sacrifice any more for American ingrates. Given the death threats facing both Obama and his family, he should just let some TeaPartier have the job.

Then the DU progressives could have someone new to attack.

[Cherchez la Femme]

27. "the DU progressives"?

Who could "have someone new to attack"?

8 posts and knowledgeable enough to evade the profile?

I could tell you this is a Democratic,
and progressive,
site -- but somehow I think you already know that.

And somehow I'll bet it took you less than 8 posts to call out other members in good standing of DU, but that's just a guess.


Interesting. :popcorn:

[krispos42]

28. RFK Junior

Thom Hartmann.


Mike Papantonio


Bernie Sanders.


Russ Feingold.


Elliot Spitzer.


Anthony Weiner.


Alan Grayson.


Me.

[killbotfactory]

31. He pushed the country further to the left than any other time in the past 40 years

and "progressives" want to replace him.

They need to replace their expectations with something that approaches reality.

And they replace the focus of their anger at the current state of affairs from Obama to the GOP.

[Pab Sungenis]

35. He pushed us further to the left?

Okay, let's look at the past 40 years, calling 1971 "the Center."

Nixon, 1971-1974

------>

Ford, 1974-1977

-->

Carter, 1977-1981

-

Reagan, 1981-1989

------------------------------>

Bush I, 1989-1993

-->

Clinton, 1993-2001

->

Bush II, 2001-2009

--------------------------->

Obama, 2009-2011 so far

<--

So, yes, he's pushed us further to the left than anyone else in the last 40 years, which again is not saying much.

[killbotfactory]

37. What a crock of shit.

You only arrive at that conclusion by dismissing everything that's happened because you don't like Obama's tone, or something didn't end up living up to a romanticized ideal. Anyone expecting to get 100% of everything they wanted Obama to do in two years was born yesterday.

[krispos42]

36. It does not change the fact that, for security and prosperity and growth and a good future...

...the country has to move far to the left. The fact that we are not there, and he and Congress will not move in that direction, means that we're still on the path to a fascist plutocracy.

So on one hand we have nothing to lose except maybe a couple of years of time.

[GSLevel9]

32. How about anyone who can stop the WARS and preside over a good economy? nt

[fadedrose]

33. Dam! too late to R

But I feel the same as you. I know one thing for sure, if anyone does replace him, I hope it's not Hillary Clinton.

Bill's behavior after Obama got the nomination was not a pretty thing to see. I find it hard to believe that he "got over it," and that all of the Clinton people working for Obama - advising and negotiating - are maybe, just maybe, looking for Hillary to run if Obama is "advised" not to run. A direct challenge is not something I expect in this case.

[Beacool]

42. That one was just smoke and mirrors.

Nothing more than pretty speeches and empty platitudes to garner votes.

:shrug: