Obama, Grayson & Weiner

[Cyrano]

In giving away true universal health care on day one, and keeping up the “bipartisan” fiction on a public health care option, Obama is vulnerable to a challenge in the 2012 Democratic primaries. And the two people in the best position to challenge him are Alan Grayson and Anthony Weiner.

In order to retain his credibility, Obama needs to do two things: (1) Get the congress to pass a real public health care option and; (2) Create millions of jobs. To date, he’s taken a back seat on both of these issues. He’s leaving a public health care option up to congress. And he’s leaving job creation up to the banks and Wall Street. I guess we’re just going to have to wait to see if anything comes of this. (How does a president create jobs? Google FDR.)

In the meantime, both Weiner and Grayson are sticking it to the Republicans every single time they can get coverage. Unlike the majority of Dems in congress, they’re not sitting back waiting to see what happens. They are not letting themselves be bullied by thugs and fringe nuts. Instead, they are attacking the crazies at every opportunity.

These two guys came out of nowhere, been noticed very quickly, and have a broad following among those who have waited forever to see a Dem with a big pair. Hasn’t Obama noticed this? Doesn’t he realize that he’s now being compared to two people who are not playing nice with the Republicans? How long is it going to take him to go on an all out offensive against, not just his enemies, but the enemies of what America is supposed to be?

Mr. President, I want to see you serve two full terms and bring about the change of which you spoke in the primaries. Take a look at Weiner and Grayson. And then stop being Mr. Nice Guy with those who are trying to destroy you and the rest of us.

[Oregone]

1. Isn't it a little premature to start naming contenders?

[Cyrano]

2. I believe we must do whatever it takes to light a fire under Obama

He's the coolest president we've ever had. It's time for him to get a little hot under the collar.

[ddeclue]

4. +1 nt

[davidwparker]

5. No, it is not. See video for my feelings about his poor leadership

as both executive and head of the party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYnMYZDsrJM">Click here.

[davidwparker]

3. recommended just for job creation and googling FDR. I agree with the

rest, too.

I'd like to see a few Dems be primary challengers for 2012.

[laughingliberal]

6. The more I see the more I'm convinced of the truth of the "DC bubble"

It just appears more and more that DC creates some sort of bubble which shields the inhabitants from the reality on the streets. It seems unbelievable the Obama administration could be blind to the frustration with the non-committal approach they are taking or to the massive support of their base for Grayson and Weiner. But it is equally hard to believe they are deliberately watering down their own issues. It occurs to me that during the campaign these masters of messaging were out amongst us. Could it be that holing up in the nation's capitol has blinded them to the concerns of the average person?

[Cyrano]

7. I couldn't agree more. I wonder if there's some kind of "vaccination" shot for this?

[HipChick]

15. Nope...I'm inside the beltway..2016 maybe..

[bobbolink]

17. If that's true, then he has bad advisors, which he alone picked.

Any advisor worth his or her salt will KNOW EXACTLY what the public sentiment is.

He doesn't get off that easily. He's playing with peoples' lives.

[DireStrike]

8. No, he is not vulnerable to a primary.

An incumbent presidential candidate? A BLACK incumbent presidential candidate? Yes, the african americans who support the democrats now wouldn't see anything significant in that. :eyes:

The party would never allow it, and with good reason.

We could not get rid of JOE FUCKING LIEBERMAN with a primary. Primaries do not work against incumbents. Sadly the only thing that removes incumbents is if their opponent beats them. I'd rather have Obama in office till 2016 than any republican.

Now, some senators and reps could stand to be defeated by batshit crazy repubs so they can later be replaced by effective dems. Preferably in states with recall mechanisms. And this goes double for local races where the republicans can't afford to be completely insane.

On further reflection, I see that you aren't calling for his replacement, just a challenge. That would be fine to bring attention to the issues and how Obama is really acting. Grayson might be willing to do it, as he would not care if he becomes known as "that guy to the left of Obama."

On one hand, it runs the risk of people being able to point to further left ideas as politically weak, since the challenge will not succeed. On the other, it gets exposure for good ideas. I'm not sure plain exposure of ideas is necessarily a good thing in this media climate.

[Cyrano]

9. "Primaries do not work against incumbents." What about 1968?

Lyndon Johnson had passed Medicare, the civil rights act, the voting rights act and so much more. Yet, Vietnam did him in. There was no way that incumbent president Lyndon Johnson could have won, he knew it, and he dropped out.

(I believe that if Bobby Kennedy had not been assassinated, the past 40 year history of our country may have taken an entirely different turn. But, then again, it's easy to play "what if.")

So let's play "what if" with Obama. What if he gets a (meaningful) public health care option passed? What if he can find a way to make jobs available for anyone who wants one? What if he can nullify the Republican propaganda machine? If he can do all of these things, we might just get a chance to amend the constitution and give Obama a third term.

But what if he keeps on his current path of letting blue dog Dems (and Olympia Snowe) drive the health care debate? And what if he continues to let Wall Street, credit card companies, and the rest of corporate America to keep screwing us to the hilt? Do you really believe that he wouldn't be challenged in 2012?

A lot of different issues will come up between now and then. And how he handles them will matter. But as of right now, his handling of our national problems leaves much to be desired. As I stated in the OP, he must stop being Mr. Nice Guy. It's way past time for him to bring the power of the presidency to bear on those who have been fucking us since the day that Ronald Reagan became president.

If he continues down his path of "bipartisanship" and "Mr. Nice Guy," you can bet that he'll have primary challenges in 2012.

[AllentownJake]

12. He'll have a token challenger

Not much more, never underestimate the power of the party machine and deal making. Newcomers don't have the stature to challenge an incumbent President in a primary. The only way he faces a challenger is if someone within the party who has equal stature to him would challenge him. The only person with that kind of stature currently is the Sec. of State.

[AllentownJake]

10. Hate to break it to you

President Obama isn't going away unless he wants to go away. The only foreseeable situation I see where President Obama steps aside in three years is if the Afghanistan campaign totally blows up in his face.

[quakerboy]

13. If the true unemployment rate keeps rising

A huge number of people out of work, especially if they have been that way for increasing amounts of time, with no real hope, leads to unpredictability.

Right now we are still in a grace period of sorts. I think most people heard the President when he said "its gonna get worse before it gets better" and trust him. But we have 3 years before he is "on the block" again. That is a lot of time for people to watch and see what happens, particularly if they are out of work the entire time. It is rather early to feel assured that he is a 2 term president.

[AllentownJake]

14. Never said he was a two termer

Just speaking on the notion of a primary challenger.

[quakerboy]

18. I think that my message still stands

we are one year in, and people trust. Predictions 3 years out, no matter which way they point, seem somewhat premature.

[rucky]

11. 2016 n/t

[applegrove]

16. I think Obama is now hitting back. And the repubs are whinning about it.