Scholar, MLK, Jr. Research & Education Institute @ Stanford: Primary Challenge Obama

[mod mom]

Clarence B. JonesScholar in Residence, Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University
Posted: December 5, 2010 03:14 PM

Time to Think the Unthinkable: A Democratic Primary Challenge To Obama's Reelection

-snip


It is not easy to consider challenging the first African-American to be elected as President of the United States. But, regrettably, I believe that the time has come to do this.

It is time for Progressives to stop "whining" and arguing among themselves about whether President Obama will or will not do this or that. Obama is no different than any other President, nominated by his national party. He was elected with the hard work and 24/7 commitment of persons who believed and enlisted in his campaign for "Hope" and "Change."

You don't have to be a rocket scientist nor have a PhD in political science and sociology to see clearly that Obama has abandoned much of the base that elected him. He has done this because he no longer respects, fears or believes those persons who elected him have any alternative, but to accept what he does, whether they like it or not.

It is time for those persons who constituted the "Movement" that enabled Senator Barack Obama to be elected to "break their silence"; to indicate that they no longer will sit on their hands, and only let off verbal steam and ineffective sound and fury, and "hope" for the best.

-snip

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clarence-b-jones/time-to-think-to-unthinka_b_792237.html

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[xiamiam]

1. my thoughts exactly..an anti war candidate is our answer..nt

[jaxx]

2. This was posted earlier this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=573983&mesg_id=573993

It seems the author has issues.

[mod mom]

3. Uggh...had no idea. Sounds like a person of reason.

His blog up at Huff Po makes sense to me which is why I posted it. After reading your link, I wonder what his motives are. Looks him up and he has an impressive background but this must of lead to his downfall:

(from wiki:

In 1967, at age 36, Jones joined the investment banking and brokerage firm of Carter, Berlind & Weill where he worked alongside future Citigroup Chairman and CEO, Sanford I. Weill and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman, Arthur Levitt. Jones was the first African-American to be named an allied member of the New York Stock Exchange.[

[glitch]

6. Arthur Levitt was on Frontline warning about the enronization of the market

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/regulation/interviews/levitt.html

Mr. Levitt, what's the significance of the Enron scandal and collapse for the markets as a whole? Is this just a group of bad guys who broke the law maybe in one company? Or is this symptomatic of something larger?

I think the Enron scandal is symptomatic of something much broader than Enron. I think it's symptomatic of a breakdown of the ethical values of business over a period of perhaps 20 years, a gradual erosion of business ethics that brought us to an Enron, but might very well bring us to a whole host of Enrons as we move down the road.

How do you account for that? Is that the go-go 1990s? Or Wall Street pressure?

... Part of it, I believe, is a function of a bull market, which made every decision appear to be absolutely the right decision. Part of it is a function of the complexity of new instruments that are available to create investments -- derivative products, options, instruments -- which were never available before.
The Enron scandal has conveyed to the American investor that he canºt have confidence in the traditional gatekeepers that protect Americaºs markets.

Part of it, I think, is a function of the greed factor that's involved. American business is extraordinarily competitive. And if Company A and B are moving close to the line in a given tax treatment, are given business devices, Company C, D, and E can't be very far behind.

Interesting read.

[democrank]

4. I`m more interested in the message than the messenger and

I believe it is true that many...if not most...Democratic Party leaders believe that in the end Progressives won`t make waves because they have no other alternatives.

If we continue to support people that would rather cave than lead, we only have ourselves to blame. If we`re willing to ditch basic, long-held Democratic Party principles to "win" we might as well join the Republican Party since they`ll vote ANYTHING in (like Palin) and ignore ANYTHING (like torture) if it will bring them to power.

[pocoloco]

5. Nail on head democrank!

Why is this so hard to comprehend??

The exact reason nothing changes or ever will. Party over
principles is the reason so many now suffer!