But there is a real way to save the Obama presidency: by challenging him in the 2012 presidential primaries with a candidate who would unequivocally commit to a well-defined progressive agenda and contrast it with the Obama administration’s policies. Such a candidacy would be pooh-poohed by the media, but if it gathered enough popular support – as is likely given the level of alienation among many who were the backbone of Obama’s 2008 success – this campaign would pressure Obama toward much more progressive positions and make him a more viable 2012 candidate.
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Public officials who would make excellent candidates should they run on this platform include Sens. Russ Feingold, Bernie Sanders, Barbara Mikulski or Al Franken; Reps. Joe Sestak, Maxine Waters, Raul Grijalva, Alan Grayson, Barbara Lee, Dennis Kucinich, Lois Capps, Jim Moran and Lynn Woolsey. Others include Jim McGovern, Marcy Kaptur, Jim McDermott or John Conyers. We should also consider popular figures outside of government. How about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.? Why not Rachel Maddow, Bill Moyers, Susan Sarandon or the Rev. James Forbes?
John Conyers? Rachel Maddow? Al Franken? Maxine Waters? Susan Sarandon? I sort of feel like Michael Bluth in that moment when his family makes fun of him by calling him a chicken and doing the chicken dance to which Michael responds: “Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?”
Has columnist Michael Lerner ever even seen a Democratic primary? This idea is more ridiculous than anything Joe Biden could even come up with, and that’s saying a lot.
But for a more serious discussion: if Obama were to face a primary challenger (which is looking more and more likely), who would be chosen? Would the challenger be a moderate to appeal to independents? A progressive to make Obama look like a compromiser? Evan Bayh? Discuss.
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