Some of us here seem to think that applying our collective energy towards replacing Obama would result in a net positive for our country. Either he'd hear our footsteps and execute a sharp left turn, reuniting with the folks who actually put him in office (us, to a great extent) or...we'd be able to replace him with a real progressive who would ride a groundswell of public outrage directed against the two major parties and cruise to victory--- and then implement an agenda focused on the needs of ordinary Americans rather than their corporate overlords.
Clear-headed thinking or wishful thinking?
If Obama could be defeated by a strong liberal with the kind of populist rhetoric that could actually galvanize an entire movement---count me in.
Is that possible? Is there anyone out there with enough fire in their belly, grassroots support, and money-raising potential to pull this off.
I don't see it. Hillary isn't the answer, for many reasons (not so much of a progressive is only one of the problems---witness her husband's endorsement of the Tax cave; you think she's not on board with that?). She's clearly not running nor making any signals about it. She's not gonna take that chance and screw up her 2016 slot, which, I think, is basically hers for the taking if she wants it. Feingold couldn't get the money to run nor, I think, would he have much of a chance against a Romney. He's a great senator but not a seminal candidate. Let's not forget that there are few better candidates than Obama, whatever his performance as President may be. Bernie is a Socialist. I'd be proud to vote for a Socialist. America won't vote for a Socialist. Period. Howard Dean...I can't imagine him getting into the fray at this point, and last time didn't end well for him. Who else is there? Ed Shultz? Great heart, not so smart.
I can't imagine actually preferring a single Republican over him. That some of you makes me wonder what's gotten into your heads. Which Republican would carry out his or her duties in a way that would bring greater benefit to Americans than Obama has and will continue to do, in his pragmatic and incrementalist way? And that's what will almost certainly happen if Obama is weakened via a primary; he'll be damaged goods, the part will be split, and he'll lose. Even with Dems united he may lose if the economy is still as bad and tanking as some posters on this site say it is. Turnout will be more heavily Republican than in 2008, maybe halfway between that figure and 2010, where Dems stayed home in droves in swing states.
Obama isn't behaving the way you or I like, yet, unlike some of you these days, I don't question his motives in terms of what he's already done, tried to do, or will attempt to do through 2016 should he be re-elected. He didn't do health care (even if it's not the single payer bill you or I wanted) for political reasons, for example. He, like most moderate Dems, wanted to provide coverage to most Americans. He, like most of us, wanted to inject money into the economy to bring about a recovery; he did and does want to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. It's utterly illogical to think that, deep in his heart, he's rejoicing at this personal humiliation and public rejection by the liberal wing of his own part resulting from his massive cave.
Are there people who are tougher negotiators than him? For sure. He's shown time and time again that he's willing to give away most of the store to get a few half-stale loaves. That's why we're all pissed off. Do the Republicans want to even give us those crumbs? No. They want us to literally die, if we can't "pull ourselves up by our own severely frayed bootstraps". Just look at AZ; we're starting to see the real death panels and, of course, they're not coming from Obama, their coming 100% from Republicans who don't value the life of a poor person as high as they value upgrading say... their tourist facilities. We can't afford a Republican President ever; the country, the world, the planet are literally at stake right now, and Republicans are toxic to all three.
In that sense, and with regard to even the possibility of any stimulus at all, extension of unemployment, any hope at all, any environmental policy that's not madness, any hope to get actual health care for 30 million of us (a Republican President will not veto partial repeal of HCR; Obama will),of eliminating obscene tax breaks for billionaires, not to mention the selection of the next Supreme Court Justice. With regard to SCOTUS alone if Justice Ginsburg steps down during a Republican administration, for example,replacing her with a right-wing ideologue would lead to horrific consequences, as bad as they are right now with this 4-4-1 Court. 5-3-1 conservative will be a disaster in virtually every area of civil liberties except one---civil rights for corporations. It will be a flowering for the history or corporations. Maybe the President in 2020 will be one.
It's easy to forget what 2000-2006 were like. I don't; they totally sucked; they screwed this country up completely, they resulted in the current conditions and the current causes for massive discontent with any President that happened to occupy the White House.
Please think about this before saying something like "I'd take ANYBODY over Obama. That alternate...President Palin, Huckabee, Romney, etc. ...they are all unthinkable. They are all to be fought tooth and nail, and we MUST work with what we've got.
We have a lot of energy. Let's direct it towards issues we feel strongly about. Let's let the President know we oppose him on these things with a passion because we care passionately about our fellow citizens.
BTW...I can't stick around to respond right now....sorry bout that...have to run. Thanks for reading this if you got this far.