From an article in Dick & Sharon’s LA Progressive – Read the whole article here: http://bit.ly/o802iY
“On Saturday, July 30th, 2011, an estimated 75 members of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party (CDP) passed a resolution in support of a Democratic Party Presidential Primary challenge to President Barack Obama. Gathering in Anaheim during an Executive Board meeting of the CDP, the group overwhelmingly endorsed the resolution following a discussion on the importance of not only challenging the far-right agenda of unmitigated corporate greed but also the current administration’s willingness to slash 650-billion dollars from Social Security and Medicare.”
Immediately, it appeared that the powers that be within the California Democratic Party tried to suppress and censor the effort.
The Progressive Caucus: “we recognize that a Primary challenge will, in fact raise debate on important issues without risking the ability to mobilize and energize the base of the Democratic Party to elect a triumphant leader to counter the far-right agenda.
Therefore, be it resolved, to make our views heard, the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party will begin the process of contacting other Democratic organizations, Democratic Party members and public organizations that share our views and which seek to change the course of history by exploring other steps necessary to effect a necessary change, including a possible primary challenge against President Obama”
Rank and File Democrats are very disappointed in Barack Obama. Many are saying they may not vote at all, which would have disastrous consecquences for the party in the US House and Senate and in Statehouses across America.
As far as I know this is the first group within any State Democratic Party organization to do this. Does anyone know if PDA, Progressive Democrats of America (which operates “within” the Party) plans to support a Primary Challenge?
How about the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)? Any plans for supporting a Primary Challenge there?
I believe that the only way Obama can restore his relationship with and rebuild ‘trust’ with the Democratic Base is to debate Democratic Party principles and values with a lefty Democrat.
What do the rest of you think?
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That worked out pretty well for lefties in Florida, didn’t it?
A BOLD assertion from Mr. Kennedy.
=========================
I was making fun of your idiotic formatting, not complimenting you.
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THERE AREN’T MORE CAPITAL LETTERS IN THIS POST.
Italics!!! And Underlines!! And needs moar exclamation points!!!!!!!!
… then how is it “censorship” when the state party disagrees? It sounds like these 75 folks are just losing their quixotic battle; losing does not equal censorship.
Ham!! John
“I lost” = “I’m censored”
(help, help – I’m being oppressed…)
This Democratic party died in Dallas….but it has taken half a century to finally lie down dead.
bring back Arrested Development!!!
wants a primary, Is A Fact, yet the rude, crude, obnoxious, self appointed controllers of the Democratic Self Delusions about Obama waste valuable time attacking the messenger.
We have very little time before the Democratic Party loses the White House, Senate and House and perhaps any reason for most voters to care whether it continues to exist(for all the good it does for voters).
Perhaps you should clean up your language and muster some respect for your fellow Coloradoans and long time Democrats.
Um, how about, bring back Arrested Development!!!! please
Bernie Sanders? can’t win.
Hilary? Can’t win.
AL Gore? can’t win.
Bill Bradley? can’t win
Gary Hart?
Jerry Brown? can’t win
Ralph Nader? can’t win
Ronald Reagan? can’t run
Teddy Roosevelt? can’t run
FDR? can’t run
I don’t know every D in the country.
But I can only think of two who could get the votes. Bill Clinton cannot run again. And President Obama can.
our party fails to have a Presidential Primary, then far more than enough disgusted rank and file Dems will (justifiably)
Completely Ignore the 2012 election
and in so doing we will lose ‘all’ power.
You really want to take that chance?
It only takes a ‘very small percentage’ of Dems who don’t submit a ballot, to Make Their Point and teach the party a lesson that will usher in a long period of conservatism.
(but Obama is already doing that, isn’t he)
which ain’t exactly support for your pretentiously ominous declaration, “IF our party fails to have a Presidential Primary, then far more than enough disgusted rank and file Dems will…”
Overwhelmingly to support a primary.
That is important… to Democrats.
The party has liberal and progressive members all across America that want this.
They judge Obama on what he did, versus their State Platforms and what he Claimed he would do during his campaign.
Gosh, John, then a nationwide presidential primary sure better happen, if 75 Californians want it!
But yes, a tiny group “voted overwhelmingly” on this. Just like the Raymond1 Association in my living room just voted overwhelmingly to send all sellout moderate Democrats to a burning death on Venus — so it better happen, darnit; it was an overwhelming vote!!!
Given this post, and your signature line, and your track record…. I don’t think that’s accurate.
… unless Dem primary elections don’t nominate every candidate he prefers — in which case it’s a “stolen” election (see his sig line) or “censorship” (see this post). The proverbial kid on the playground who tries to run away with the ball if the game doesn’t totally go his way.
When you actively seek to make it harder for the Democrat to win–like when he encouraged voters to write-in a candidate that wasn’t eligible to be written-in, making their votes invalid, and then proceeded to take pride in that action, saying “we came so close!”–then you are not interested.
Or maybe he’s just a moron. That’s probably a good bet too. Maybe a little bit of both.
I respect many of your views, particularly your passion to end torture in the military. I know President Obama has not always been as strong as you would like him to be. I get that.
I don’t agree primarying the President would be a good idea, just like I didn’t believe primarying Senator Bennet was a good idea. Are/were they perfect candidates? No. Are/were they good candidates with the best chance at winning? Absolutely! I went through my radical phase and voted for progressive candidates who never won. They took campaign money, got a smidgeoen of votes, and sometimes took away votes from the Democrat. The Nader race that gave us George W. Bush for eight of the worst years in American history was the last straw.
Never again. If Democrats don’t stand together, we drown. It’s that simple.
But I disagree that a primary challenge is pointless. So I guess I agree with you.
Better we take our frustrations from the Obama betrayal and use our progressive energy and pour it into house and senate, or better yet state legislative races.
If we get in early and support progressive state house legislators we can surround decision makers with our people This serves to build for the future as well.
This even works in more conservative areas. When you work with people running their first race, their ideas are usually only partially formed and depend on a few big ideas. When we work for small local races we help to educate our future legislators and help frame progressive issues for more moderate legislators.
Be frustrated, hate Obama, take yourself off his mailing list (I did), but take that passion and put it where we need it. The are legislators and candidates that are going to need our help in Arapaho, JeffCo, Adams, Larimer and weld (and all over the state) that are going to need our help.
Fuck the corporatists and nihilists in Washington and ignore them, we’ve got enough trouble right here in river city.
I’m also a bit frustrated that Obama hasn’t been more liberally active–specifcally with respect to closing Guantanamo, being more supportive of gender equality (by which I mean women’s and gay/lesbian rights, etc.), and so on.
I’m also disappointed that he hasn’t used his oratorical gifts to pound back at the TP folks specifically and the GOP in general. I think he should be more forceful in articulating the Democratic position.
However, I don’t believe that a primary challenge is a good idea. I agree with WPG that we should turn our energy to insuring Obama is re-elected (the alternatives are too horrifying to contemplate) and to taking back the House, keeping the Senate (which may be a lost cause) and continuing to work to win state legislatures.
As Tip said, all politics is local. The more work we can do on the local level, the better off we will be.