Draft Feingold 2012

[boston bean]

Sign the petition:

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/draftfeingold2012

Website:

http://www.draftfeingold2012.com/

[stray cat]

1. He decided not to run in 2008 and lost in WI

I was lucky enough to have Feingold as my senator and have met him and liked him but I don't know how viable he would be nationally?

[RZM]

3. Against Obama? Not viable at all

I can't understand this 'primary Obama' stuff as anything but a protest. No candidate would be viable against him. I'm not saying people shouldn't advocate for what they believe, but it should be acknowledged that such plans are entirely quixotic.

In an open field? Who knows. He would have as good a chance as any progressive I guess, though he'd probably have serious trouble in the general.

[PeaceNikki]

2. I adore Feingold and dream of him as POTUS, but 2012 is not the time for him.

[PeaceNikki]

4. Also, he's supporting Obama for 2012

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/03/feingold-not-interested-in-challenging-obama-in-2012/

"Senator Feingold is not running for President in 2012. Any suggestion he is thinking of running, planning to run, or interested in running is untrue. Senator Feingold is a strong supporter of President Barack Obama and wants to see him reelected in 2012," says Feingold Chief of Staff Mary Irvine.

[undeterred]

7. I wouldn't expect him to say anything different at this point.

In December 2006 Obama denied that he would run for president too. There is a time to announce, and this isn't it.

[Little Star]

5. I think Russ would be electable in a general election.

[JTFrog]

6. No. n/t

[Paper Roses]

8. Feingold/Grayson, I'll vote for that.

Brains and courage to speak up and support us.

[cali]

9. but very few people would join you.

it's not a viable ticket.

[Little Star]

10. I agree....

Feingold is also easy on the eyes and Grayson brings the wit.

[MineralMan]

11. I don't see him as a viable candidate.

Something about a lost Senate election makes it very, very difficult to run for President two years later.

[undeterred]

13. That depends on how disappointed people are

when the economy continues to get worse after electing a millionaire with no experience to replace him. Its also very hard to run for president while you are holding office of any kind- you just have too many commitments. This might be the optimal time for Feingold. He's got a solid legislative history and good foreign policy experience. He is who he says he is. If people ever decide they want the real deal instead of a bunch of empty slogans, he's the man.

[MineralMan]

15. They might be even more disappointed to learn that Feingold

just voted against the middle class tax cut. Not viable, even in Wisconsin. A favorite son needs to not lose an election to the Senate, you know.

[undeterred]

16. Wisconsin is pretty used to how Feingold votes, you know.

His fiscal conservatism is what got him Republican votes the first 3 times he was elected to the Senate. And a lot of Democrats like it too.

[MineralMan]

20. And yet they unelected him this year.

I'm just saying that it's not a good thing to happen to someone who has presidential aspirations. Of course, I don't think Feingold has those aspirations in the first place, so it's probably a moot point.

[undeterred]

22. Some of us on this on this board are actually from Wisconsin

and we worked hard to re-elect him. And it seems to me that all three of the Democratic leads last time had far less solid political experience than Senator Feingold (Clinton, Obama, Edwards). I don't think losing a Senate seat is the death knell.

Obama ran to be my Congressman in 2000 and I voted for him- he lost to incumbent Bobby Rush and his chairman at the law school told him he was glad he got that out of his system.

Politicians do recover from losses, all the time.

Edit: A lot of people voted for a complete unknown who spewed national GOP talking points against the "tax and spend" Democrats... and lumped Feingold in with that caricature. If they actually knew his voting record they would have voted for him. But they didn't take the time to watch the three debates where Feingold wiped the floor with Johnson or to read that Feingold got every newspaper endorsement in the state- even from the conservative papers. There are stupid voters in every state who make up their mind how to vote based on vapid commercials, and Wisconsin is no exception.

[Bucky]

23. ahem

You sure about that?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qgDo7hd4GQs/ShSpFeg2RWI/AAAAAAAADvA/fSLurmGO0rs/s400/lincoln+boom-box.jpg

[Waiting For Everyman]

12. He just voted against the middle class tax cut, so no. n/t

[PeaceNikki]

14. I think Feingold wants ALL the tax cuts to expire

They're unfunded and were a GOP trap that lead to the Bush Crash.

[cali]

17. You'd have to work hard to come up with a weaker ticket

a Senator who just lost his seat and a one term rep who just lost his.

Fantasy politics is it on DU these days.

[MineralMan]

21. I've been wondering about that thought process, too.

Two candidates who lost their 2010 elections. Not a prize ticket for the presidency in 2012, I'd think. They might be great at the job, but there's no way they're going to get the nomination. If they did, by some weird chance, there's no way that ticket would win in 2012.

[WinkyDink]

18. Did he not just join the Republicans on the tax-cuts?

[PeaceNikki]

19. No. I think Feingold wants ALL the tax cuts to expire

They're unfunded and were a GOP trap that lead to the Bush Crash.