Will there be a challenger for Obama for the Democratic nomination or is it too late?

[tropicanarose]

[Tippy]

1. Do you realize or do you even care? We would end up with a rethug in the WH

[trueblue2007]

28. I AGREE. THIS THREAD IS STUPID

[RC]

30. Why, we have one now?

If we had a Democrat in the Presidency, the why all the talk about Primaring Obama?

[polmaven]

2. Oh, good grief...

Not THIS again!!! :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

[monmouth]

3. Absolutely not....Sorry....n/t

[phantom power]

4. A serious challenger is, and always was, unlikely.

If there did happen to be one, I might vote for them, but who could say since it's absolutely hypothetical.

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. >>>>

:spray:

Good luck with that! :rofl:

[tropicanarose]

10. What? I wasn't suggesting it as a viable option. I am for Obama.

[tridim]

6. I'm getting sick of posting this, but Obama already has a challenger..

Randall Terry. Papers filed, candidacy declared.

It is rare, but there have been instances when a sitting president is challenged from within the party for a presidential nomination. Randal A. Terry’s decision to throw down the gauntlet to President Obama may be a surprise to many, but not to those that know the man.

His story started sometime back in 1986, when Terry, from his Great Buy Used Cars lot at 1020 Front St. Vestal in Binghamton, planned ‘Operation Rescue’ with Daniel J. Little, his pastor from the Church at Pierce Creek. ‘Operation Rescue’ was infamous for its sieges of abortion clinics, aggressive protesting techniques and the ‘go limp’ blockade maneuver. It elevated the previously unknown Terry into the most well-known pro-life activist in the country, and earning himself the image of a political militant in the process.

A quarter of a century and over forty arrests since, Terry is still going strong, albeit, without the radicalism prevalent during the early years of his activism. Perhaps the conviction of former Operation Rescue alumni, James Charles Kopp, for the murder of pro-choice physician Dr. Barnett Slepian in 1998, together with the heightening legal assault by his pro-choice opponents and the over 20,000 arrest of the movement supporters, forced a strategy review.

The three pronged approach that he envisioned in the fall of 1983 (blockade of clinics, counseling of mothers and shelter for the unwed mothers) was clearly not yielding the results he was hoping for. Changing times calls for innovation, and Terry did exactly that. He was reborn as a touring speaker, author and media personality, an approach that has once again pushed him to the forefront of the debate.

snip

http://2012.presidential-candidates.org/Terry/

[tropicanarose]

9. Sorry I am not a very active DU member though I enjoy reading here. It was just a thought. rop

in no way was I implying that I think it is a good idea or something that I necessarily want. I just wondered if it would happen...I think that Nader may very well have been paid off by the Rethugs during Kerry's campaign to take votes away from Kerry for those who didn't think that he was liberal enough.

[WhiteTara]

19. How cute. Randall Terry, the antitheses of

Democratic principles. Now there's a challenger we can all follow. NOT.

[RaleighNCDUer]

25. And how, exactly, is Randall Terry a challenger?

The base of the word 'challenger' is 'challenge' - and Terry is no challenge to Obama.

[RaleighNCDUer]

35. If you are sick of posting it, stop posting it. It's nonsense anyway. nt

[vaberella]

37. I thought it was Lee L. Mercer?

http://www.mercerforpresident2008.com/

[dennis4868]

7. Oh shit...

here we go again :-(

WE WANT SUPER BERNIE SANDERS, ABLE TO LEAP TALL REPUBLICAN FILLUBUSTERS AT A SINGLE BOUND! MORE POWERFUL THAN TEA PARTY OBSTRUCTION! :-(

[tropicanarose]

11. Sheesh.....I didn't think that my post would elicit such negative reactions. It was just a thought r

sometimes I think that in an effort to take votes away from the swing voters and to rally support of the far left of the Dem. Party we have had challengers (such as Nader, though he was in the general election) and even Ted Kennedy against Carter......of course it only serves to rip our party apart and
prey on the divisions that exist to our unity.
It was just a thought.

P.S. Dennis4868--I *LOVE* Bernie Sanders, but he will never be elected as POTUS.

[dennis4868]

21. I love Bernie Sanders also...

but he has the luxury, unlike President Obama, to simply state what needs to be done and what perfect legislation should look like without ever explaining how it can pass the 24/7 fillubusting senate and tea party house...that is what Obama has to deal with and not Super Bernie or any other congressman. :-(

[onpatrol98]

23. No problem...

It may have been a "new" topic for you. But, it's been floating around DU for awhile now. The lines have been drawn. LOL.

[vaberella]

38. The problem we have is Congress. Why then would you take Sanders out of Congress?

He's one of the few who can counter Repubs. Do you really think Sanders would be able to do anything when he's President? I mean if you leave the Senate and House Repub would Sanders do much as President? Maybe he would, he is White.

[ChiciB1]

44. He WON'T Get A Challenger... I LOVE Sanders, But He Won't Run Either

nor do I feel he could get elected. Just look at what happened to Alan Grayson here in Florida. And the unemployment numbers here are OVER 15%!

People KEEP voting against their own best interests. IMO, ONE thing that would be soooooooooooo beneficial and it's something so many of us have been harping on for a very, very long time is to make the RICH pay more! I KNOW, same old stuff, but so many I know and so many polls WANT THIS!

WHY Obama doesn't just get on a high horse on this I simply don't know. WE NEED JOBS and even his speech he gave while sounded gung ho looks to be getting watered down ONCE AGAIN!

I agree what happened in NY may have been a confluence of many things, but when ELDERLY people keep voting AGAINST their own best interests... we are really going to THE DOGS!

I live in Florida and this notion that people here WANT to protest their Social Security may not pan out to be true. And what has bothered me the most is, WHEN will TPTB understand that when people don't spend money, they stand to at least lose "some" of it.

I know at least FOUR families in my local neighborhood who have been foreclosed on and there are so many houses up for sale now. What is really telling about this fact is that I live in either the 2nd or 3rd richest county in the state of Florida. I AM NOT even middle class anymore, but I won't be losing my house and for that I'm thankful.

Still, my husband retired early and we depend on SS & Medicare! And yes, I freely admit that I myself have seen Medicare fraud that SHOULD be looked into, but not cut for those who need it. One of my doctors who I see EVERY 3 months no longer takes ANY type of insurance... Medicare included. I only go to him for medication because of a disease I have and he asked me to stay with him if he only charged me $90.00 for a visit. So that comes out to $30.00 a month. So I stayed. I've been seeing him for over 14 years, but he told me that he will definitely vote for Romney the last time I saw him a couple of weeks ago.

SO THERE YOU GO! Obama does have a lot to worry about IMO. I'm willing for him to prove me wrong, but my faith in him diminished a long time ago. My daughter, son-in-law and her family just registered as INDEPENDENTS and have been Democrats since they started voting. Soooooo even MORE reason for Obama to worry. NONE of my family besides one sister has EVER been anything but a Democrat!

People are simply FED UP! So rationalize it anyway you want, I'm seeing some actual CHANGE, but not the CHANGE Obama would welcome!

Sorry, I am not talking out of my Ass either, these are TRUE facts. Especially the turn around from my daughter & her family!!!

IT'S SCARY...

[Deep13]

8. Not technically too late, but it will not happen.

As far as the certainty that we will have an R in the WH, well that's going to happen anyway.

[zipplewrath]

17. I do wonder what the narrative will be

When the election is over, and we have a right winger in the Oval, and the whole campaign was argued well over to the right, I do wonder what the narrative around here will be. Was it still a good idea not to challenge from the left and watch the entire debate move right?

Over the last couple of decades, several left/progressive groups have been told to sit down and shut up until after an election was won. The gays were suppose to sit out because it was too much of a wedge issue. The pacifists were told that no one could "win that way". The anti-drug war folks are constantly told that we can't argue that and win.

And so we see the argument constantly going on over on the right. And we get mandates, and DOMA, and escalating wars, and GITMO, and torture. And the court becomes more conservative every year. I'm not sure "staying quiet" is accomplishing the short term goals.

[MB149]

61. We'll see...

I think you are right. When I take off my "Party" glasses and look at the situation unfiltered, it looks very much like a GOP victory in 2012. I have a huge advantage over people in New England, California and the NY-DC corridor. The people I work with daily, even in an academic environment, are about 70% conservative. I've never lived in that "Nobody I know would ever vote for the GOP" bubble. I know that America isn't 70% conservative, but I don't delude myself into believing we're at least 50% liberal either. If the Democratic Party marches in lockstep with Obama, how are we different from the GOP? Winning is not a good argument for sticking with "our man" because he won't win. I want a winner who actually fights for our positions. I am not the least bit interested in "historical candidates" if they can't advance our cause.

[Papagoose]

12. I wonder if people will still be asking this after President Obama is reelected,

Does anyone really wonder about this any more, for real?

[treestar]

13. Does the challenger appear out of thin air?

What have you done to campaign for this phantom? :rofl:

[jefferson_dem]

14. Hey there! Welcome (back) to DU!

Nice to see you around! :hi:

[great white snark]

15. No. If you have any leftover acrimony please use it on his Republican challenger.

:kick:

[tropicanarose]

51. *high fives* I agree with you 100%

[uponit7771]

16. Dick Cheney: "....I would encourage (dems) a primary contest, I think that would be a good thing"

[WhiteTara]

18. If you are a disrupter, please go away.

36 posts and you're asking for a primary. Do you know or care what that would do to our party? Or is your aim to disrupt?

[tropicanarose]

52. Why make nasty assumptions about me based on a single question? It was just a question

[Enrique]

20. it's never too late for Lee Mercer Jr.

Lee's a clutch man. :thumbsup:

[CakeGrrl]

31. Wow. Seriously? And HOW many people in the nation have heard of him?

Are you going to head up the committee to boost his name recognition x1000?

[dionysus]

41. i think you missed the

:sarcasm:
have you ever checked out lee's web site?

[NBachers]

22. The President is running for office. A big Democratic majority in both houses is more important now

Is it safe to say this around here?

[great white snark]

26. +1

Safe? If you are a true Democrat you should be compelled to feel the way you do.

:thumbsup:
:kick:

[paulk]

24. not likely, but

it could happen. Fourteen months is an eternity in politics.

A lot depends on the economy and his approval ratings. If the economy goes into another recession and the public blames Obama, the likelihood of a challenger increases...

[Sheepshank]

27. My opinion is that it's too late.

Any and every possible contender that already is a well 'known' isn't or won't run against Obama. A relative unknown has no chance for enough recognition this late in the game. Look at the struggle Huntsman is having just to get recognized.

I'd say there really isn't time or energy or money for a challenger.

[Phx_Dem]

29. This record is broken. Someone please take it off the turntable!!

Blah blah blah blah blah

STFU

[quaker bill]

32. Way too late

Technically one could still run, but the pond of potential contributors is rapidly being drained. Any real effort would have had an exploratory committee raising funds 6 months ago.

[Hart2008]

39. Which benefits the candidate with a rich message, great organizational skills, & who has run before!

Someone who has run a campaign before on a low budget and won key primaries.

Someone like Gary Hart!

HART 2012!!!

[Hart2008]

33. Yes, there will be more than one challenger. Gary Hart will run. NT

[dionysus]

42. .

:spray:

[Hart2008]

47. I have a big plate of crow waiting here for you!

:patriot:

[BklnDem75]

56. Will Donna Rice be his running mate?

[Hart2008]

59. She is too busy working to protect children from Internet pornography.

http://enough.org/

She always was a class act.

[Recovered Repug]

34. To answer your questions:

1. There already is a declared challenger named Randall Terry. His chances are less than a snowball's in hell.
2. No, a challenger already exists.

[vaberella]

36. It's never too late. I'm sure Kucinich or HRC would love too. n/t

[tcaudilllg]

55. I would vote for Kucinich.

[dionysus]

40. LOL, just when i thought the desperation was petering out...

:rofl:

[WI_DEM]

43. No, there will be no serious challenge to the president, and it's best anyway that dems

begin rallying around him anyway because he's going to need all the help he can get. If he can get re-elected (and I'm beginning to wonder) I'm hoping he will be a better president in his second term and hopefully has learned a few lessons. Besides, I honestly doubt any dem except Obama can win in 2012.

[BlueIris]

45. It is not too late and there will be another nominee.

Thank God.

[Inuca]

46. On Mars n/t

[themaguffin]

48. too late to hand the WH to the GOP? because that's what you're asking.

[boxman15]

49. Ugh...

It's not happening. And thank God it isn't or President Perry/Romney would be assured.

[Avalux]

50. Who would you like to see challenge him? Just curious. n/t

[tcaudilllg]

53. Gore.

[tcaudilllg]

54. Two months to turn things around INSIDE THE ADMIN, or we'll start hearing rumors in the media.

[rury]

57. I bet you'll start those stupid rumors

There will be no challenger as much as you would like one.

OBAMA 2012!!!!!!!!

[tcaudilllg]

58. Maybe not, because the turnaround appears to be starting.

[MB149]

62. HRC... n/t

[SidDithers]

60. It's not too late, and there won't be any serious challenger...nt

Sid