Here comes the clowns: Nader and West

[ProSense]

Liberals seeking primary challengers to Obama

Liberal activists and academics displeased with the Obama administration’s handling of several issues popular with progressives say they are seeking candidates willing to mount a primary challenge against President Obama next year.

The group, led by consumer advocate Ralph Nader and scholar Cornel West, said it faults Obama for the escalation of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan, for extending tax cuts first enacted by George W. Bush and for his actions during the recent debt ceiling negotiations.

The group said Saturday it is seeking six “recognizable, articulate” candidates who would not mount serious challenges to Obama, but “rigorously debate his policy stands” on issues related to labor, poverty, foreign policy, civil rights and consumer protections.

<...>

So they're looking for a bunch of volunteers (not themselves) to pretend to challenge Obama?

Is Nader a Democrat? Is West?

This week the desperation level of the anti-Obama groups went up a notch. Real Democrats aren't paying them any attention.

[EffieBlack]

1. "not themselves" is the operative phrase - why NOT themselves?

I mean, if they're so certain about the need to challenge the President, why don't THEY do it?

Maybe because even they know that they both have become jokes.

[ProSense]

3. Exactly.

They're clowns, and it's why they can't find anyone to take them seriously.

Their only goal is to sow discord.

West has been going around talking about poverty and jobs. Yet look at the statement: Afghanistan? The debt ceiling debate?

What about the President's job proposal?

[Number23]

13. Question of the year

I mean, if they're so certain about the need to challenge the President, why don't THEY do it?

Ex-FUCKING-actly!!!!

[OHdem10]

2. If they are serious, they need candidates with a broader appeal.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bigdarryl]

5. Nader is trying to hand the election to the rethugs like he did in 2000

[Vicar In A Tutu]

6. He took rather a lot of money from GOP backers in 2000...

... Didn't he?

[frazzled]

7. Debate policy WHERE?

There are no Democratic primary debates scheduled, and even if there were, candidates who do not meet certain requirements (filing with FEC, polling at a certain minimum number) can be excluded ... I believe at the discretion of each sponsoring party (say, CNN, League of Women Voters, etc.)

There are no Democratic primaries scheduled in any of the states. So unless these six jokers manage to get enough signatures to get themselves on primary ballots (which so far do not even exist) in a significant number of states ... well, you get the picture.

So where are these so called debates going to take place? (Presumably, without the President present.) On the Tavis Smiley show? This doesn't even make sense to me. Just a Ralph/Cornell publicity stunt. This is the third or fourth time I've read this idea, now with West on the bandwagon. But so far I haven't seen a single name put forward.

[treestar]

27. Exactly, and why don't they use this time in the sun to

debate their positions vigorously rather than waste the time talking about a useless primary?

[Yavin4]

8. This Does Show The Paucity of the Progressive Movement

The reason why Obama is not more of a Progressive is due to the fact that there IS NO Progressive movement in this country. Being a college professor and gadfly like West and Nader IS NOT a movement.

When Progressives start getting governors, senators, and congresspeople elected in large numbers then they have a movement. Blog posts, rants, etc. DO NOT constitute a serious movement.

They'd be far better off and more useful working to get Elizabeth Warren elected in Mass than wasting their time with this stupid shit.

[Tarheel_Dem]

10. I would advise Elizabeth Warren to stay as far away from these two as possible.

Otherwise, she runs the risk of becoming "a joke" by association. The only ones taking these two seriously are folks who never got over the primaries, and the GOP.

[vaberella]

18. I don't think she'll associate with those clowns. n/t

[treestar]

28. Post of the Year!

Exactly! Well put. They waste their time to profoundly it's no wonder there is no true progressive movement. And it brings up the question about how serious they are about it.

[great white snark]

31. I second that.

Well said.

[SwampG8r]

9. good question

are either democrats?
we will be stuck with obama as candidate no matter anyones musings on the subject
i support turning congress as progressive as possible so i will give my money and time directly to candidates who i feel will represent me and i will give not a whit to the national party until they reflect me again
same amount as every election but i am going to direct it myself so as to support as many true progressives as possible.

[mcgarry50]

24. real democrats

real democrats don't donate to the democratic party, since the money goes to people like nelson, landraeu, or all the other democrats that act like republicans. real democrats support progressive candidates so that we can get people who actually support the democratic platform. time to clean up the party.

[Number23]

11. Tavis just got his ass handed to him by Randall Kennedy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=258x11202

Guess Cornel felt left out and wanted to do something so that he could get his own ass whipping.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. +1

:thumbsup:

[vaberella]

17. I just saw the video Number23. Randall is brilliant.

Interestingly enough my focus for my thesis is gender and race in the 2008 election. Or I want to focus in that area---so that gives me an author to look into and maybe thinking of Harvard for my paper. I haven't really centralized it yet, but hence the reason I'm doing my readings and the such. This was an extremely informative video.

[uponit7771]

12. ****DICK CHENEY AGREES WITH NADER AND WEST ON PRIMARY CHALLENGE****

[vroomvroom]

14. So Moving More Right is Perfectly Fine by You. Got it.

Sounds like a pathetic defeatest atitutde of take anything you can get. I'd rather fight for a cause and fail than live a slave to some other system.

What i find embarrassing is that so many democrats, including those who think progressives are the enemy, have forgotten their own principles. It's no wonder Obama seems so eager to go right because none of you care to stop him.

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. Desperately Seeking Relevance, starring Cornel West & Ralph Nader.

It's sad, and I feel sorry for them both. :-(

[vaberella]

19. These are the kind of people that would actually make me think of praying when I'm not religious.n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. Indeed.

:rofl:



:thumbsup:

[dionysus]

33. ...

:hi:

[Tarheel_Dem]

34. Dammit dion!

:scared:


:rofl:

[SidDithers]

21. Have they contacted Gary Hart yet?...

:rofl:

Sid

[JoePhilly]

25. lol

[treestar]

29. LOL!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1949555&mesg_id=1949773

How else will he be placed for re-election in 2016? :rofl:

[paulk]

22. yes, it sucks that it takes an idiot like Nader to make this call

for myself, I'd be happy to see a moderate Democrat debate Obama, and not for "pretend", either

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mikekohr]

26. How'd That Work Out in 2000?

An 8 year national nightmare that we are still trying to wake up from, that's how.


What Is The Definition Of Insanity?
-answer: Repeating The Same Mistakes Over and Over and Expecting A Different Result-

Gore wasn't "progressive" enough? Throw your vote away on Nader and get Bush. President Obama not "progressive" enough, throw your vote away on Nader and get Perry. See the pattern?

[Scurrilous]

30. ROFL

Clowns indeed.

[AverageJoe90]

32. Don't forget Cynthia McKinney, either. =D

[JNelson6563]

35. They aren't Democrats.

They are self promoting attention whores. Most people I know have little use for their "wisdom".

Julie

[Raine1967]

36. Nader is not a Dem

I find this rather offensive.

It's akin to a GOP'r asking someone to primary the President.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

37. are they going to try to get Palin to run as a Dem?

seeing as how Ralph suddenly and bizarrely buys the faux-populist rhetoric she uses to push her teabagger love of deregulation.