Let's talk primary

It's only a few of us talking about a primary challenge to Obama in 2012, but maybe if a few more of us engaged in the discussion, Our President just might think a bit more about his base. He thinks it was the so called "independents" who put him in office in 2008, but, really, it was his Democratic base. Democrats were the ones who went out, house to house, to persuade the politically ignorant that the dark complected guy was the candidate of "hope and change."

A lot of Democrats actually believed that. At this time, a lot of those Democrats have figured out they were wrong. Except for a few who put in a lot of work, and, hence, are dealing with a lot of cognitive dissonance, they won't be hitting the streets again in 2012.

So, a primary challenge is a distinct possibility in 2012. Unless some miracle candidate emerges from the manure heaps of the Republican stable, the prospect of Obama's re-election remains a toss-up, and a primary challenge just might persuade the President it's time to firm up his base. As for a primary challenger , there are lots of us who truly admire Dennis Kucinich, but Dennis has just been too "symbolic" for too long. Me, I like Jan Schakowsky, but I'll go with any progressive who can put real pressure on the administration.

First, I suppose, we ought to wait and see if some of Obama's current anger at liberal Democrats might be transferred over to the incoming Republican majority in the House — although that doesn't seem too likely. All the Clintonistas around him will be reminding him about how Bill won a second term by moving right after his midterm setback.

(No, Clinton did not move to the "center." He started out in what passes for the center these days and ended up working with Phil Gramm to overturn Glass-Steagle, thereby creating the financial monsters that rampaged through our economy and have been sucking us dry ever since.)

It seems to me that when unemployment is at 9.8% and the people who have jobs (outside of Wall Street) are earning less than they were two years ago, a little left-wing populism is in order. Actually, it was in order two years ago, but "Obambi," as Maureen Dowd calls him, was still trying to frolic with the predators. We can only hope, now that he's had their claws really rake across his ass, he might start listening to his fellow Democrats.