Dean: President Obama won't face primary foe

[bigtree]

December 12, 2010

Former Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean said on Sunday he doesn’t expect President Barack Obama to be challenged for his party's 2012 presidential nomination.

"I don't think he's going to face an opponent in the Democratic primary," he told Bob Schieffer on CBS's "Face the Nation." "I think that would be bad thing for the country and a bad thing for the Democratic Party. The history of people running against presidents in their own party is that the challenger, he loses, and then the president is weakened and loses."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/1210/Dean_Obama_wont_face_primary_opponent.html

[polichick]

1. Dean's always said this - wish he didn't feel this way, but he's been consistent. nt

[bigtree]

3. yep, he's been consistent

It doesn't hurt to remind folks, and I liked his explanation of why, because it mirrors several opinions voiced here at DU.

[polichick]

5. I don't agree with him on this, which shouldn't surprise anyone. nt

[Aramchek]

6. Howard can see the Forest.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Another DINO corporatist sellout tool of the moneyed interests...

...who was being boomed on here as a primary challenger falls on his sword.

Viva Feingold!
Viva Kucinich!
Viva Clinton!
Viva Dean!

More next week.

[aquart]

11. There was never a chance in Hell that Howard Dean would challenge Obama.

Never.

Feingold couldn't win his state.

Kucinich only has his district.

Clinton isn't a Medici plotting coups behind the boss' back.

Those were your choices?

[bigtree]

13. Gravel-Nader

or Nader-Gravel :D

[MineralMan]

28. C'est pour rire!

:rofl:

[bigtree]

38. ou, peut-être à pleurer

:7

[MineralMan]

42. C'est vrai. Quel dommage.

[Davis_X_Machina]

14. Those are the clubhouse leaders, and they're not...

...my choices, they're our choices. Thrown up by the denizens of the only home for real Democrats, Democratic Underground.

Elizabeth Warren, Warren Mosler, Al Franken, Alan Grayson, Anthony Weiner, Paul Krugman, Bernie Sanders, all still out on the course.

[Aramchek]

4. uh oh, Howard better have on his asbestos pantsuit!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. That's what they said about LBJ.

And, then came New Hampshire.

[bigtree]

9. if you work at it

. . . who knows what you might accomplish.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. Obama is certainly working at it. Just like LBJ did.

[bigtree]

26. it's not having nearly the effect

. . . that the family squabble did way back then. Perhaps because it's still just an internet squabble.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. You may be underestimating the effect of the internet.

Since Wikileaks, my estimation of the power of the internet has gone way up. Now that mass protests have been squelched or ignored look at how a brief disruption of the internet has caused the establishment in the media and government to take notice.

Likewise, politicians have to tread carefully in their words and actions and can no longer rely on secrecy and sound bites to escape accountability.

[bigtree]

33. I'm looking out there

. . . I'm not seeing it.

[LiberalArkie]

8. Just because he is correct in the reasoning does not we are wrong

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. That's the common misconception.

The reality is that turkeys invite challenges: Carter (A high quality turkey, but electorally speaking, a turkey nonetheless), Ford, Bush, Johnson. They all would have lost anyway. Primary or no primary.

If Obama's a viable g.e. candidate... he's got nothing to worry about.

It's interesting though: so why all the worry?

[bigtree]

12. I think it's more speculation

. . . than worry. He has several advantages besides the elevation of his office and the visibility and platform that provides. He has a huge war chest, a still-loyal minority community of voters, and none of the internet squabble has made much of a dent in his support among Democrats polled.

Maybe Gravel will run.

[Smarmie Doofus]

22. He's hugely unpopular among two historically....

pivotal preconvention constituencies: teachers and glbts.

Add to that... antiwar activists, ideological liberals and leftists and DEMs who just don't like his wet-noodle, "may I have another, sir?" style of engaging the opposition.... and what you have is an incumbent with real pre-convention vulnerabilities.

Whether the party bosses can scare off all serious comers is an even bet at this point.

[bigtree]

27. party bosses are one thing

financial backers are another

[aquart]

19. If people perceive the candidate as offering nothing, he'll lose.

That's on HIM.

[Smarmie Doofus]

23. I'd say he's offering more than "nothing";

but not much more.

I'm not sure what the general perception is amongst DEM primary voters.

[aquart]

36. There won't be a primary.

[2Design]

15. he's right ck history or even ask bernie sanders since he is wealth of knowledge

[L0oniX]

16. Come up with a primary candidate or Dems will loose 2012.

[MineralMan]

30. Really? If you loose 2012, it'll run away, for sure.

I loosed my pet parakeet. It flew away, and I never saw it again.

[NCarolinawoman]

18. Except, I keep thinking a Republican will be primaried as well.

What if there was a Teaparty candidate, a Carl Rove supported "regular" Republican candidate, a "Conservadem" candidate (Obama), and a Rooseveltian candidate (Sherrod Brown, perhaps?).

Four MAJOR candidates. How would that all play out?

[bigtree]

35. I think the President would garner the most support in that case

. . . the republican vote would split more than ours would.

[MadamAB]

20. So then Dean

TAKE BACK THE DNC CHAIRSHIP!!!
http://dean4dnc.org/about-2/

[notesdev]

21. Didn't say Obama was going to run, either - did he?

At this point I don't think Obama will run, either by his own choice or by a group of party heavyweights who take him aside and convince him to step aside in the party's best interests.

[KharmaTrain]

24. If There's Gonna Be A Challenge, Time's A Wastin'...

It's gonna cost money...and lots of it to try to unseat an incumbent. You just don't put a campaign together overnight and with the first '12 primaries a little more than a year away, anyone who would want to try had better be out there with hat in hand and raising boatloads of cash.

[Larkspur]

25. If the major donors won't back Obama, Obama might just have to decline running for a 2nd term

There are other ways to force out Obama than running a primary challenge. Starve his campaign coffers.

[bigtree]

29. as if that's even a remote possibility

The president has a huge war chest, his minority voter following is still intact, and he's still holding support among Democrats polled.

[Larkspur]

43. His biggest donor was Goldman Sachs, not the little people

and the reason he's losing to Mitt Romney right now is due to a steep drop among liberal Democrats and no gain among Independents.

His tax cut plan won't spur economic growth. Tax cuts haven't spurred it over the last decade, so his short term tax cuts won't work either. Obama is treading water under the surface right now.

[bigtree]

44. so liberals support Romney becoming president?

. . . don't make excuses for 'liberals' who would allow a Romney to win through their inaction. There isn't any principle in that.It's just an epic pout.

[Codeine]

34. Not going to happen. nt

[Modern School]

32. Who'd Want to Oppose Obama?

Why would anyone want to oppose Obama? The Economy is in a shambles and won't be any better by next elections. The campaign will be the most expensive in history. The Dems will be underdogs fighting a steep uphill battle.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

37. yes, nor should he face a political foe. nothing in this country has changed

in a way, that i think would get us a more liberal candidate. we would get obama or something very much like him.

[lib2DaBone]

39. Wanna bet ? There WILL BE a primary challenge to Mr. Obama...

Demorcrats.. don't let Mr. Obama detroy the Democratic party.

A primary challenge is the last hope and essential. Whether it be Bernie Sanders, Russ Feingold, Mike Gravel... Pete Defazio/Marcy Kaptur.... Alan Grayson... there are strong candidates out there. (And I'm not talking DLC).

[bigtree]

41. none of those have anywhere near what it takes to run a national campaign

Maybe they can hook up with the Green Party or sumptin . . . at any rate, they have a long way to go with the money, the organizing a national campaign, and the money . . . I read where the President is 'on track' to raise nearly a billion (of course they could be lying).

[Scurrilous]

40. K & R

:thumbsup: