Here is an op-ed from Alexander Cockburn about the perceived shortcomings of Obama from a liberal perspective. In it he addresses a possible third party challenge to Obama from the left (He thinks it is too late.) or a primary challenger (He isn’t very optimistic.).
Even after last week’s frightful betrayals, there’s been barely a fretful bleat from Democrats about running a challenger to Obama in the primaries. Much like the late Ted Kennedy mounted against Carter, another Obamian sell-out, in 1979.
The time to launch a third party left challenge to Obama was back in January of 2010, when the writing was on the wall. In these very columns I remember imploring ousted progressive U.S. Senator Russell Feingold to do just that. Now, it’s far too late.
If folks want a Third Party Challenger on the left, then now is the time to join the Green Party and help encourage a strong challenger by building campaign funds and structures. Meanwhile some folks need to bring a challenge in the Dem primaries and others push Ron Paul’s Libertarian challenge in the Republican primaries. We all need to start direct actions in the streets.
Some “GOOD” quotes from this, feel free to SHARE with socialist and independent family and friends.
“Eighty percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, and a majority think Obama is doing a bad job. This is scarcely surprising since 30 million Americans are without work or work part-time.” – Alexander Cockburn
“But beyond coarse political calculation, it’s plain enough that Obama is a quitter by nature. As someone joked bitterly last week, he turns up for a strip poker session already down to his shorts. In the crunch, the weapon he snatches from its scabbard is the white flag, which he flourishes at the bankers, the Pentagon and America’s billionaires.” – Alexander Cockburn
“It was clear in 2006—the first time I looked at his record—that Obama was gutless and devoid of principle. By 2008, before his victory, he was already reassuring the establishment that he was set to “reform” Social Security and Medicare – i.e., to hand these entitlement programs over to Wall Street and the insurance industry.” – Alexander Cockburn
Same ole, same ole, WHEN will the plan be understood by the masses ?
“The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can throw the rascals out at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy. Then it should be possible to replace it, every four years if necessary, by the other party, which will be none of these things but will still pursue, with new vigor, approximately the same basic policies.” – Carroll Quigley
” When the government’s boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence. ” – Gary Lloyd
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum.” – Noam Chomsky
“One party has totally dominated American politics for at least a century: the Socialist War Party. No matter who wins the elections, America gets endless socialism and endless war.” Doug Newman.
=========
It has truly gotten worse when even guys this far down the line are already (Aug.’11) promoting the “horserace” = Obama vs Romney (or whoever “they” choose to insert) (No Paul or Johnson even mentioned)…
I don’t read it the way you do. I don’t think he is saying it is too late. I think he is saying politically it should have been done in January 2010.
Richard, I’m not trying to be smart, but the excerpt I posted is where he says it is too late. Of course he may be wrong.
“The time to launch a third party left challenge to Obama was back in January of 2010, when the writing was on the wall. In these very columns I remember imploring ousted progressive U.S. Senator Russell Feingold to do just that. Now, it’s far too late.”
I read the column. Thanks for finding it. I didn’t see that Cockburn said it is too late for a minor party or independent candidate on the left to get into the race. And, it’s not too late. John B. Anderson didn’t get into the 1980 race as an independent until April 23, 1980, and the law on deadlines is much better now than it was then.
Here is the Nader statement in question.
https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2011/08/ralph-nader-says-obama-will-have-a-primary-challenger/
I do think Obama will have a primary challenger from his left because Nader said he is virtually certain he will, and Nader wouldn’t say that if he didn’t know something. The question is how “big of a name” will step forward.