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From an article in Dick & Sharon’s LA Progressive - Read the whole article here: http://bit.ly/o802iY
“On Saturday, July 30th, 2011, an estimated 75 members of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party (CDP) passed a resolution in support of a Democratic Party Presidential Primary challenge to President Barack Obama. Gathering in Anaheim during an Executive Board meeting of the CDP, the group overwhelmingly endorsed the resolution following a discussion on the importance of not only challenging the far-right agenda of unmitigated corporate greed but also the current administration’s willingness to slash 650-billion dollars from Social Security and Medicare.”
Immediately, it appeared that the powers that be within the California Democratic Party tried to suppress and censor the effort.
The Progressive Caucus: “we recognize that a Primary challenge will, in fact raise debate on important issues without risking the ability to mobilize and energize the base of the Democratic Party to elect a triumphant leader to counter the far-right agenda.
Therefore, be it resolved, to make our views heard, the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party will begin the process of contacting other Democratic organizations, Democratic Party members and public organizations that share our views and which seek to change the course of history by exploring other steps necessary to effect a necessary change, including a possible primary challenge against President Obama”
Rank and File Democrats are very disappointed in Barack Obama. Many are saying they may not vote at all, which would have disastrous consecquences for the party in the US House and Senate and in Statehouses across America.
As far as I know this is the first group within any State Democratic Party organization to do this. Does anyone know if PDA, Progressive Democrats of America (which operates “within” the Party, plan to support a Primary Challenge?
How about the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)? Any plans for supporting a Primary Challenge there?
I believe that the only way Obama can restore his relationship with and rebuild ‘trust’ with the Democratic Base is to debate Democratic Party principles and values with a lefty Democrat. What do the rest of you think?
14 Comments
I have left the dem party. I am a Green. If the party is ever gonna rebuild itself into the people’s party, a primary challenge of BO is but one of the things needed.
It must address issues like campaign financing and committing themselves to dem party platforms, assuming they are just. Once they begin acting on these principles, they might begin to attract voters that I guarantee they’ve lost currently!
I guess the first thing to do is overcoming fear. Once that has been done, a primary challange would be a no-brainer!
I’d like to know how I can join the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party, or at least attend an event in the SoCal area.
My question to the first commenter is… IF it appeared that a Lefty Challenge to Obama was possible… would you take the time to help him or her get on the primary ballot? Would it be important to you as an American to help someone like say Kucinich or Sanders (if he became a Dem) challenge Obama?
To BeachPopulist: Did you follow the url to LA Progressive. I believe the original article lists names of some of the organizers. And you can ‘google’ the name of the group and probably find contact info. I’m in Denver CO so am not going to be able to help you with that.
Well Markos Moulitsas -please, no laughs- seems to think that to do so would be really,really bad for whomever would do so because they would be campaigning against the first black president.
But hey, the CA Dems can’t even get DiFi censured when she should have been.
After today’s votes in Senate I have a different set of verbs to use on SciFi/Boxer than ‘censure’ . . . ;-)
Actually, I’ve felt that way since they dumped us constituents on Iraq, Afghan, TARP, FISA, SP/ACA/PO, and more . . .
No, an apparent lefty challenge would be meaningless to me. Dems IMHO have ruined their brand. They’d have to earn my vote with NO effort on my part. That means more than the appearance of a challenge. That’s standard dem politics lately. No, this presumed challenger would have to gather the support of fellow like minded dems in the party and have a resume that shows he’s a real people guy or girl.
Quite frankly even kucinich and Sanders would not be enough. These 2 have shown on more than a few occasions that they are willing to go along with bad policy. It’s easy to say the stuff that is populist when your words will have little to no impact on policy.
My standards may seem quite high but the dems have dug themselves a hole and quite honestly I’m not even sure if they are interested in getting out of it. At the end of the day they will be rewarded by corporate masters both parties currently serve.
BeachPopulist August 2nd, 2011 at 8:37 pm «
Here you go
http://www.progressivecaucuscdp.org/about_us.html
PS I know the Chair, Karen is awesome
If we can’t get more folks than a 1963 SDS meeting had, the effort will have the same effect 1963 SDS had on the expansion from 2000 Ike troops to 16000 JFK troops (our first SDS handout) and then the effect we had on the later move to over 500,000 troops in ‘Nam.
ubetchaiam August 2nd, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Yea, that was the muckety-mucks who blocked it
Short story – John Hanna ripped a sign out of Eden James hands and tore it up because it called for DiFi’s censure. Here’s the sign before it was ripped up
http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/-/censure%20photo.jpg/@s_0.4
“How about the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)? Any plans for supporting a Primary Challenge there?”
Isn’t the P(3)C headed up by Adam Green? If so, you can forget about any challenge to Obama.
A good strong knock down drag out primary challenge takes a lot less effort than a revolution. I say we light a fire under his rear (if just for a little while) and allow him “feel our pain!”
Hear me loud and clear. I do not support the talk of someone primary President Obama. I will never support that. I want the Progressives to remember 2010. If everyone would had gotten out to vote in 2010, the speaker would still be Nancy Pelosi. I don’t trust A. Green or Jane Hamsher. And I do not support this talk.
It was Obama and his White House Advisers and supporters that cost the Democratic Party so many seats in Congress by the way in which he Mocked and Ignored and Disappointed the Democratic rank and file.
If Nancy Pelosi Had Not Blocked impeachment of Bush and Cheney, thousands of US Servicemen and women would still be alive and our Country would not be in this mess.
Pelosi and Obama’s Failure to demand prosecution of Bush and Cheney and Lawyers for Torture Law violations will be remember by the Base for a long time.
By the way, I’m a 46 year Democratic voter and I vote every time.
YOU are blaming the Party’s rank and file for Obama’s Failures.
I AM IN. Ralph Nader mentiomed he was part of a a commitee that would be sending out invitations to over a hundred qualified Liberal to run against Obama. He will NOT be running himself. Did anyone here about this?