Forget Sarah Palin and Donald Trump: Obama needs a challenge from the left

The London Guardian ^ | May 11, 2011 | Mehdi Hasan

[2ndDivisionVet]

Cast your minds back to November. Barack Obama had received his "shellacking" in the midterm elections, as the Republicans regained a majority in the House of Representatives and seized control of 29 of the 50 state governorships. It was the worst midterm defeat for the Democrats since 1938. Just a week earlier the president's approval ratings had fallen to a record low of 37%.

Fast forward six months, and the president is enjoying the "Bin Laden bounce". His approval ratings stand at 52%, according to Gallup – up six points on April. Historians may look back on 1 May 2011, and the killing of Osama, as the day Obama secured his re-election.

But even before the al-Qaida leader was dumped in the ocean, Obama had reason to be optimistic. Just 18 months away from the next election he has no obvious or credible Republican opponent. So far, the listless lineup of potential presidential candidates resembles the characters from the bar scene in Star Wars – a motley collection of far-right loons, freaks and conspiracy theorists.

There's the former senator, Rick Santorum, who once compared homosexuality to bestiality and paedophilia; former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who has said America must stand with "our North Korean allies"; Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who believes carbon dioxide is "not a harmful gas, it is a harmless gas"; former governor Mitt Romney, who has said he won't appoint Muslim-Americans to his cabinet; Tea Party Congressman Ron Paul, who wants to scrap income tax and abolish the education department; and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who published a book last year titled To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine. Oh, and the "birther" billionaire Donald Trump....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Either Mitt Romney or Ron Paul would do nicely. They're both to the left of Obama on many issues.

[RockinRight]

Run Ralph Run!

[DManA]

Mehdi would probably like to see a challenge from an Islamist.

[Nat Turner]

Consider his record: he failed to close the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay; approved the use of military tribunals for detainees; "surged" 40,000 troops into Afghanistan; doubled the size of the detention facility at Bagram airbase; doubled the number of drone strikes inside Pakistan; gave CIA torturers immunity from prosecution; continued extraordinary rendition; said he didn't "begrudge" bankers paying themselves multimillion-dollar bonuses' ruled out a government-run "public option" on healthcare; froze pay for public sector workers; signed off on tax cuts for billionaires; vetoed a UN resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlement-building; and joined China in sabotaging the climate summit in Copenhagen. Liberals have given Obama a pass. Some avert their gaze; others proffer excuses. He needs more time, they say. But he has had 29 months in office. He is a good man in a bad world, they say, before blaming the Republicans for all America's ills. But it wasn't a Republican Congress that forced him, for instance, to double the size of the Bagram facility – where human rights groups have documented torture and deaths – and deny prisoners the right to challenge their detention. He did that on his own. Bagram is Obama's Guantánamo.

Sometimes you have to love the UK press...a bunch of lefties not in Obama pocket and still able to tell the truth...

[RockinRight]

They seem to refer to Romney as “far right” which pretty much delegitimizes the entire article.

[subterfuge]

Intentionally left out Herman Cain.

And what of all the utterly stupid things the “genius” obama has said, like the “57 states” and the “dutch language.”?

[Invincibly Ignorant]

No wonder London has been overrun by Muzzis.

[RitaOK]

The natives are restless. There is a marked difference in the elite media romance with UBAMA. I’ve noticed it since Trump came along, and Rush remarked today that the WaPo was not impressed with Barry’s cute remarks on border defense while speaking in El Paso.

Of course we’ve bushwhacked Trump so we’re back to crickits again among our field, who like gophers only pop up once in awhile then dive back underground.

Maybe Newt will marshall a sustained attack before we shoot him in the back too.

[BladeBryan]

“Historians may look back on 1 May 2011, and the killing of Osama, as the day Obama secured his re-election.”

The question is whether the bump from killing Bin Laden will last a year and half. The answer is no f’ing way. If the economy is strong at election time, Obama should win easily. If it’s still in the toilet, he should be easy to beat. If recovery proceeds at a painfully slow pace, it’s game on.

[Ouderkirk]

it was Austrian language....LOL

[LottieDah]

“The question is whether the bump from killing Bin Laden will last a year and half. The answer is no f’ing way. If the economy is strong at election time, Obama should win easily. “

Obama is magic don’t you know. He will be farting out millions of jobs six months before the election. After that he will be peeing out $1 per gallon gasoline.

[bankwalker]

Forget Sarah Palin and Donald Trump: Obama needs a challenge from the left

Trump IS the left ... his history of political contributions is public information.

The sheep are so gullible ...

[imfrmdixie]

"The irony is that Obama, a self-styled conciliator and healer, has spent much of his presidency appeasing Republican foes on Capital Hill and capitulating to corporations and Wall Street banks. He has eschewed populism, allowing the Tea Party to surf public anger over bank bailouts and bonuses, job losses and home repossessions."

[subterfuge]

Thanks. I knew I was off a little and was hoping to be corrected.

[Son-Joshua]

It’s a good bet that Hillary will run. She has gained new credibility in foreign policy, from a liberal’s standpoint.

[miss marmelstein]

I often post over at The Guardian - it’s one of the easiest sites in the world to sign up on. That’s about the only good thing I can say about that rag. But there are many good conservative Americans who post over there and are bringing a whole new perspective to those insulated, left-wing Brits. I just wanted to encourage other freepers to go over there and sign up and get in the fight. Especially you, 2ndDivisionVet, because I think you’re great.

[PoloSec]

Even if there is good challenge from the left; I think he would still win the primary.

How ever; a strong challenge from the left would cause him to spend a significant portion of his billion dollar campaign fund. That would be a very good thing.

At this point in time any conservative could easily beat Obummer.

[LibLieSlayer]

medhi hassan... hmmm a good Anglo name... hmmm... NOT!

LLS

[Let_It_Be_So]

"Consider his record:  ...signed off on tax cuts for billionaires;... "

 

Really.  It is amazing how leftists view keeping tax rates constant (not increasing taxes) as "tax cuts". 

[Nat Turner]

Libtards, are naturally statists and big government lovers...they think its ALL the governments money and we should just be happy with whatever they leave us...