A Primary Challenge for Obama?

One can only hope progressive momentum builds around this idea:

Worried the liberal voice is being drowned out in the presidential campaign, progressive leaders said Monday they want to field a slate of candidates against President Obama in the Democratic primaries to make him stake out liberal stances as he seeks re-election…

“What we are looking at now is the dullest presidential campaign since Walter Mondale — and that’s saying something, believe me,” [Ralph] Nader told The Washington Times.

Little surprise that party insiders have already started the “most important election ever” scare tactics to keep progressives in line and presumably content with whatever bones the administration throws to them (“Do they want to return to the disastrous economic and social policies advocated by the tea party and the Republican presidential candidates today?”).

Yes, progressives, don’t ask for anything, or you’ll be sorry. You’ll get “centrist,” corporatist, empire-lite and like it! Nader explains:

The very nature of the slate would not be to defeat him. It is to press him to publicly pay attention to the fundamental principles and agendas that represent the modest soul of the Democratic party, before corporate money became so dominant in its campaign treasuries some 30 years ago.

The Republican base expects their candidates to actually represent their values and represent them with more than rhetoric. We could learn a thing or two. If not, don’t feel betrayed when you get what you asked for.

“He’s got a lack of enthusiasm with his base,” Nader continued. “If he goes through a one-year presidential campaign with mind-numbing repetition, responding to crazed Republican positions, he is not going to activate his base. He will be put on the defensive, just the way he is now.”

Mr. Nader, a Democratic primary in Rhode Island? Yes, we can!