General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Personally... I Think Cenk Is Correct... [View all]Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)The alternative of voting for a third party in the general election is way too risky as it could very well contribute to a Republican win. Mounting a credible primary challenge at this point is simply not feasible and could have unfortunate side effects if it were. This is a sensible and practical alternative.
The absence of any strong and critical left-wing critique of the President only strengthens the Republicans ability to represent the President as - "as far left as they come". It is very important for the public to realize that President Obama is not the far left socialist that the GOP wants people to believe he is. It is very important for the public to know there is a credible critique of the President's policies coming from the left. The stronger the left-wing critique of the President - the easier it is for the President to present himself as centrist and moderate - just as importantly the more to the left the terms moderate and centrist are framed. To simply remain silent is not only immoral it contributes to a false narrative of the President as being on the extreme left and it removes from public discussion the progressive-left perspective which has historically been the force that makes it possible for moderates and centrist to reach any meaningful compromise by balancing the discussion. Cenk has proposed a brilliant scenario that sends a very strong message without strengthening a far worse alternative - An approach that is as principled as it is sensible and pragmatic.
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