"After 'Tough Week,' Progressive Advocate Says Obama Is Still The Left's Man"

[Clio the Leo]

After 'Tough Week,' Progressive Advocate Says Obama Is Still The Left's Man
Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 15, 2010, 10:15AM

Despite the tax cut deal they hate, progressive forces will be on the fighting lines for President Obama in 2012. That's the word from Democracy For America, the progressive advocacy PAC forged from the remnants of Howard Dean's 2004 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In a wide-ranging interview Friday, DFA communications director Levana Layendecker discussed the ways Obama has hurt progressives over the past couple weeks. But she said that despite it all, the left will still stand by the man they backed in 2008 when he runs again in 2012.

The comments echoed those from Dean himself, who was briefly mentioned as a possible primary opponent for Obama by liberals angered by the tax cut deal's two-year extension of the Bush cuts on the highest incomes. Dean has said he won't run against Obama in a primary and that he doesn't expect anyone else will, either.

But if they don't primary him, will progressives just stay home, leaving Obama without an important part of his activist base? Layendecker says no. They may be mad at him now, sure. But the liberals are coming home to Obama.

"That's what I predict right now," Layendecker said.

<snip>

"People still believe that he's a change agent," she said. "I think the change he sees as change in the way we do business in Washington and not having political fights I think is probably a wrong way to look at it, but it's still a change and I think people see that."

That said, the main reason Layendecker said Obama won't face a primary from the left in 2012 is that there's no chance a primary opponent would win. What's worse for liberals, she said, is that a defeated progressive primary opponent could separate Obama from the movement even further.

"I don't think there's any viable chance that he would be beaten in a primary," she said, "And I don't think that if you don't beat him that wouldn't just push farther to the center."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/after-a-tough-week-progressive-advocates-say-obama-is-still-their-man.php

[NYCGirl]

1. OMG! DFA has gone over to the dark side.

:sarcasm:

Just wanted to be the first to say it.

[Uzybone]

2. more corporacaputilationism from DFA and Dean

[Jackpine Radical]

3. "Farther (sic) to the center?"

Further to the right, more like it.

[Big Blue Marble]

4. As one who has donated to DFA and as well

as significant amounts to Obama in 07 and 08, I will not be back unless Obama comes back.
When I see him defending with vigor the progressive agenda to protect the poor, working class
and middle class of this country, when I have heard he is standing against the wars, and when
I know that he is working to protect, rather than undermine our rights under our constitution,
I will once again support his 2012 candidacy.

[Democrats_win]

5. Obama has proven that there NEVER will be a change.

The rich control Obama and America. Nothing has changed.

[polichick]

6. That's funny - I had a call from DFA this week and a long chat with the caller...

He said he wasn't surprised that I'd had it with the president, since that's what most of his callers said.

I also told him Dean's wrong about a primary challenge - if the Dem party only runs a Republican enabler, there's no point to the party.

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. So now Obama's main selling point is that he isn't fucking over average Americans

as fast as a Republican President would? Is that kind of like preferring to get your tooth pulled slowly rather than quickly?

[vi5]

8. Phew...that's good to know.

Then losing my vote won't upset him too much or cause him much pain.

[ellie]

9. They are going to have to do

it without me in 2012. I'm done tuckered out by him.