Darcy Who? Obama Has A Challenger

In the 2012 presidential election, Richardson is the first candidate that has filed to challenge incumbent Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in New Hampshire[1] and other states.

wikipedia.org

Yay MSM for letting us know Obama had a challenger. So who is this guy?

Richardson is the author of A Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign, published in 2002. The book describes in detail the "Clean for Gene" phenomenon that led to President Lyndon B. Johnson's startling withdrawal from the race and Robert F. Kennedy's opportunistic last-minute candidacy, as well as the campaigns of Republican Richard M. Nixon and others. He has also authored four books of a planned seven volume series on the history of third party politics in the United States, with a heavy focus on progressive movements. The first volume, "Others: Third-Party Politics From the Nation's Founding to the Rise and Fall of the Greenback-Labor Party" earned a Choice magazine Outstanding Academic Title (OAT) award for 2005.[2]

Richardson is the creator of the left-wing blog site BattlegroundBlog.com and another blog called Uncovered Politics.
Between 1989 and 1992, Richardson served as the National Chairman of the New Democrats, a liberal reformist group that included Eugene McCarthy and Gary Hart.[3][4]

Darcy Richardson: Why I'm Running For President

While it was my fervent hope that a candidate of national stature and credibility would challenge President Obama in the 2012 Democratic primaries, I have entered my name in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary to offer my fellow disillusioned Democrats a choice.
...
I had originally hoped that somebody like Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio or Florida firebrand Alan Grayson would carry the progressive banner against the Obama Administration. I have personally encouraged several of them to run, without success.

I wish Alan Grayson was running too, but I'm intrigued. I'm going to do some more research on this guy and add my findings to the thread. I hope you all will do the same (you conservatives too). Maybe I will be voting after all.

Okay I found an interview that took place before Christmas in which Mr. Richardson talks about his goals and expectations. He states that he thinks he has a snowballs chance in hell and didn't even want to run but felt compelled because Obama has failed Progressives on such a large scale. He says that he will feel successful if he can shift Obama's platform even a little bit to the left and to make him truly face our economic woes. So far I like him.

I can't imbed the video but you can find it here on Richardson's election site.

reply to post by Kali74
This seems more like a straight line (to me) than a legitamate candidate.

He wants to be more progressive???

Like our Constitution hasn't been trampled enough?

reply to post by beezzer


Progressives don't aim to trample the Constitution and in all honesty Obama is not progressive, in the past year he seems more right than anything else. Though to be more accurate I think both Obama and George jr. didn't represent their party or even any ideology other than make the rich richer and damn the rest. Progressives are really not happy with Obama at all.

Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by beezzer

 

Progressives don't aim to trample the Constitution and in all honesty Obama is not progressive, in the past year he seems more right than anything else. Though to be more accurate I think both Obama and George jr. didn't represent their party or even any ideology other than make the rich richer and damn the rest. Progressives are really not happy with Obama at all.

I can agree with that. Obama isn't progressive enough.

We still have some freedoms left.

(I couldn't resist, sorry)

reply to post by beezzer


Not sure what you think a progressive is...

Priorities

[edit]End wars The Progressive Democrats of America believes that the Iraq war is one of the worst foreign policy disasters in U.S. history. The PDA has called on the United States to withdraw its troops and redirect its war funding toward social needs at home and humanitarian aid for Iraqis. The organization has called on Congress to cut off military funding for the war and investigate all White House claims justifying the invasion. PDA is also behind the Bring the Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act, introduced by key members of the PDA board, Reps. Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters. The bill would bring all U.S. troops home within 6 months. PDA has also publicly endorsed House Resolution 746, known as the Safe and Orderly Withdrawal From Iraq Act.[1]

[edit]Single-payer health care PDA supports establishing a single-payer health care system through the United States National Health Care Act, which would essentially provide enhanced Medicare for all by establishing a streamlined, nonprofit national health insurance program that would negotiate drug and treatment costs. Care would be publicly financed and privately delivered. PDA also supports health care initiatives at the state and local level that move toward a single-payer system.[2]

[edit]Economics The Progressive Democrats of America support an agenda of progressive taxation and fair trade. PDA has worked to get the United States Congress to roll back President George W. Bush's tax cuts. The PDA also supports fair trade, which it claims protects workers' rights and the environment, while opposing free trade agreements that it argues allow corporations to exploit unprotected labor worldwide. PDA is attempting to block renewal of fast track authority that allows the White House to enact trade deals without Congressional amendment. PDA endorses the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to organize unions.[3]

[edit]Election reform The Progressive Democrats of America support federal legislation that would ban further use of touch-screen voting machines, establish a paper ballot as the official record for determining voter intent and require rigorous mandatory audits for elections. PDA also supports comprehensive campaign finance reform at the state and national level.[4]

[edit]Energy policy The Progressive Democrats of America want to reduce America's dependence on oil and fossil fuels by raising auto fuel economy and imposing mandatory caps on carbon dioxide while investing in public transportation, energy conservation technologies, and alternative energy development.[5] [edit]Drugs The Progressive Democrats of America supports legalization of marijuana and endorsed California Proposition 19 (2010).[6][7]

wikipedia.org