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It's 2016. What's the plan?
It’s 2016.
The two-term presidency of Barack Obama is coming to an end.
What are true progressives to do?
Want to really drive the Repubs batshit crazy?
How about a Russ Feingold/Bob Wexler ticket? Heavily Jewish, but, hopefully, by this time some of the problems in the Middle East will have been ironed out. And, if we want progressives, what two persons in our national legislature better fit the bill?
Plus, after eight years of Feingold, we can run Wexler in 2024.
Never hurts to have a plan!
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You have no idea what will happen this November, and you are planning for 2016? No wonder progressives are held in contempt.
June 25, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea what will happen in November. If I'm cloudy on anything between now and what this post discusses, it's 2012.
June 25, 2008 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am sure that the problems in the middle east will have been ironed out. Also, then everybody will be totally cool with the Jews then.
June 26, 2008 12:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nice shades!
June 26, 2008 12:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks! It's my disguise. I can wear them when I go out and the paparazzi don't follow me.
June 26, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Feingold's brilliant and experienced. He'd be a great President.
(And he's a sexy, sexy mensch! Hubba hubba zing zing, baby, he's got everything!)
June 26, 2008 2:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
True that Feingold's brilliant.
And I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with Wexler, too. He's also the bomb.
I can't speak to sexy menschness, since I'm decidedly hetero, but both of them are really, really progressive.
They would scare the holy Hell out of the wingers!
June 26, 2008 3:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes I do. Perhaps we could have a balanced budget? True security? A foreign policy that doesn't create terrorists? Energy indepence?
Even better than just driving them crazy, perhaps by 2016 they won't exist as a political group? "Movement Conservatism" might be dead by then. Maybe they will still be disorganized and dispirited in the way W and Rove and Cheney used & abused them?
June 26, 2008 7:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good point. 2016 isn't even a fight for progressives if we help the GOP reclaim their heritage as the party of Lincoln and Jefferson during Barack's two terms. It's been a while since we had the benefit of true conservatism in our political debates. Neolibs and neocons have ruled the day for the last 40 years.
June 26, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Trying not to get too far ahead of myself (and, yes, there's some irony in that phrase coming from someone who blogged about 2016), I just hope that Sen. Obama's win in November is the death-knell for the Age of the Politics of Fear the Repubs reigned over.
Once that happens, there may be some real potential for truly constructive political dialogue across the spectrum and, in fact, true statespersonship.
June 26, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
By 2016, perhaps the Republican Party will be populated with new, talented politicians. Perhaps there will be greater numbers of Republicans who are capable statesmen(women), who respect the Constitution, and aren't ethically challenged.
We need the best of all political parties to help maintain perspective and balance.
I think Obama's proven successful model of fundraising will force both parties to offer attractive candidates who appeal to grassroots, small-dollar donors enough to motivate them to fund their campaigns.
Democrats have finally hit on a fundraising model that kicks Republicans' asses. They'll have to try to copy it just to remain competitive--sort of a free market application to fundraising for candidates. The consumers (small-dollar donors) won't shell out dough for an undesirable "product."
June 26, 2008 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Building on my reply to Wade, why not a Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt ticket?
Why not change the conversation so completely that we are arguing over whether geothermal is a better investment than solar or whether space is the place to look to first?
I see 2016 as the year where conservatives and liberals argue over who is the most progressive.
June 26, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, man. Do we dare imagine such a conversation? It sounds so productive. Can we really get there by 2016?
Right now it sounds absolutely heavenly.
June 26, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hear a soft piano and a voice from Liverpool ...
June 26, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
That space first thing has been on my mind lately. Does anybody else think it's a little goofy to spend $17 billion dollars this year to study space when our schools in many places are so lousy that we may not have anybody smart enough to work on the space station in a little while? What's the budget for Obama's plan to give every kid a $4,000/yr. scholarship for college in exchange for a couple of years of community service? And then there are the bridges that go boom and the levees and . . .and . . . Do ya think I'm a backward boobie hatch or do we have our priorities skewed?
June 27, 2008 10:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
In 2016, the first openly gay Republican nominee for president of these 53 United States of America. You saw it here first.
June 26, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go back eight years instead of looking ahead that same number of years. Now ask the same question from the year 2000 perspective as to who would make a great Democratic nominee in 2008.
How many of you even knew that Barack Obama even existed, back in 2000. That is why it is pointless to try and project who will emerge in 2016.
A lot of lessons have been learned during this primary season, so there just might be a woman in her late thirties now, who will have absorbed the lessons of both Senator Obama's and Senator Clinton"s campaigns, and will be ready to win the nomination in another eight years.
June 26, 2008 8:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very true.
But I think we all realize --- at least I do --- that this is pure wild-ass speculation.
June 26, 2008 9:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
A year ago, none of you believed the Democratic candidate would be Obama (no, you did NOT; admit it!) and now you are plotting eight years in the future, not knowing what may change and how? Mental masturbation may be fun, but you will go blind!
June 26, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd like to send this one out to that wascally wabbit George W. Bush.
And, LisB, I previewed it, so I'll need a triple. Stat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTW0y6kazWM
June 26, 2008 9:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aubie84: Amazing video!! I'll have to forward that along!!
June 27, 2008 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink