No Primary Challenge to Obama From the Left yet

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I'm quite disappointed that nobody from the leftwing of the Democratic Party has launched a primary challenge to Obama. Warren Mosler, a Post-Keynesian economist and Modern Monetary Theorist (also known as a "Neochartalist") was set to challenge him, but dropped out in 2010 to (unsuccessfully) run for Senate. Mosler was an aggressive proponent of stimulus, so he'd have put some lefty ideas out there had he stayed in. Loudmouth fetus fetishist Randall Terry apparently will challenge Obama, but that's definitely not from the left.

Obama's economic approval among his core supporters has eroded and I think a well-organized candidate could make the case that it's time to stop trying Republican lite ideas, it's time to enact progressive social and structural reforms to relieve the US of her economic woes. But it's getting too late in the season, I guess left-progressives in safe Democratic states will have vote Green to send a message to the Centrecrat in the Oval Office.

Personally, I think they're just being pragmatic and don't want to risk damaging the Obama brand before a contentious election. I'd welcome a challenge from the left because I think Obama NEEDS to be challenged on his civil liberties and executive powers records, and he has no incentive to change unless he really believes he could lose office over those things. As it is, he seems content to let the progressives grumble because he's confident that he'll still win by being the lesser evil to them. Obama has been essentially governing as a moderate Republican exactly because he doesn't believe that his base will risk handing the presidency to an actual Republican; it's that old canard all over again about Republicans fearing their base while Democrats merely hold theirs in contempt. I say shake his ass up.

Nobody has any realistic chance at unseating Obama and they don't want to damage him before the general election. The left seems to be solidly behind Obama like it or not. It would be interesting to see what type of third party candidates there will be tho. Ralph Nader has been out there trying to push somebody to run so I figure he might end up running himself if he can't find somebody suitable. I doubt he would gain much traction seeing as most partisan democrats still blame him for Gore losing but maybe he could break 1%.