Will the Democrats Try to Keep Obama from Running for Reelection?

It appears to be the case that the Democratic anger about President Barack Obama's tax deal has come to a head. Suggesting the unthinkable, there are Democratic rumblings about the possibility that someone could challenge President Obama in the primary heading into the 2012 presidential elections.

Those on the far left, from Keith Olbermann to James Carville, have gone as far as suggesting that President Obama has sold out a long list of Democratic principles. The recent tax deal with the Republicans may be the straw threatening to break the camel's back, but there has been a consistent irritation that Obama isn't strong enough, and that he hasn't fought very hard to end the war in Afghanistan. In addition, liberals have always seemed to feel that Obama comes up short on many of the issues they hold near and dear.

If Obama were to be challenged in the primary, no one seems to know who that challenger might be. All of the usual suspects have turned down the opportunity to stand up, including Russ Feingold and Howard Dean. Also, some speculate that speaking up on a challenge to President Obama is merely a way to get his attention and to turn his policies back in the right direction.

I don't personally expect that Obama will be kept from running for re-election, but there are two things we must keep in mind: First, no president who's ever been challenged in a primary has ever gone on to win the election. Secondly, it may take only one more major blow up before the theoretical concept of challenging Obama suddenly becomes a reality. In other words, the tension between President Obama and the Democrats may grow even deeper as he continues to compromise even more with the increasingly powerful Republican Party.

One has to wonder just how reasonable the criticism of President Obama happens to be, given that most of his critics are not able to provide a reasonable alternative to his current strategy. A prolonged battle with Republicans might have made good political sense, but the consequences would have been devastating for millions of Americans praying that their unemployment insurance doesn't run out. Also, the ideologues of the Democratic Party can sometimes get so caught up in fighting that they don't actually connect themselves to the nuts and bolts aspect of actually getting things done.

President Obama did the right thing to compromise on this particular issue. But as we enter 2011, I am hopeful that he will show the kind of backbone his liberal base is seeking. All the while, it will be difficult for Obama to prove his strength after losing the power he should have been using last year. I am curious to see what happens.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.