Back in May, I asked whether progressives should mount a primary challenge against President Obama. I was ambivalent at the time. I'm now ready to endorse the idea. It is time to identify a progressive challenger to run against President Obama in the Democratic primary.

I believe that the best thing that could happen for American progressives between now and 2012 would be for a candidate to step forward to challenge President Obama for the Democratic Party's nomination. The challenger would obviously not win - that would not be the point. Such a challenge would be designed to remind the president that we progressives are not happy with his consistently right-of-center positions in which he repeatedly gives away what we want before the negotiations even begin (e.g., Dick Cheney in prison, a public option, a repeal of the Bush tax cuts, Elizabeth Warren, etc.). The goal would be to require President Obama to explain himself and be reminded of real progressive values.

To those who insist that a primary challenge would weaken President Obama, I hear your concern but have yet to be convinced by your arguments. I expect the president would wipe the floor with any challenger. The only way I can imagine him being weakened would be if he performed poorly, and that just would not happen. I think a challenge would likely strengthen him, especially if it resulted in him moving to the left and firing some advisors.

Just because President Obama has been a disappointment to many progressives does not mean that it is too late to regain our support and restore our enthusiasm. By demonstrating that he respects the left and by convincing us that he plans to move the country in a genuinely progressive direction in his second term, I believe that President Obama could restore much of the momentum he had in 2008.

The fear that a primary challenge would divide the Democratic Party ignores the fact that the party is already quite divided. Progressives can only be ignored so long before we leave the Democratic Party, and that would create a real divide. The fear that a primary challenge would somehow result in victory for a Republican reflects insufficient knowledge about the difference between a primary election and a general election. There is nothing to stop us from calling for a primary and still supporting President Obama in the general election.

Of course, moving the president to the left is only one of the things we need to do. And even if he were to move significantly to the left, it would not make much of a difference unless we can make some gains in Congress. I understand that, but I do believe that should be part of a progressive strategy.

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