Liberal Revolt against Obama? Yea, right.

[impik]

Some people here honestly think that few hundreds DU/DK members are not only Barack Obama's base - They actually represent all Liberals. Speaking about self indulging.

David Paul Kuhn David Paul Kuhn – Wed Dec 23, 1:00 am ET


We are told Barack Obama has problems with his base. The New York Times headlined: "Liberal Revolt on Health Care Stings White House." Politico headlined: "Left rebels against health reform" and "Under Obama, the Left feels left out." At The Washington Post, a David Broder column carried the headline: "The president, abandoned by his party." And that's only in the past week.

It's hype. Obama's current Democratic approval rating, 84 percent, is above Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter at the close of their first year in office. More Democrats approve of Obama than Republicans approved of Ronald Reagan (81 percent) at the close of Reagan's first year, according to Gallup polling.

In fact, Obama's Democratic approval has slid only a few points all year. Indeed, the further left on the political spectrum, the stronger Obama's support. Conservative Democrat approval: 77 percent. Moderate Democrat: 83. Liberal Democrat: 86.

The least of Obama's problems is with his base. Obama's rating among independents is in the low 40s. His support among Republicans is in the teens. It was not wayward Democrats who dragged Obama's public approval rating below 50 percent.

The support Obama enjoys within his base is average, compared to the eleven post-war presidents. But consider that Obama's Democratic rating ties John F. Kennedy at the close of year one. Of course, JFK was far more popular with everyone else.

So we have reality, as the Pew Research Center found, that 84 percent of liberal Democrats believe Obama is doing an excellent or good job "in standing up for the traditional positions of the Democratic Party."...

...And then we have the hype. Why the gap?

Blame a few prominent liberals and a political media that cannot resist drawing outsized conclusions from them. Former Democratic Party leader Howard Dean was the most well-known voice. Last week, Dean urged the Senate to kill the health care bill and expressed tepid enthusiasm for Obama's reelection.

This so-called liberal hullabaloo centers on the health care legislation. MSNBC's liberal primetime lineup came out swinging. Both Keith Olbermann and Ed Schultz opposed the bill. They saw the price of compromise as too high. Schultz went so far as to say to Obama on air, "your base thinks you're nothing but a sellout - a corporate sellout."

Leading liberal blogs echoed the sentiment. Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas twittered, "Time to kill this monstrosity coming out of the Senate."

Only days later, the Senate passed the health care bill with unanimous blue support—60 Democratic votes. Olbermann, Dean and Moulitsas failed to cow even a single liberal senator. Of course they failed. No political party would choose to fail at legislation so large, so consuming, because politicians are occupationally obsessed with political costs; and more political capital is riding on this bill than perhaps any legislation in decades. But yes, some vocal activists oppose the bill. However, most Democrats support it.

About six in 10 Democrats have steadily favored the health care bill for the past seven months, according to Pew, compared to a minority of the public overall...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/23/liberals_revolt_against_obama_not_really_99652.html

[ima_sinnic]

1. be smug at your own risk, Rahm (nt)

[stevenleser]

7. Funny, I didnt think Rahm wrote this. (nt)

[ima_sinnic]

8. you always take things so literally? "Rahm" is that smug attitude of "who else are they

going to vote for?"

[cliffordu]

11. Well...It hurts to be a joke, don't it??

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EFerrari]

3. I guess next time, ALL the money will come out of corporate coffers.

Where's the down side?

[NYC_SKP]

4. The nouns "Liberal" and especially "Progressive" are like a Rorschach Test.

There really is no agreed upon definition.

And, IMHO, members of the left often seem to call out others for "not belonging" than members of the right.

I can't be certain as I don't hang out with many from the right.

From what I see in the media and on this board, however, it seems to be true.

Sad, really, eating one another to the delight of the right.

:shrug:

[johnlal]

5. Admit it! You're NOT upset with Obama!

This article says you're not upset with Obama. These polls say you're not upset with Obama. So quit saying that you are, dammit!

[Divine Discontent]

6. yes, Obama's mr popularity here in FL... he will not win re-election here, unless they put up Palin

and that, unfortunately, won't happen.

[ima_sinnic]

9. I predict that Palin (or a similarly stunningly unqualified clone) will be run to ensure

Obama's reelection. It's the sound of two hands washing each other.

[Divine Discontent]

12. if she or the republican bubba somehow get the nom I'll know we're absolutely in the throws of

being 'owned' by a 1 party system.

[depakid]

10. Some people it seems have short memories- and/or have to learn the hard way

too bad that comes at everyone else's expense....

[OHdem10]

13. Where did they get these results. Other tracking polls have seen

Democrats and Independents falling away from Democrats.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. There is a difference between support of the party in general and Obama in particular

[Number23]

15. "Indeed, the further left on the political spectrum, the stronger Obama's support."

Says it all! And really, this is something everyone here already knew...

[seeinfweggos]

16. interesting part

It's hype. Obama's current Democratic approval rating, 84 percent, is above Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter at the close of their first year in office. More Democrats approve of Obama than Republicans approved of Ronald Reagan (81 percent) at the close of Reagan's first year, according to Gallup polling.

[Number23]

17. kick