Some on left souring on Obama

[cali]

By JOSH GERSTEIN | 5/17/09 9:04 AM EDT Text Size:


During Obama's speech, TV cameras will search the sea of grads, looking for turned backs and defaced mortar boards.
Photo: AP


When President Barack Obama speaks to the Notre Dame commencement Sunday afternoon, television cameras will search the sea of graduates, looking for turned backs and defaced mortar boards that abortion opponents will likely use to register their disagreement with the president.

But the attention to protests from conservatives who don’t support Obama – and almost certainly never would – could obscure the far more significant political threat he now faces.

Barely four months into his presidency, Obama is confronting growing dissatisfaction among members of his liberal base, who feel spurned by a series of his early decisions on issues ranging from guns to torture to immigration to gay rights.

The list got longer last week as Obama reversed his earlier decision to release photos of detainees abused in U.S. military custody and announced plans to try some terror suspects before military commissions – though on the campaign trail he railed against earlier versions of the tribunals.

A few, like MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, have even hurled the left’s ultimate epithet – suggesting that Obama’s turning into George W. Bush.

The building anger comes at a critical moment – just as Obama’s about to announce his choice for the Supreme Court. Fulfill their dreams of a “liberal Scalia,” a firebrand from the left, and much would be forgiven.




Read more: "Some on left souring on Obama - Josh Gerstein - POLITICO.com" - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22604.html#ixzz0Flkxv1Ls&A

[Connie_Corleone]

1. Politico can go to hell.

They love this crap.

[Sebastian Doyle]

25. GO to Hell?

I thought that's where they CAME from? :shrug:

[w4rma]

34. No kidding. And the major problem with Obama from the left is on *economics* not what was listed. nt

[ulysses]

2. there won't be any firebrand from the left.

That wouldn't be bipartisan.

[Kdillard]

3. How many times have articles like this been written about the

left being discontent with Obama even when he was barely in office for a month. The "liberal" media has no idea what the left really thinks about Obama and just wants to sow discord. The left is not souring on Obama when they disagree with him and let him know it. Keep beating the drum media. They are using the left as a convenient excuse to try to chip away at the President's support. Gotta keep that approval low.

[Thrill]

4. When Obama takes hard left stances and gets attacked by MSM and Repukes

I never see Democrats and people on the left hitting the airwaves defending the decisions or making the case for them.

We saw it when had to sell his on stimulus, budget, and Democrats stripping the funds he asked for to close Gitmo.

[Kdillard]

12. +20

[MadHound]

28. Sorry, but did I miss something?

Obama hasn't taken any "hard left" stances. In fact he's sold the left right on down the river.

[salguine]

31. Obama's taken "hard left" stances? When?

[Overseas]

44. I haven't seen a "hard left" stance yet either. //nt

[rocktivity]

5. The Associated Press and Politico

a marriage made in a mad scientist's laboratory.

:boring:
rocktivity

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. McCain and Palin would've made them happier?

I don't think so.

[nevergiveup]

7. A liberal friend told me yesterday

he wanted Nancy Pelosi to be the first to go to jail. He also said if he had to do it over again he would have voted for McCain because at least he would have known what he was getting. He also said if a few extra men had to die in Iraq as a result of the photos being released they would not have died in vain especially if it resulted in the prosecution of those who have tortured. I went off on him and probably lost a long time friend. I need to get away from politics for a while.

[Kdillard]

Sorry to hear that but seriously he didn't know what he was getting when he

voted for Obama? That is strange and even worse he would have gone with McCain/Palin.

[Kdillard]

8. dupe

[jaysunb]

41. ROFL !

n/t

[Forkboy]

22. If he would vote for McCain he isn't a liberal anyways.

[Jennicut]

9. The Obama=Bush thing makes me laugh.

Did we not do the Gore=Bush thing 8 years ago and how utterly wrong that turned out to be.

[Tarheel_Dem]

35. Good point Jenn. I imagine the same folks now making that comparison...

are the few who will never be satisfied until we elect Ralph Nader.

[ananda]

10. It shows how far right the so-called left has gone.

I'm a liberal leftie and I was NEVER enamored
with Obama.

So I'm not sour on him. I always knew he was
veering right as a candidate, and I'm not too
surprised that he's going further right as a
sitting president.

I simply wish it were not so... and I will do
everything I can to change it. But as long
as corporations controll the mentality of the
government, and as long as people remain
apathetic, nothing will change.

[ErinBerin84]

11. yeah, I'm not sure if Rachel Maddow is the best

example for this article either. I remember during the primaries, she said that Obama's Iraq troop withdrawal plan was "bullshit", which is her perogative, but she never struck me as someone with too many stars in her eyes. As far as others, I agree with Eleanor Clift that it's the progressive's JOB to put pressure on Obama. I doubt it will be the only time they are disappointed, right or wrong. But when the breaking point is reached, it sure as hell won't be determined by Politico. I think another poster also made the point that while it is an asset that Democrats criticize our president's techniques, it is also unfortunate (this is more true of Democratic politicians than activists, etc) that they are not too good at rallying in support of things they DO agree with, or coming to the defense of RW lies. For example, the stimulus debate, or even during Democratic campaigns in general. And the media seems to know this and I feel like I only get to hear about Finegold from the media (this is not the fault of him , but more the media) when he disagrees with Obama on something. The left needs to walk the line between usefully applying pressure and falling into the MSM trap (though I'm sure Maddow is rolling her eyes at this article if she sees it).

[butterfly77]

30. Rachel is full of it..

she thinks that because she has a teevee show she can now run the whitehouse. She always jumps out their complaining about what he hasn't done since day one. Has she been in on all of the meeting and has she read all of the classified documents.

[quaker bill]

13. There is little evidence

that this "souring" represents more than just a few people. While he has backed partially down from some of his campaign issues, President Obama has not moved all that far from where he always has been, when you look at the bigger picture.

The larger point is this. Just a little over 4 years ago, this country either elected or at least voted very heavily for George W. Bush. While I think Dubya would have a hard time getting elected to any office anywhere these days, it is wrong to conclude from this that there has been an equally massive shift in political sentiment. The country has moved leftward for certain, but not all that far. It is quite possible for the President to over play his hand here.

Now, if the stuff he is doing causes the economy to start posting solid gains, the country will shift farther left, and the President's hand will get stronger. There is a need for him to build on success as we move in a progressive direction, this will take time.

[tabatha]

14. Agreed.

His environmental policy is extremely important, as is his alternative energy.

[uponit7771]

15. Yeap, Obama has a 90% approval rating amongst dems...another hyperbolic MsM statement

...eom

[BlooInBloo]

16. *yawn*

[firedupdem]

17. Well they can quote Rachel all they want for their article. I'm

glad for her she could be of service to republico. I'm not sour on this President at all. This country has been royally fucked over and the MSM didn't mind helping those in power to achieve all their goals. Fuck republico!

[lunatica]

18. They're having a very hard time with cognition

Since the Republicans and the Corporations walk in lockstep and rubberstamp Dear Leader's policies they assume everyone does. They just can't wrap their minds around the concept that dissent does not equate to rejection. Same for the uber religious freeks. They can't see gray areas because they've eliminated all that kind of thinking. Their synapsis are frozen in jumping from one extreme to another nullifying 99% of their brain's neurological potential. Lazy thinking, in other words. Or what I like to call Hampster thinking. Just going around and around in the same spot and never deviating and never getting anywhere.

[Phx_Dem]

19. I, for one, and glad they quoted Rachel. She and others Dems have

said straight up that Obama is the same as Bush, which is complete and utter bullshit. Just because President Obama does something she doesn't like, he's George Bush. Well, maybe Rachel is turning into Newt Gringrich, with her constant criticism of Obama.

I don't see how anyone can blame the media for this one, they clearly got their headline from reading the liberal blogs and listening to them on TV.

[Cha]

20. Yeah, that's just stupid, lazy,

1/2 assed journalism.

[depakid]

21. I watched that segmant and Rachel was spot on

What Obama was saying was EXACTLY what Bush would have said- or did say. She was right- he morphed into Bush right before our eyes.

[Phx_Dem]

23. He hasn't morphed into anything remotely resembling Bush in my eyes.

[Cha]

33. No, you, Rachel and the rest

who are resorting to name calling and 1/2 truths are making a stupid case and it's going to get you exactly nowhere.

[depakid]

36. Sorry, but Obama made the statements- and they sounded line Bush

Rachel pointed that out (none too subtly). That people don't like that notion- and want to pretend they weren't said isn't our fault.

One case in point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4JphqRbT0E

[Cha]

37. You sound like

fools.

[depakid]

38. Just calling a spade a spade

One might note in that regard that Frank Rich was correct in his column today- the administration is losing control of the story. And that risks looking complicit -or disoragnized- or both.

[Cha]

39. You all are the ones

who are like bush..leaving out important facts and acting like you know shit.

[depakid]

40. I'm aware of the facts- and the actions that resemble Bush's

Unfortunately, some prefer to remain in denial- rather than accept what's actually going on. The British might weigh in one some of that- as can folks who follow the DOJ.

[SalviaBlue]

24. What if the "news" reported a protest and nobody came.

"When President Barack Obama speaks to the Notre Dame commencement Sunday afternoon, television cameras will search the sea of graduates, looking for turned backs and defaced mortar boards that abortion opponents will likely use to register their disagreement with the president. "

There doesn't appear to be any audible or visual protest. Faux news is focusing on two or three mortar boards w/ the cross... BFD. The coverage of this is insane.

[rvablue]

26. I'm sick of this "some" business. And I'm not clicking on that link, but I doubt they have one

"liberal" quoted as having "soured on President Obama."

The media used the same tactic at ND: "some students protested."

Really, because another report I read said 10 students -- T-E-N!!! -- walked out of the graduation. Now other reports are saying it was just a bunch of old white fat guys.

Just goes to show that Politico is a gossip rag most of the time. "Some", huh? Well, give me some interviews of liberals who have "soured" Politico....give me a poll....give me something besides unsourced and uncited innuendo, Politico!!

[FrenchieCat]

27. 1/3 of 1% (.345% or 10 out of 2900) protest Prez at ND

and they make up 90% of today's news stories!

Now that's what I call fuzzy math.

oh and Fuck Politico!

[Spazito]

29. Same old shit, different day from Politico....

Talon News in a new format.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[benEzra]

42. Umm, gun bans aren't a liberal issue, they are a DLC/corporatist issue.

Obama is smart enough to realize that new gun bans are a political albatross, apparently unlike a lot of pundits and corporatocrats who think we still live in 1993.

One of the smartest things Obama has done so far, IMO, has been to drop the ban-popular-guns BS that so characterized the party from 1993 to 2006.

[Occam Bandage]

43. The DLC was one of the driving forces in convincing Dems to give up on gun bans.

It's strange to see you blame them for gun bans. Though many DLCers are former gun grabbers, they mostly realized during the Clinton years that guns were a huge, huge loser issue for Democrats, and DLCers are always perfectly fine with abandoning their positions once they find them to be politically inconvenient.

[benEzra]

45. The Third Way/DLC were the ones who put those bans on the agenda in the first place

in order to look "tough on crime" to right-leaning authoritarians, and it is mostly DLC'ers (Dianne Feinstein, Carolyn McCarthy, Charles Schumer, et al) who continue to push them. The party's liberal wing tends to focus on more substantive issues, though there are certainly exceptions (e.g., Boxer).

As late as 2004, the DLC at large was still vehemently pro-bans.

[MasonJar]

46. You are wrong to think that we, on the left, are satisfied with all of

Obama's decisions. I am quite upset that Obama has decided not to investigate the Bush war crimes. He may be forced to eventually, but his reluctance to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate obvious war crimes is unacceptable. I am not happy that he chose Geithner and Summer to head the bailout. They are continuing Paulson's and Geithner's policy of giving money away without enough regulation and oversight. I am very displeased that single payer is not even being considered, which would not be the case if Obama insisted that it be on the table. Obama has multiple skills and many fine qualities; he has instituted several changes I applaud, but I cannot ignore his incredible switch from campaign promises. I had hoped his were not just rhetoric. We now have a continuation of military commissions and other ects.

[NJGeek]

47. uhhh not

no one in the real world is concerned with this crap. obama his wide support - even my irish in-laws who voted for mccain (and bush, twice) like him.