Obama speaks to Netroots Nation. A week later, his mouthpiece blasts the same people

[Bluebear]

What is Robert Gibbs thinking?

by Michael Tomasky, Guardian UK

...I'm the guy who just wrote 6,000 words on why disgruntled liberals should take it easy on Obama. And even I find this offensive.

You don't go out of your way to dis your base. Especially after Obama just extended an olive branch, speaking via video to Netroots Nation. Liberals understand that the administration is not going to accomplish everything they want. Some activists deal with this reality gracefully, and some don't. But a White House should not rub the activists' noses in dirt. Even while failing to accomplish liberal goals, the White House should from time to time signal that it shares those goals. You blame Republicans, and everybody's happy. It's pretty simple.

In fact it's so simple it raises the question of whether Gibbs did this intentionally, dog-whistling to someone else. But that's too clever by half. What, some midterm strategy to appeal to independent voters? Base voters are more likely to vote in midterms. At a time when the enthusiasm gap is already pretty steep, this just makes it worse.

Gibbs and Rahm and Axe and company would do a lot better trying to come up with an overall strategy for the fall elections, because as of yet there is not one. And to the extent that this constitutes a strategy, it's one for defeat, or worse defeat.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/aug/10/obama-administration-gibbs-and-the-base

[Hydra]

1. You have an unrec fanclub

That means you're doing something right! Sorry you're still at 0, but have a kick too.

[Bluebear]

3. It's OK. The message disciplinarians are quick but ultimately outnumbered :)

[Hydra]

5. Good to see the numbers are as low as I suspected

Because the vitriol level is INSANE.

[laughingliberal]

11. A detailed look at the recs/unrecs for the posts on today's front page reveal no more than 10%

unrecs for any of the posts. Much like the RW noise machine, the volume gives the impression of larger numbers.

[Occulus]

6. Have you noticed it's the same four or five people?

Consistently. The same four or five usernames stirring up the shit all over DU today.

I have to wonder if there's more going on with that. It's the same people, over and over and over, repeating the same bullshit, in thread after thread after thread. I don't even have to post their names, not only because it's against the rules, but also because it's so glaringly obvious to anyone with two neurons to rub together.

Amazing, isn't it?

[Bluebear]

8. Most of them are on my ignored list, they really are.

I can only be accused of "whining" and "not making the President feel good, what did I expect" so many times.

I make no apologies for being a liberal.

[carolinayellowdog]

15. Relentless hatemongering against progressives

Hey, I was a passionate DUer and regular donor from 2002 through 2006. But as soon as the Democrats took the House, a dynamic was set up that got worse in the primary season, worse yet during the 2008 elections, and has reached abominable levels now. The site has become almost unbearable due to the (usually content-free) snark of the message discipline bullies. Despite the fact that a large majority of DUers have the same values we had back in the early years here, a vocal minority of members here continually abuse progressives and "the Left" in terms all too familiar from the rightwingers of the Bush years.

[Bluebear]

16. +++

[Solly Mack]

2. k/r

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I don't get it either.......K&R

[laughingliberal]

7. Yeah, kind of shot themselves in the foot with this.

The timing is weird as hell. Yesterday, we got word the President will appoint Warren. Today, the House passed the jobs' bill. We were looking at a day which should have had the left celebrating. Instead, open mouth/insert foot Gibbs manages to surpass Rahm with his insulting display of disdain. Makes absolutely NO fucking sense.

[Bluebear]

9. The day Prop 8 (Calif.) is judged unconstitutional, out comes the White House dissing gay marriage

Their timing would be weird if it didn't happen again and again and again.

[laughingliberal]

12. There was, actually, some decent news for the left today. And Gibbs walked all over it. Baffling. nt

[Bluebear]

14. Don't be baffled.

Once you catch the pattern and MO it's pretty predictable.

[Jamastiene]

10. If this is their GOTV strategy,

I don't think it is going to work. I really don't.

[laughingliberal]

13. ROFL!! I love masterful understatement! nt

[Bluebear]

17. =)

[amborin]

18. K&R

[donheld]

19. It's becoming typical of this administration