Follow-up poll - basic spectrum of Obama disapproval causes

[dmallind]

Poll question: Follow-up poll - basic spectrum of Obama disapproval causes

Simple question - what is your main reason for disapproving of Obama's job performance? I left in the approve option for the 28% who do, but interested in reasons for DISapproval more.

WOOPS - corrected option 8. Sorry.

[zalinda]

1. He's too far to the right and so are his appointments. n/t

[Tesha]

2. Besides his overall slant being too far ti the right, I also disapprove because:

o He's been relatively ineffectual at moving his
program, even his Rightist program, along to
completion.

o He appears to be far too much of a compromiser,
giving up our positions even before stating them.
And if Americans hate anything, it's a wimp.

o He hasn't done *ANYTHING* to shore-up relations
with the activist left wing of his party. In fact,
I'd have to say that he continues to actively
attempt to drive us away and has done so since
day one.

But the A-Number-One reason I hold against him is
that he blew *THE BEST CHANCE WE'VE HAD IN FIFTY
YEARS* to get some things done. And that chance
likely won't come again soon.

Tesha

[boxman15]

3. I think his stances for the most part and his political strategies in Washington are fine, but

his communication has been terrible. When elected, I expected Obama to get very little of importance done, but would be able to communicate with the American people well, shift public debate to the left, and maintain his popularity (a la JFK). The exact opposite has happened. We've had historic legislation passed, but nobody knows about it because the White House has been terrible at communication.

Hopefully, now that campaign season is coming up, he'll be able to communicate better since he is more comfortable on the campaign trail and outside of Washington.

[Number23]

4. What an intelligent, interesting post

Are you sure you meant to post that here? :)

I'm sure that most people would agree with what you've written.

[dmallind]

5. BTW the "too left" outlier is not mine.

I would sincerely welcome some feedback if that was a serious vote rather than a joke or spoiler. I occupy a position much closeer to centrism than the vast majority of DU seems to, and my (relatively minor) quibbles with his policies have so far been more to the "left-preferred" side than his - single payer/public option negotiations being a biggy. I can fully understand not wanting to argue that Obama is too left on DU - that way lies excoriation and abuse at best. But if you want to advance some ideas on why he's failing to the left via PM I promise to not share any info and carefully consider the ideas.

Frankly I expected to hsve a touch more complaints from Obama's right than I have had - and as such I sort of understand the disappointment from some who wanted him to be what I was concerned he might be - though I certainly don't agree with the extent and venom of their disappointment. I thought he may have been a bit more aggressive on gun control and supporting closed shops than he has been to mention two.

For the most part my biggest complaint is that he is actually keeping one very prominent and oft-reiterated campaign promise that the further left DUers seem to have forgotten or to have misconstrued when he was trumpeting it at every speech - the promise to work with the GOP and to consider their ideas and wishes openly. In the 60s and 70s this would have been both sound and unexceptional. In the 80s and 90s it would have been sporadically useful and notable, but positive for a President. In the 00's and 10's, giving national Republicans a millimeter more than you absolutely have to, and pretending their wishes are anything but extremist nonsense, is leaving them a toehold they should never be allowed, and very misguided at best.