Obama now at 84% approval among liberal Democrats

[UrbScotty]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/presidential-approval-center.aspx

[MannyGoldstein]

1. So 84% approve of blowing open "free" trade, attacking Social Security,

devastating budget cuts during a depression, Wall Street uber alles, etc?

Wow.

[rury]

16. K&R!!!!!

:bounce: :kick:

[cliffordu]

18. He just saved Social Security...

But thanks for playing

[MannyGoldstein]

23. Obama: "We then offered an additional $650 billion in cuts to entitlement programs..."

"We then offered an additional $650 billion in cuts to entitlement programs -- Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security." - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/22/r... ">President Obama 2/22/2011

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2366622&mesg_id=2366973

You're welcome!

[cliffordu]

29. he knew they would't bite on the 650.

now, the cuts to the military are written in stone and the cuts to medicare, etc are off the table, aren't they?

Understand politics, do we??

he just said he'd veto any bill that included cuts to those programs, a complete reversal of his "offer"

Try to keep up and stop thinking we're all so fucking stupid.

I always believed you smarter than this.

I could be wrong.

[Hutzpa]

30. Be careful now

otherwise they might advocate violence toward you.

[MannyGoldstein]

35. And the President told you this?

Let's face it - the guy just pushed through three job-obliterating Bush "free" trade bills and appointed a bipartisan committee designed to urge deep cuts in Social Security benefits, etc. And has given the bankers trillions more in taxpayer money to gamble with. Why should we believe that Obama is suddenly playing 12-dimensional chess?

As to his vow to veto any bill that cuts Social Security benefits - I've not seen that, could you provide a link?

[cliffordu]

36. Many posts covering this yesterday

You're supposed to be the policy genius here, look it up.

I ain't the fucking google.

[MannyGoldstein]

38. One of us has epically failed.

Regards,

Manny

[cliffordu]

39. Just the one that believes Obama was serious about the 650

[ZenaD]

99. Should we just not take anything he says seriously then?

Or perhaps you'll help us by posting a primer on when we should take the President seriously and when not.

[creon]

60. You

that post is an epic fail

[ellisonz]

57. "I ain't the fucking google."

:spray:

[ZenaD]

98. I'm curious: If putting entitlements on the table was merely a ruse, whom

Whom was it intended to fool? Jon Kyl et al? They're politicians too so wouldn't they be aware of this tactic being used on them? If the ruse was intended to fool the public why would you be surprised it worked? Why would you be mocking others on this site for taking the Prez and Dems at their word regarding being willing to cut entitlements when that's exactly what they said? Should we just always assume they're lying when they propose things?

[creon]

59. Poisoned chalice

PBO 'offered' a poisoned chalice.

[cliffordu]

61. That's right.

[Whisp]

31. hehe.

How's my favourite little Eeyore doing?

[Vanje]

96. 84% Approval means.....

84% will admit that Obama blows somewhat less that the crazy-eyed whiffel-heads in that Clown-Car they call the 2012 Republican candidate line up.

[Lasher]

2. And 43% overall.

Obama is the first president since Carter to have had an overall approval rating below 50% at this point during his first term.

[ralan]

7. Wrong!

Reagan hit 35% in his first term, GWH Bush hit 29% in his first term and Bill Clinton hit 37% in his first term. Look it up!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/presidential-approval-tracker.htm

President Obama has never been below 39%.

[Lasher]

9. You are answering the wrong question.

I said, "...at this point during his first term." That would be during November 14 thru 20 in the third year of each president's first term. This is according to the Gallup poll resource linked in the OP. There my claim can be confirmed as a simple fact.

The statistics you cite are of all-time lows throughout each president's first term. That's different.

[ralan]

33. That's Hilarious!

So you mean a particular seven day period in the term of a president. Aha. What a compelling argument. Quite practical, too...

[ClassWarrior]

32. But where are all the "centrists?"

:rofl:

NGU.

[Hutzpa]

34. or Independent Moderates

or Moderate Independents I saw this on DU the couple of days ago,
can't even put it together.. :rofl:

[Lasher]

54. This cherry picking of liberal Democratic responses is an invitation to bury our heads in the sand.

Every vote counts, or at least it should. Obama has just one year left to improve a pathetic 43% approval rating into something at least approaching 50% if he hopes to be re-elected. So far the best thing he's got going for him is the pathetic pack of shithead candidates that are trying to get the GOP nomination to run against him.

[treestar]

85. The post is about liberals

Not the centrists.

[ZenaD]

94. Centrists on this site appear to be obsessed with what liberals think

Even as they disdain them.

[Divernan]

3. "Pure Independent" approval at 31%, and the independent vote decides most elections..

[DCBob]

64. Doesnt mean the other 69% will vote for the Republican.

I suspect you asked the same question of any of the current GOP candidates their approvals would be less than 31%.

[Vattel]

4. When did liberals become so unreasonable?

Maybe someone should make up a bull-shit theory to explain why liberals are so unreasonable that they approve of Obama.

[great white snark]

10. People make up those bull shit theories here every day.

"hero worship", "stockholm syndrome" etc etc.

[NorthCarolina]

13. We're apparently in the process of redefining the term "Liberal" to include

right of center, centrist New Dem voters. You move the Democratic Party to the right, you might as well move the definition of the party base to the right as well. That way you can claim that there is some difference from the GOP. Not so much in policy of course, but in that the Dem base is comprised of "Liberals" who are ecstatic over trade deals, "adjustments" to medicare and social security, against OWS....etc.

[iamthebandfanman]

77. not in the process,

already happened.
the republicans made sure that any democrat is and has been labled a liberal for a while now.. it finally took hold during Bush ..

thats the thing about being a 'big tent' party, it means we dont all agree.
thats normally an okay thing..
but these days, republicans are in the smallest tent they may have ever been in .. and they all march lockstep arm in arm to push their agenda forward regardless of consequence.
the 'centrist' and conservatives in our party are unwilling to switch partys and/or compromise with the base for the sake of unity , instead they demand the base move to them.

[ZenaD]

97. I have a facebook friend who is a textbook example

He's a "Democrat" who happens to love every Republican lite DLC idea and often shows up on my discussions to be contrarian. He constantly posts Third Way dreck on my wall too. I see practically nothing liberal about him other than being pro-choice but that's how he describes himself.

[treestar]

86. That article was referring to the purists who think they

are the only true liberals.

[ZenaD]

95. Neo-liberals are the TRUE liberals, amirite?

[Danse]

5. Liberals?

I can't imagine an informed "liberal" approving of Obama's performance. Unless we're using the term in the Phil Ochs sense ("love me I'm a liberal"). Expanding neocon policy in just about every way imaginable is certainly not "progressive". I guess it all comes down to marketing. If Bush were enacting these policies there would be riots in the streets.

[pnorman]

6. I'm pnorman from Seatte WA, and I support President Obama!

Are you saying that I'm rightward of a liberal?

[ellisonz]

24. +2

[needvsgreed]

8. OWS

.. oh wait .. there -are- riots in the streets ... ;-)
*ducks*

[treestar]

87. I thought OWS was peaceful and not rioting

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kahuna]

11. Say What???

:patriot:

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. Which leads me to believe the howling we hear on this board is coming from "outside the house".

;)

[great white snark]

14. Can't be true. They are the true liberals. We are uninformed.

Or so I've read.

:P


P.S. "howl" is putting it nicely.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. "They are the true liberals". That's what The Heritage Foundation would like us to think.

:hi:

[cry baby]

17. Food for Thought!! nt

[Telly Savalas]

78. Not necessarily

While Obama's approval rating is 84% for self-identified liberal Democrats, that poll has the approval at 73% for liberals in general. So the approval rate for people who identify themselves as liberal independents would have to be considerably lower to pull the overall liberal average down that low.

While anyone who isn't an idiot can easily recognize the huge constraints Obama is working under with the hyper-conservative Congress, it's becoming increasingly frustrating not to have a champion of sound economic policy in the White House. While he's a lot more reasonable than the GOP when it comes to increasing revenue, he still echoes the insane anti-Keynesian notion that we need to respond to the prolonged recession with austerity measures. A lot of people are getting frustrated by that - and I mean normal people, not the dumbass freakshows that post here trying to claim that there's no difference between Obama and Bush.

All of this aside, the President can expect the vote of pretty much all of us in the 16%. We may be frustrated, but we recognize the huge differences between him and the GOP candidates.

[dennis4868]

19. He needs to be primaried and primaried NOW!

By the way, with regard to the latest free trade agreement can someone please point to the specific provision on the agreements that hurt US workers...why do we always assume free trade agreements are bad? Just bec earlier ones were? I know dems went out of their to put in protections for the American workers in these latest free trade agreements. SO MUCH HYPERSPECULATION ABOUT OBAMA HERE.

Why is Obama held to a higher standard than previous white dem presidents?

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. "Why is Obama held to a higher standard than previous white dem presidents?"

Come on, you know the answer. If you're AA as I am, and of a certain generation, your parents explained all that. ;)

[ClassWarrior]

22. Why are self-proclaimed Obama supporters the only ones talking about a primary?

What useful purpose could that have?

NGU.

[AtomicKitten]

25. The pro-primary chatter has been coming from the disgruntled leftwing and the mischievous rightwing

... and the so-called "self-proclaimed Obama supporters" are making light of it.

Why? Because it's just not going to happen, wishful thinking by some notwithstanding.

[ClassWarrior]

26. Okay, so a few disruptors have been "chattering." What's the purpose of "making light of it?"

To maintain and extend the disruption? I can't see what other purpose it might have, beyond ridiculing Democrats. There's no actual threat of a primary happening among the vast majority of rank-and-file Democrats. The poll cited in the OP is proof enough of that.

So if this kind of talk has a better purpose than causing disruption, please enlighten me.

:shrug:

NGU.

[AtomicKitten]

27. That kind of whiny self-serving hyperbole is rhetorical and I'm not your huckleberry. nt

[ClassWarrior]

28. Thanks for the answer.

QED.

NGU.

[jefferson_dem]

43. Where's the Nader-Grayson-Greenwald three-headed monster when we need it?1?!!?!/111Onesies

[ZenaD]

100. They'll be right where you need them when it's time to blame the left for Dem losses

Because losses are never ever ever the fault of centrist Dem establishment incompetence.

[ClassWarrior]

21. I thought liberals were unhinged loose cannons who all hate the President.

:eyes:

Can't have it both ways, folks.

K&R, BTW.

NGU.

[Tarheel_Dem]

37. There's still that pesky 16%, or don't you do math?

:rofl:

[ClassWarrior]

40. So where are all the "centrists?" Their lack of support has dragged Obama's overall number...

...down to 43%. See post #2.

:shrug:

Or don't you do math?

NGU.

[Tarheel_Dem]

41. Can't speak for "centrists". I am not their leader. I suspect you've driven a couple away.

:rofl:

[ClassWarrior]

42. Ahhh, when all else fails, resort to personal attacks?

NGU.

[Tarheel_Dem]

44. You asked a ridiculous question, and I responded accordingly. Although,

if the articles in this forum, recruiting Hillary to replace Obama are true, I suspect the "centrists" are upset that Obama's relationship with big business isn't as cozy as it could be. Afterall, Hillary was the natural choice of the democratic business community, and her PUMA followers in the business community (centrists) still haven't gotten over the sting of '08. So I'm not really surprised that the president isn't doing as well with that group. ;)

[ClassWarrior]

45. So when the "centrists" fail to support the President, blame the lefties?

:eyes:

NGU.

[jefferson_dem]

46. No.

...More like "when 'the lefties' support the President, change the subject by tossing around red herrings about 'the centrists'."

Sorry. It must get lonely out there.

[Tarheel_Dem]

49. +1000

:thumbsup:

[ClassWarrior]

50. ROFL... Pot, meet kettle.

NGU.

[ZenaD]

102. If for some reason Obama loses in 2012 I can practically guarantee you won't be blaming centrists

Even if millions of them vote for Mitt or Newt. No, you guys will focus on some miniscule percent of dirty fucking liberals who didn't vote or voted 3rd party. Just like how 2000 was totally the fault of 40k Nader voters in Fla even though 300k registered Ds voted for Bush in that election.

[Tarheel_Dem]

47. Where did that happen? You really need to take a break. My prescription:

A tall drink, a turkey leg, an old movie, and for God's sake, don't answer the door. Take it easy! :crazy:

[ClassWarrior]

48. "There's still that pesky 16%, or don't you do math?"

Wow, is your memory that short?

:rofl:

NGU.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[treestar]

89. ...

:rofl:

[center rising]

72. Those "Centrists" are going to decide the election

But continue to denigrate us and put us down. Some "big tent party".

[ClassWarrior]

73. Not if progressives don't drive them to the polls, apparently.

Those "centrists" really turned out for the Dems in 2010, didn't they? :eyes:

But continue to denigrate and put down the real worker bees of the party.

NGU.

[joshcryer]

79. Like we didn't in 2010?

Yeah, I went there.

(PS, I single handedly got out 10% of the votes necessary for Colorado to stay Blue.)

[treestar]

90. Is there any real proof of that?

And wouldn't it argue that to win, Obama would have to be more towards the center?

[ZenaD]

81. If only the DNC, DSCC, DCCC, and DGA had the same power that disgruntled hippies have

To effect electoral outcomes! Imagine what they could do!!

[ZenaD]

82. If only the DNC, DSCC, DCCC, and DGA had the same power that disgruntled hippies have

To effect electoral outcomes! Imagine what they could do!!

[ZenaD]

83. If only the DNC, DSCC, DCCC, and DGA had the same power that disgruntled hippies have

To effect electoral outcomes! Imagine what they could do!!

[treestar]

88. Really disingenuous

You know full well that they are saying they are the only "liberals."

They are the ones calling the POTUS and his supporters right winger, conservative, just like Reagan and Nixon, corporatists, etc.

Then they want to cry foul when a poll includes all of those people as liberals, as any sane person would?

[RichGirl]

53. He's not perfect...but we're not stupid.

If they keep having republican debates...it'll be at 150%.

And please no one give me the "lesser of two evils". We have two choices, that's the way it is...get over it.

If you have a plate of bland oatmeal and a plate of shit...you're going to pick the oatmeal. You aren't going to be whining about how you don't like oatmeal and risk having to eat the shit.

[ellisonz]

56. Barack Obama - The Oatmeal President.

I like that. :o :9

[DCBob]

62. yeah, that about sums it up.

:thumbsup:

[great white snark]

75. Very well put.

Sorry I missed it the day you posted.

:thumbsup:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

55. GOBAMA 2012!! Wipe the dirt off your shoulder, Mr. President!!!

:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

[creon]

58. excellent

Liberal Democrats are not a majority. PBO needs votes from other groups to win.

[Vidar]

63. Not a single one of the liberal democrats I know has any respect for him anymore.

But that's only a few hundred people. I'm sure the "liberal democrats" on Wall Street adore him.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClassWarrior]

66. Yeah, there's a world of weak-kneed "centrists" who drag my President's overall rating down to 43%.

:shrug:

NGU.

[DCBob]

67. I dont like those weak-kneed centrists either.

They are almost as bad as the simple-minded purists.

[ClassWarrior]

70. Psssttt... They're BOTH mythical creatures...

"Centrism" is the creation of an inaccurate self-serving metaphor, and it is time to bury it.

There is no left to right linear spectrum in the American political life. There are two systems of values and modes of thought -- call them progressive and conservative (or nurturant and strict, as I have). There are total progressives, who use a progressive mode of thought on all issues. And total conservatives. And there are lots of folks who are what I've called "biconceptuals": progressive on certain issue areas and conservative on others. But they don't form a linear scale. They are all over the place: progressive on domestic policy, conservative on foreign policy; conservative on economic policy, progressive on foreign policy and social issues; conservative on religion, but progressive on social issues and foreign policy; and on and on. No linear scale. No single set of values defining a "center." Indeed many of such folks are not moderate in their views; they can be quite passionate about both their progressive and conservative views.

Barack Obama has it right: Get rid of the very idea of the right and the left and the center. American ideas are fundamentally progressive ideas -- the ideas this country was founded on and that carry forth that spirit. Progressives care about people and the earth, and act with responsibility and strength on that care...

Read the rest at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/no-center-no-centrists_b_60419.html

NGU.

[uponit7771]

69. I know 1000 liberal democrats who love him, they're also smart enough to know he has a congress that

...has changed procedural rules and are willing enough to get off their ass's and get him one that doesn't want to screw the country

[joshcryer]

71. I don't know any liberal democrats, all my liberal friends would never identify as democrat.

[treestar]

91. You are labeling as "liberal democrats" only those who

"have no respect for him anymore."

Why does he need respect? What do you mean by respect? Someone who'd kick your ass if you opposed them?

[Skittles]

68. question: will you vote for Obama or one of those asshole repukes

:rofl:

[great white snark]

74. Um...no.

It's regarding the job he is doing. Obama over Republicans are different polls.

[slackmaster]

76. In other news, church choir displays overwhelming support for their minister

:eyes:

[ZenaD]

80. Well then you can't blame liberals for Democratic losses, can you?

I'll be looking forward to your posts castigating centrists and moderates, the REAL culprits. Right?

[treestar]

92. Well apparently you don't castigate people when you

want them to vote for you. The left has complained often enough about being "castigated."

[Name removed]

93. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Scurrilous]

84. Kick

:kick:

[MNBrewer]

101. I am the 16%

[ellisonz]

103. I am the 84%