Every couple of days, some former to-the-core Obama supporter cites that their limit has ben reached

[Stinky The Clown]

And that's just among the few thousand active posters on DU. I hear this real life, too.

The president's posture on the OWS thing has gotten to some. For others it was health care. Or social security. Or medicare. Or Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or the bank bailouts. Or . . . . or . . . .

No matter. The point is, there are lots of issues in the ongoing saga of Obama's presidency where people feel their own personal disappointment tolerance has been exceeded. I am certain this is always true of any president's supporters over time and throughout history. I just get the feeling that Obama, more than any president in my lifetime except, perhaps, JFK, won such a wide spread high level of support and evoked so much hope that the fall off of support is even more pronounced and more obvious.

Anyway . . . . . just an observation.

[Skittles]

1. CORRECT

[TheWraith]

2. Problem for you, of course, is that the polls don't reflect this as actually being true.

The ultra-tempermental crowd here at DU is not reflective of the Democratic base; Obama still retains a 83% approval rating with liberal Democrats. Not to mention his sharply rising level of approval among the general population.

[PETRUS]

6. I'm always surprised how much fluxuation there is in approval ratings.

Occasionally I'm surprised by presidential decisions/actions, but not all that often. My basic beliefs don't change rapidly, and it's not that hard to know what various politicians are about or what the circumstances are.

[slay]

10. Well sure Obama looks good next to the crazy GOP candidates - but so would Nixon

Obama is the best so called "choice" we have been given - but it is not a good one by any means.

[woo me with science]

35. All part of the game.

It is so easy to move rightward when there is always someone further right.

This is a main advantage of purchasing BOTH parties.

[xiamiam]

11. those polls are going to blow up what is left of hoping

because they are not reflective..they are just not and it amazes me that people think they are honestly representative of the way democrats feel. If you get out and talk with folks in the real world, very few are happy with Obama..very few who voted for him

[TheWraith]

13. I'm going to trust scientific polls over your personal feelings.

Your anecdotes are not data. Do a Google search for "But everyone I know voted for McGovern."

[girl gone mad]

17. It's absurd to call any opinion poll "sceintific".

Some may be less shady than others, but this type of data is always much too easy to manipulate.

[TheWraith]

19. You may think so, but that doesn't change the fact that they're scientific.

If something doesn't agree with your beliefs, that doesn't make it unscientific.

[catgirl]

18. "very few are happy with Obama"

You sound like FOX News!

[AmericaIsGreat]

15. You're right, that IS a problem

It is a problem that these sentiments are not shared by the Democratic base; they should be.

This, of course, the Democratic base, mostly ignorant of politicians' voting records, that continues to elect center Democrats and blue dogs into Congress, then complains when they truckle to corporate interests and screw them, while waving off real, progressive politicians as "too liberal." What a joke. I don't know about that approval rate nor do I know of whom that "liberal Democrats" label is made up. I do know if that you're a true, progressive liberal then, by definition, you would have to be, at the least, disappointed in Obama at this point in time.

[TheWraith]

20. Fortunately for the rest of us, what you say is false, and you don't get to define liberals.

Your attempt to redefine liberals as "people who agree with me on trashing Democrats" is no more valid than the right wing's attempt to redefine "American" as "right wing assholes." You are not representative of Democrats.

[sabrina 1]

21. I think that poll is of DLC/Third Wayers. They are the only ones

left in the party who still have hope that things can change with this administration.

Most people have moved on past having any expectations of any president, and are now focusing their attention on changing Congress and working at the local level to begin the process of tearing down this broken, Wall Street run system. It will take a while, too bad we wasted so much time though, but we had to see it to believe it, the fact that no matter who wins, the people lose, under the current system.

[TheWraith]

26. You need to learn to accept the fact that you are not representative of Democrats or liberals. nt

[sabrina 1]

28. And I say the same of you. You need to learn that you and the

80% of your small group are not representative of Democrats or Liberals.

[Stinky The Clown]

24. A couple of fine points, Mr. Wraith . . . .

First off, none of this is, as you suggest, a problem for me. I'm not very heavily invested in one man.

Second, you may have missed my suggestion that the phenomenon was observed outside of DU, too.

As an aside, I won't chuckle too hard at the notion of people who self describe as "liberal democrats" in anonymous polls.

[Pisces]

3. I think those die hard supporters and fraudulent. I am a die hard supporter and I don't waiver in my

support of the President during these difficult times. I think people love to be dramatic and want instant gratification to problems that are herculean. I think he has done a great job with the
facts I have reviewed and with the opposition he has dealt with from day 1.

I have been posting on this board since the election and I have noted the die hard names, none of them have proclaimed their loss of support in the President. I could list quite a few names, but that would probably be breaking the rules.

Just my observation.

[Tx4obama]

23. I agree :)

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

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

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. The Obama administration

had the opportunity to be great and they squandered it away IMHO.

I never had those high expectations for this administration. But I know a lot of people who did. And a lot of these same people have had enough of his administration. I don't think they'll vote for pukes in 2010. But they just might stay home. For the most part they're not political junkies. They're just hard working people that dared to hope for change - and now feel used.

[msongs]

5. the governing strategy is appease and placate instead of lead and "welcome their hatred" nt

[asjr]

7. Pres. Obama has the hardest job

in the world. He hasn't done the things that some us wish but he is the best thing to come along n a very long time. I may gripe but I am sticking with him. The alternative will have us all in the poor house without any laws to help us. Don't vote for him and that very well might happen.

[Coyote_Bandit]

12. You can be sure that

I will hold my nose and vote for Obama - even though he is not my champion and does not serve to advance and protect my interests. Nonetheless, I've got the good sense to try to avoid electing somebody even worse.

But there were a lot of folks that dared to hope in 2008 who no longer give a flip about Obama. I can name several folks I know in real life who voted for Obama in 2008 who had never voted before. Based on some of their comments I will guarantee that they are not going to go out of their way to show up and vote in 2012 - if they vote at all.

[noiretextatique]

16. that's the way i've voted since i was 18

i am now 52. sad, but true.

[Coyote_Bandit]

22. Me too. Sad, isn't it? n/t

[slay]

9. Pretty much

he passed my limit long ago. i'll grant that's he's better than the repubs, but that's not saying much - hell my dog is better than the repubs - and i don't even have a dog. i'll be writing in Bernie Sanders in 2012.

[shraby]

8. My problem is there is so much disinformation spread around

thick about what Obama has or has not done, it's hard to discern what is true and what is hearsay and what is downright lies. The chaff can be winnowed from the wheat, but its really time consuming.

[ecstatic]

14. Romney 2012!!!11

[Stinky The Clown]

27. That's a pretty dim bulb reply.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. The designated leader of establishment isn't about to support a movement against the establishment.

Particularly a centrist politician who makes deals with the most reactionary elements of the establishment.

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians.  Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn’t be wise." Mark Twain

[philly_bob]

29. It will be an interesting Democratic convention.

Remember the Democratic conventions during the Vietnam war?

[KoKo]

30. I don't think it matters much about "him," anymore. It's up to the people to move beyond

what happened in 2008 and take up matters in their own hands and walk with their own feet and take back government in whatever way they can.

Many are beyond waiting for a President of either stripe to do anything for them.

The line has been crossed..and people are tired of waiting.

[JoeyT]

32. My limit was reached quite a while back.

I can't say I had any particular breaking point, it was just a combination of a whole bunch of things over time that gradually eroded my ability to give a damn about him or anything he does. I don't dislike him, I don't even care about him that much.

He's too bland and predictable to even really stir up rage. He's just a mediocre Republican. He wanted to be like Reagan and that's pretty much what he is.

[Stinky The Clown]

34. That's pretty much where I am.

I just don't care much about him. I see him as ineffectual and uninspired.

Reagan was a better Reagan. He had that whole "sunny disposition" schtick down cold. Obama, not so much.

[Ichingcarpenter]

33. Ron Suskind Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist new book

does not speak kindly about President Obama;s leadership style.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2011/0...

[struggle4progress]

36. Locking

Rather than discussing issues, this discusses DUers.