CNN - 46 percent say President Obama Is Too Liberal

One thing to keep in mind as some folks are once again arguing that President Obama should go into the bipartisan summit and demand a public option:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/12/obama.poll/index.html

The polling result there is a consequence of the perception of the health care reform package as a whole (which most people don't understand very well), not any specific provision of it.

If you go through the comprehensive plan, most people support many provisions of the plan. It is not surprising that the public option also enjoys support. Why should we expect the plan as a whole to enjoy an increase in popularity just because the public option is added. It just becomes another provision that people support while opposing the plan. The fact of the matter is that we are trying to reform our health care system in a comprehensive manner. Of course it is going to be complex and unwieldy.

Also, when you have nearly half of Americans saying President Obama is too liberal, and only 1 and 10 say that he is not liberal enough, should President Obama tack left of most Democrats in Congress?

It might help, though, especially due to its political prominence. My main point, though, is that it is unlikely to hurt the bill.

"(M)ost Democrats in Congress" most definitely support the public option. Only a handful don't, and they make a difference only in the Senate--and not at all if it can be done via reconciliation.

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That's part of the reason that the "Obama is a Socialist" meme has gotten so much traction- because people don't truly understand what it is other than the Republicans make it sound like a "bad" thing and nobody bothers to hit the books and actually find out what the hell it REALLY is and that it's not a bad thing. Never mind the fact that our country IS essentially a "socialist" system (albeit not nearly enough IMHO).

..the other week it was that Obama didn't deserve to be Prez again:silly:

probably a lot of overlap.

Obama has consistently shown he is a right-leaning democrat....in other words, a corporate democrat.
At 48%...holy moly! What are these people seeing? This tells me they've been getting their information solely from tv outlets and nothing more. Wasnt there the poll that showed that most americans didnt realize they got a tax cut?....Another little piece of info that the news rarely brings up and so this shows a corellation that what the tv tells me is true, what it doesnt, does not exist.

what you're talking about, you just repeat what FDL tells you to say.

he cares more what repukes think than what liberals think - it is fucking obvious

incorrect, but said with force.

it is DEAD ON

I tend to think of Obama as center-left but just barely over the center line. Regardless, I guess we both agree that he is "not liberal enough". Regardless, what this points out as being true has little to do with where Obama falls politically. The point is that being anywhere near the center (slightly left or right of it) will get you called "too liberal" by a large chunk of the electorate.

The fact that you and I do not agree with them does not change their opinion.

From the git-go.
Obama had the opportunity to control the message, massage the message,
do all of the things the resident of the oval office
has at their disposal.

This insurance debacle is Obamas debacle.
His lack of leadership - his disinterest - his emotional and intellectual failure.

An we will all pay the price.

Obama is going to drive what the "Liberal" media reports!? Dude pass me that pipe.

Who cares what polls say? Reactionary types.

And how do I get there? :evilfrown:

angels are watching over them- or some other such thing.

This country hasn't had anything collectively CLOSE to "liberal" in the White House or Congress in 4 decades. Depending on who you ask, some will tell you we NEVER have. I tend to be on the fence about the statement myself.

But in the modern era? PLEASE. NOT happening. That ship sailed when the Corptocracy took power. A real liberal would be placed in the same media playpen as Kucinich, Sanders or Brown: "woo wooooooo!" "COMMIE!" "LEFTIST!"

and on occasion, heads toward the mid 50s, sometimes a bit higher.

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/22/two-thirds-of-americans-think-already-iran-has-the-bomb/

Roughly equal to the same percentage that believed in March of 2003 that Saddam Hussein was behind the 9/11 attacks.

I really don't think these impressions are formed by active thought - but just general emotional impressions picked up by an ignorant, naive and gullible people from the an irresponsible media.

I doubt that most Americans have any real comprehension what terms like liberal/conservative or left/right actually mean and probably only a fleeting interest.

I've tried to avoid facing this reality. But unfortunately, American society is plagued with a level of naivete, gullibility and just down right bone ignorance - that no other western society even comes close to - and frankly a level of ignorance, naivete and gullibility uncommon in most third world societies.

I regret that this sounds elitist. But it is reality and the whole world knows it.

You are correct, few pay attention.

and NOT reflect it.

So many suckers in America- so little time for the likes of CNN. That's how they play folks- and that's how people use the results to justify all sorts of agendas.

CNN has been purveying the "Obama is a liberal" meme along with everyone else. They had to see how well it was working in case they need find a better shit sandwich.

That no matter what happens the pugs and the media will spin him as being some crazy liberal.

So here's an idea, why not be an actual liberal President Obama?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Ask those 46% to define either term.

is the nation elected President Obama and a Democratic majority to govern yet they let the Republican minority ruin their efforts.

We've tried Bush's way and look what it got us.

This is one way I do wish President Obama was like Bush; ignore polls and pursue your agenda.

Or if he is, he's reading different polls that are telling him to do different things. He's still trying to close Gitmo even though it is, amazingly, becoming increasingly unpopular to try some of the defendants in Federal Courts or even move them to maximum security prisons within the continental US even though we've been doing both for years now with no ill effects. He's not giving up on comprehensive HCR. The plan may be debatable to some people but he didn't shrink away from moving ahead with a comprehensive plan just because of the Massachusetts Brown "setback". He stood up to the Republicans on their own turf and made the Republicans look like the blithering idiots they are on live TV. Heck, he even put Blue Dogs like Evan Bayh and Blanche Lincoln in their place when he STOOD UP FOR progressives when they tried to egg him into denouncing "the left" during the Senate Democratic Caucus meeting. Obama, much to his credit, is NOT tucking his tail between his legs and backing away from difficult fights with the Republicans or even more conservative members of his own party. I don't see where he has been very poll-driven.

We may be way behind the rest of the world when it comes to access to quality health care, but we've got a solid lock as the world leader in stupid....We're #1...we're #1 :woohoo:

All in the same category.

option being made. This alleged 46% is not opposing the public option, fact is the vast majority support the public option. It is not honest to state that a question in about one thing when it is about another. It is also not honest to use a word like 'demand' when support would do just fine. In your world, I take it, one can either demand or be silent, no other choices, one can not suggest, support, favor, promote or inquire, on can only demand, or be silent.
Got a poll where people are asked about the public option? Because this is not such a poll. Your framing does not make it so.

It is always amazing how people present their poll results.

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Thems the ones! :rofl:

CNN's next poll: is Obama still beating his wife?