Ed Schultz asked on Radio Program today: "Why doesn't Obama come to us on the Left?"

[KoKo]

He pointed out that Obama tends to give voice to Fox News or Mainstream Media like "The View" to express his connections with Mainstream America...but tends to leave out the Democrats on the Left and he wondered why.

I wonder WHY, myself? Why not appear on Ed's Show? Why is it that the tiny group of Liberal Activists who worked so hard to get him elected are left out of this Administrations Mouth Piece in support of him?

Ed said that when "Bush was President, he and his appointees always went to Fox News to get defense of some action they had taken, but Obama doesn't use his own media to do what Bush did." (paraphrase)

Why is this?

Here's a link to something another DU'er (KPete)put out there today:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x389314

President Obama to appear on the ABC's 'The View'; Thursday show also marks Barbara Walters' return Updated at 11:21 AM

President Obama to appear on the ABC's 'The View'; Thursday show also marks Barbara Walters' return

[JuniperLea]

1. He shouldn't need to...

He needs to go where people really don't listen to him. What's the use in preaching to the choir? He didn't campaign much in California... I was rather PO'd about that at the time... makes sense to me now that I'm being bombarded with Meg Witless and Carly Failorina adds.

[KoKo]

3. You are probably correct. He need to go after the Fiorina and Whitman supporters to

get them on his side. :eyes:

[JuniperLea]

18. It's not going after the supporters of others, and quite frankly I'm not sure how you extrapoliated

That BS from what I said. It's speaking truth to lies. Do you not think that is important?

[Ramulux]

10. Yes, he should

I dont know about you but I dont consider myself to be apart of any brain-dead choir. I am a liberal and if a nominee claims to hold liberal beliefs I will vote for them. If they get into office and begin acting like a moderate I am probably going to be much less enthusiastic about voting for that person again and that person is most likely going to have trouble getting reelected.

Obama has a lot to answer for to put it lightly, one of the main things being the fact that he has felt it is perfectly reasonable to pretend like the left doesn't exist. We are the base and he seems to think that distancing himself from his base is a good political move when it could not be worse. The simple truth is that the democrats NEED us to be very motivated and enthusiastic in November in order for them to remain in power and in order to motivate us Obama and all the other dems need to be actively seeking our approval.

[JuniperLea]

17. Obama ran as a centrist...

Seems you missed that. I'm far left... he was my last choice... but I knew what he was about and he's followed through in the same vein he started in. At some point he just needs to do his job and stop worrying about managing the expectations of others... especially of those who weren't paying attention. I don't agree with much of what he's done... I would have liked to see him push harder... but that's my own unrealistic expectation. I get that.

[Ramulux]

24. Not really

Obama didn't necessarily run as some far-left candidate but there is no way you are telling me he did not present himself as much more of a liberal during the election compared to how he has governed.

The point I was making is that Obama seems to think it is OK to take his base for granted and not really push for anything we really want. This is going to result in a huge amount of unmotivated and unenthusiastic liberals who dont show up to vote in November. Now I am not saying I am not going to vote, I am not an idiot, in fact I have volunteered for Organizing for America this year and am deeply committed to getting others to show up. But not everyone is like you or me, if Obama does not seek their vote and give them a reason to show up, they aren't going to.

[DJ13]

2. I think his staff has an extreme fear of the label 'liberal'

It was fine when he was running for President, but their strategy did an about face as soon as he was sworn in to become a complete centrist.

In ordinary times that would be a fine strategy, but these arent ordinary times, and the people seriously wanted a liberal President that was neither afraid of the label or of facing down the conservatives who had screwed the country up.

[Bullet1987]

12. I agree and that's the major letdown

Not that he's not embracing the term liberal. I didn't expect him to do that. Not to mention the entire Party leadership would likely be against it...not just Obama's closest advisors. But it's the fear that they show in even challenging their opponents. It's the same fear that has held back the Democratic Party for years now. They don't seem to realize the dire situation the country is in and is playing politics at the worse possible moment in our history. It's a very bad strategy.

[JuniperLea]

20. It's only a letdown if you had unrealistic expectations...

He ran as a centrist.

[KakistocracyHater]

28. like if you took him at his word.........SO unrealistic!

*

[spoony]

32. It's only sensible to excuse past lies, and believe all the current ones.

Until they become the past ones, then excuse them, and rinse and repeat. Being a political hack seems on one hand so confusing, and on the other so blissfully simple.

[OHdem10]

4. This evening there was a serious discussion. on this very suject.

This is terrible but the Blogger(frequently on TV and his name
escapes me at the moment.)

He made a lot of sense. He explained that Activists on the
Right are an integral part of the Republican Party. Therefore
the Party cannot avoid them.

Democratic Activists have decided to remain Independent. The
Party is not obligated to them.

[KoKo]

5. Well that's interesting...but I know many Dem Activists on the Left

who actively worked for Obama and frankly were his grassroots who walked the neighborhoods and got folks out to vote and manned the polling places. Most of them got active for the Dean Campaign and then worked for Kerry then Obama. Many feel they have been left out. The organization that Howard Dean Created has sort of been ignored by the Dem Party Big Wigs.

I guess it just is what it is. But, it would seem Obama would want to support those who worked hard to get Dems elected to the House and Senate to get back our Majority and then worked so hard to get him elected. The Left Activists were the ones who were more upset about Stolen Election 2000 and really built a strong grassroots. I don't see Tim Kaine or the Democratic Establishment nurturing that movement. Don't understand why. Haven't really read anything that explained it rationally...

[boppers]

6. "the tiny group of Liberal Activists"....

Why waste time on large mass-media when he can be on obscure shows with tiny market share?

Seriously?

[krawhitham]

7. Because you will lose all independents

Why are people too thick to understand that

[niceypoo]

8. Oh, horsepucky

That is absolutely rediculous.

[JuniperLea]

19. Because it's bullshit and has no basis in fact...

Please leave the RW talking points at the fucking door.

[tabbycat31]

22. this is campaigning 101

when identifying voters, you ID each voter as a 1 (strongly support), 2 (likely support), 3 (undecided), 4 (likely oppose), and 5 (strongly oppose). Most campaigns will waste their resources going after 4 and 5.

You want to fire up the 1 and 2 voters and get them to work on the 3. 5 and most 4 you write off completely (you may be able to convince a weak 4)

Independents in this case are 3. People who watch Faux News are going to be mostly 5 and a few 4. Don't waste your time.

[old mark]

9. Because the Obama administration is concerned about numbers

and there are not enough real liberal/left Democratic voters to make it worthwhile for the president to go out of his way. The Administration KNOWS most of us will vote Democratic no matter how shabbily they treat us.
They are more concerned about the middle and conservative Dems and moderate republicans who MAY vote for them than the left who they feel are locked in.

We are no threat to their power, so they are not concerned with us at all...our support - however grudging-is a given. We are not strong enough to matter to them.


mark

[Mimosa]

11. I'm a MODERATE traditional Democrat

And people like me are getting erroneously labeled 'leftists' by our own party.

What is wrong with this picture?

[paulk]

16. +1

it's bad enough to be attacked by the republicans, but when your own party keeps moving the goalposts to the right...

[quantass]

13. BECAUSE he knows his base will STILL VOTE for him. That's IF they come out to vote.

Unfortunately Obama is just another politician. Great speaker / showman / politican but I really dont think he is much more than that. He wants votes and if he can appear like a centrist he'll do it but when he's campaigning infront of libs he'll switch hats and become a progressive. But again, once the lights go out he is yet another corporate slave politician. The system is broken and these politicians are getting better at fooling us. It does amaze me that a guy who had SO MANY people, young, old, races, all cheering for him chanting change. And when he gets into office he couldnt care less. At least try to "really" fight for it and instead of allowing loop holes and verbal scoldings.

[impik]

14. Ed Schultz really thinks that it's all about him

Idiot.

[donco6]

21. Under the bus with you, Ed!

It's party time!

[JoePhilly]

27. Is Ed Shultz a "real progressive" by DU standards??

Does big Eddie meet the test that appears on DU?

Having listened to him on the radio, and on TV, I find him pretty moderate in recent years. Yet now he is "Mr. Progressive"?

I like Ed, enjoy his show ... but he's is not as liberal as some seem to think. Nor are some of those who have the litmus test all ready to whip out here on DU.

[catgirl]

15. Maybe because Ed comes off as the lefty Rush L.?

While I mostly agree with him, I can't watch his show anymore. He comes off
as a loud-mouth loose canon. I'm sure a real turn-off to many. I hope Obama
DOESN'T go on his show.

[JTFrog]

23. Lol, us on the left.

He voted for Reagan and Bush...

But is united with the "left" in his disdain for Obama.

Go figure...

[Phx_Dem]

25. Why would he? There are alot more centrists and moderate Dems in the county than far lefties.

Far lefties, just like the far right, need to realize the country does not revolve around them.

[KoKo]

26. Really? That's amazing...your view. Lumping both together...

You certainly have a "Unique View."

[depakid]

29. It's also an incorrect view- and the data proving that has been shown to the poster several times

From my observations I think the bottom line is that the administration figures that "they don't need" to go on (or promote) progressive shows, because we "have no where else to go."

I also think that Obama himself holds a very similar set of attitudes, beliefs and values to Rockefeller Republicans- and it pains him to no end that Republicans refuse to "come together" and work with him like they did when he was editor of Harvard Law Review.

[spoony]

33. Then he doesn't need our votes

so tell your buddies to stop pre-emptively blaming us for November and 2012.

[superduperfarleft]

35. This.

They tell us we're such an insignificant minority when we expect something, but then act like we have such great numbers that we'll single-handedly hand the election to the Republicans if we don't fall into line come election-time.

[Radical Activist]

30. It's not like he just addressed net-roots nation!

oh wait

I think poor Ed feels left out. What he really means is, "why doesn't Obama come on MY show?!?!" Shameless.

[Empowerer]

34. Ed lost me when he said to a guest, "This is INCREDIBLE! I sure hope the folks at the White House

are watching!" As if the "folks at the White House" needed to watch the Ed's interviews to gather intelligence. That was a little too much hubris for my taste.

Even though I often agree with him, I find Ed almost unwatchable now - he's become a blowhard loudmouth and I don't watch television to be yelled at by anyone, even someone I agree with. I suspect I'm not alone.

[Radical Activist]

31. And wasn't Obama the first President to call on a liberal blog at a press conference?

Huffington Post.
Ed is just angling for more guests from the White House on his show.

[Freddie Stubbs]

36. The View gets much higher ratings than the Ed Show, and he knows that the base already supports him

Appearing on The View will expose him to a large number of people who may be swing voters.