In your personal, informed opinion...

[kentuck]

Do you think President Obama is losing his base? Or already has lost his base? Will he be able to get them to return to the fold?

Or is it possible that this White House is out of touch with its base? That they are in a bubble?

These are tough questions to ask but I sense that the base is at a breaking point. They have no more empathy in the well?

I understand this is a tough subject to broach but I feel it must be asked?

Go ahead and criticize if you must.

[rzemanfl]

1. My wife swears she will never bother to vote again. So that's

one. He hasn't lost me, but is going to lose my money since I am being forced out of my job by Rick Scott and will need every penny.

[AngryOldDem]

54. I'm with you on the money part...

...and **almost** with your wife on the voting part, with the exception of perhaps local issues.

What's the point? Seriously? And don't ask if I'd rather have a President Bachmann or Palin, either. I don't think it makes a damn bit of difference anymore who gets elected. The poor and the rapidly vanishing middle class get screwed either way. Obama has been the biggest disappointment as a president in my lifetime.

[calimary]

68. Well, people saying they wouldn't vote is how we got into this mess. Remember last November?

It's the bad guys who came out in droves, and it's the bad guys who got themselves into the drivers' seats because the greater numbers of US on OUR side stayed home in frustration and anger and annoyance. NOW where are we?

Do you REALLY REALLY REALLY TRULY TRULY TRULY mean it, that she's not gonna vote? You gonna get ready for a republi-CON in the White House then?

And I'm sure things will be all better when that happens.

:banghead:

Hey look, I'm a proud liberal myself and I'm frustrated as hell. I'm actually kinda surprised to read reports suggesting that Obama actually refused to budge on Planned Parenthood, forcing boner to back down. I'd have expected him to cave - again.

The problem is - WHAT ALTERNATIVE DO WE HAVE?

[cali]

2. I don't know. He's pretty much lost me

that's all I know.

[elocs]

3. He has not lost his base until they actually do not vote for him in 2012.

People can say whatever they like now, but we won't really know until then.

[Exilednight]

4. This is the problem with the current state of the Democratic party. Too many people claim to

be liberal and progressives.

I think he lost the true progressive/liberal base, but the DLCers who call themselves liberals and progressives will fully support him.

In conclusion, yes, I think he lost old school liberals and progressives.

[dems_rightnow]

5. People will say so because

talk is cheap. But when they see who the other candidate is, they will be back.

[Vincardog]

8. That is Obama's campaign message. "Vote for me " the alternative is bat shit crazy

[Divernan]

28. If anyone knows talk is cheap, it's this administration!

[panader0]

6. Do we want a Democrat or a Republican in the White House in 2012?

Because if we want a Democrat, you had better vote for Obama.
Many at this progressive forum may claim "He's Bush III" or some such crap.
No other Dem can win in my opinion. Perhaps if Obama is elected (and he can be if the DEms, like so many on this forum, snap out of it), his second term can be more productive, not just because of continuity, but because he can't run again.
Say what you will about Barack Obama, he's very intelligent. He knows he's disappointing many on the left. But it's one thing to be disappointed and another try to elect an unelectable candidate. Who do the disappointed Dems want? Dennis K.? Nader?
Seriously, who?

[Andy823]

23. I couldn't agree more!

I think his first term was pretty impressive, and like you I think his second can be even better for the same reasons you stated, he can't run again!

What a lot of people fail to realize is that the president has to do what is best for the country, not just what is best for each individual voter who thinks their priorities should come first! I would love to have seen universal health care, but I am happy we at least got what we did because it's a start. I would have loved to have seen the Bush tax cuts ended for the rich, but at the same time I would not have liked republicans kill unemployment extensions for those who needed it. He has a lot of good, even if so many here can't admit to it!

[TheKentuckian]

65. Doing what is best for the country is the excuse? That is what is best????

[kentuck]

67. :smile:

Don't try to rationalize it.

[Divernan]

29. In his 2nd term, he'll be lining up his board appointments w/ Big Businesses

Tom Ridge, for example makes hundreds of thousands plus lucrative stock options every year, plus income from his lobbying firm's contracts w/ corporations. The man has never done squat for Pennsylvania, the US or any charitable international efforts since leaving office - he's the antithesis of Jimmy Carter.

[Melinda]

38. I want a REAL Democrat like Russ Feingold, Barbara Boxer, Howard Dean, Robert Reich, or....

an Indy like Bernie Sanders. I am a community organizer/activist in my small California town, and like many others here, I am struggling with the stripping away of our already very limited resources while watching more and more resources be "compromised" away by this administration. We are also readying ourselves to lose dozens of paid employees at our non-profit... 50% of Head Start funds cut, LIHEAP the same way, Block grants, Title 5 funding all being whittled away. I am currently struggling with a ZERO budget for our community gardens which we actually rely upon to feed our neighbors, and subsidize our food bank(s).

And I should vote for Obama again because he has a (D) behind his name?

Not. Good. Enough.

[demwing]

44. I'll tell you who the "disappointed Dems" want

They want the Senator Obama who ran in 2008 on "Hope and Change," not the President Obama who will run in 2012 on "You better Hope the name on the Whitehouse doesn't Change."

Scare tactics are scary.

[Tesha]

45. What Democrat is running? I sure can't see any based on policies.

All I see are policies that Republicans would have
been proud of in the 60's and 70's.

Tesha

[Raine]

55. I want a Democrat, a REAL Democrat not a DINO

and I'm not voting for less than what I want anymore.

[Hawkowl]

78. I'd take Hillary at this point

And I'm not a Clinton fan. I'd take just about any Dem even slightly to the left of Obama.

[rug]

7. I think there will be a sharp drop in turnout but he'll win convincingly.

Mainly because the republicans are insane.

To answer your question, yes he's lost large swaths of supporters but his reelection campaign has already cynically factored that in. He'll win regardless.

[Moondog]

9. I was in DC for the Carter Administration.

The parallels are obvious, disturbing, and should not be ignored.

What is worse, this time, is the broader bandwidth of the media to include the net and sites like this one. This means that the base will break quicker than before. And, I believe (this is a personal opinion based on how people I know are reacting) that good sized chunks of it are already broken - to the point that they are beginning to do the unthinkable - quietly cast about for another potential candidate, or in some cases, resign themselves to eight years of Puke rule starting in '13.

This is not good. And it appears that the White House is, at best, in denial.

[abq e streeter]

10. Much of it, absolutely...Certainly lost me, but was wary of his "let's hold hands and sing Kumbaya"

with the repubs from the primaries onward, and said so in more than one post back then. Depressingly, there's still really no alternative (in my opinion) but to vote for him again. The alternative is still so much worse....but not one penny nor one second of volunteering this time. BTW, I posted the following on facebook just yesterday:

To President Obama...With all due respect, THIS is what leadership sounds like.
FDR 1936 I welcome their hatred

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9yoZHs6PsU

[caty]

11. It's been said on

several new shows that polls show that about 50% of the population are moderate, about 25% lean more toward the left, and about 25% lean more toward the right.

I'm not happy about a lot of things President Obama has done because I lean more toward the left. But, I realize two things. One is that we are in so much debt, we have to make some painful cuts on many things to trim the budget. And that President Obama is having a difficult time with the obstructionism of the repubs and the teabaggers. Hopefully, if we could get a large enough majority in the house and the senate, we could end the tax cuts, and even raise the taxes, on the wealthy. If we could get the finances under control, then perhaps we could raise the funds for the social programs that we want and need.

I will always vote a straight Democratic ticket to keep any Democratic president in office and to give him the people he will need to accomplish things that will help our country and our citizens.

I can only hope that the president's base can see what is going on and stand by him and future Democratic presidents. We are not going to get anywhere we want to be if we don't stick with Democratic candidates.

[demwing]

39. "we have to make some painful cuts on many things to trim the budget."

Any manager worth a nickel knows that you increase profit by maximizing revenue and minimizing costs.

Any of those same managers can also tell you that you can't always "trim the budget" in order to fix the budget. You can only cut costs so much before quality suffers and revenue drops.

We have to increase revenue in America-which means increasing taxes and/or closing tax loopholes. That's the end of the story.

[JoePhilly]

12. By definition, your "base" doesn't start attacking you 1 year into a 4 year term.

A President's base actually trusts and supports them for longer than a single year, before deciding that they hate that President.

And I'm being generous. It seems that many who claim to be "Obama's base" jumped ship before his first year was over.

What is Obama's approval overall?

What is it for Democrats overall?

You (and some others) might want to consider the possibility that you are not, and never were, part of his "base".

[demwing]

41. That's the problem Joe, we really aren't his base

Progressives and liberals are not the Presiden't base.

[JoePhilly]

72. And I agree that is a fair position to take.

The "base" for any politician will trust them as they try to navigate political reality. At some point they might decide to stop supporting that candidate ... but not after one year. The folks who jump on the band wagon last, are the first to jump off. And they are not "the base".

[Raine]

59. Well his real base is the corporatists, billionaires and banksters

the ones he's beholden to and whose backs he has. Yup they're still there, they won't be jumping ship, why should they since they get whatever they want. x(

[UrbScotty]

13. He sure hasn't lost me, that's for sure!

And I bet he will never lose me.

I'm looking forward to donating my time, talent, and treasure to het him re-elected and elect other Democrats as well.

Meanwhile, I'm doing all I can to champion progressive values within the Democratic Party.

[pacalo]

14. I can't see his base voting for a Republican. But he may have lost the enthusiasm he needs

for his re-election campaign. Grassroots funds, election volunteers, word of mouth, etc.

I have a difficult time defending Obama's approach to the Republicans' chicanery.

[brandywine]

15. 2010

Those results speak volumes.

[HereSince1628]

16. I'd say he's lost some of those who voted for him

And I think he's lost some of the money sources, too.

I have no idea what BASE means anymore for the democratic party. I once thought working people were the base...then I thought it was labor, then I thought it was the intellectuals, now I think it's just the big campaign contributors.

[PurityOfEssence]

17. In this very analog kind of world, yes, he's lost many from his base and is losing more

Events rarely come from one simple dynamic, and rarely are they done in absolutes.

It would be interesting to hear an argument that the solidarity and enthusiasm are anything like what they were during the election. To what degree he's lost us is open to debate, but he's lost many.

[DesertFlower]

18. depends on what you call "his base".

yes. many progressives are pissed, but it was independents who got him elected. i'm disappointed but he'll still get my vote. no money for any politician. i'm giving my money to charities that help the poor.

[LaurenG]

19. I can't figure out who his base is. I thought I was but others keep telling me I'm not.

If I am considered his base - I have him at arms length. I have no desire to help him with re-election though barring Sanders entering the race I will vote for him.

edit: spelling

[MichiganVote]

20. A base =money. So let's see how the money rolls in for Mr. Obama first.

But for me, neither Obama or this Congress stands for unions or labor. So nada $ from me. Besides I need it.

[hobbit709]

21. To paraphrase Heinlein

"Any politician $tand$ $taunchly behind hi$ donor$.

[Shagbark Hickory]

22. He isn't losing *HIS* base (centrists), he is losing the progressives though.

Progressives don't matter in an election though. Centrist swing voters do.

[Liberal Veteran]

24. In my personal opinion, I suspect there are some who seem actively working to demoralize the base.

I've seen a few people on various forums that move the goalpost every single time we score a touchdown, as it were.

They don't seem interested in what is possible, only that elusive marker that is just a little further ahead. And if we cross that marker, it wasn't fast enough or they move on to something else to complain about.

While, I certainly don't think that all the people who are like that are necessarily meaning to be that way, there are certainly some that have a real chip on their shoulders about President Obama and pretty much made him the personification of their dissatisfaction with everything.

[alfredo]

25. No. I think the Dems have come out of this recent battle

in good shape. Remember it is a battle, not the war. If the current quick on CNN poll is any indication, we are winning the war. We will see polling results next week to see if this early indication bodes well for the Dems.

Obama is the face of the Dems, his approval filters down to the party. If the Dems are winning the war of public opinion, we can retake the house and possibly undo some of the damage the Republicans have done since Jan 2011.

You cannot separate the president from his party as far as holding his base.

[pscot]

40. If we're doing so good

ome so many of us are feeling so bad?

[Melinda]

61. +1,000,000

:hug:

[alfredo]

62. Expectations

[ixion]

26. I think he abandoned his based as soon as he was elected

because from square one, he was shoring up Bush-era policies, rather than scrapping them.

[boston bean]

27. His base consists of a bunch of DLC lackeys, the rest have been tossed overboard. nt

[XemaSab]

30. Anecdotes are not data

but everyone in my liberal circle is VERY unhappy with the man, except for the one DLC tool. :P

[Motown_Johnny]

31. 80% approval among democrats

but there are some who will never be happy


they are the ones in the bubble

[Exilednight]

52. I wonder how many of that 80% are Reagan Democrats? n/t

[Tesha]

57. Just so I'm clear on this, what was Reagan's approval among Republicans?

I'll bet it was a lot closer to 100% than 80% (and
a significant fraction of that 80% is probably lying
to the pollsters in an effort to prop-up Obama).

Tesha

[caraher]

32. His base?

Oh, I'm sure corporate America is quite happy with his performance.

Wait, did you mean US instead? I always had the sense that his politics were basically "centrist" in the context of American politics rather than what I'd term liberal. I don't regret helping elect him mainly because of the alternative.

That reality will be the same in 2012. The real worry is that the enthusiasm won't be there next time.

[kentuck]

35. I sense just a basic disappointment...

Expectations that were unmet. It's strange that so many are very happy with the President and so many are disappointed. We can argue about which is the "base" but it is not just DU. It is on every TV and radio talk show. I think there is a real danger here for the President unless he can come up with a counter message to the destructive Republican policies. Both sides are not equally right or wrong. And he needs to stop pretending they are. We understand that he is the President of "all the people" but he needs to let the people that voted for him know where he stands. Some supporters can operate on blind faith and some cannot. His supporters need verbal reassurance that their support was justified.

[pa28]

33. I'm not sure he has a base in the traditional sense.

Normally I think of motivated liberals who volunteer and give their time and money as a "base" but I don't think they'll do much more than vote this time. When you are told that all you can do is "compare us to the alternative" it's safe to say we are not considered to be major constituency IMO.

[Warpy]

34. I think people will turn out to vote against whatever nightmare the GOP runs

rather than voting for a man who has caved to bankers and plutocrats so frequently.

However, Obama had better start using his oratorical skills sooner rather than later or he will fail to motivate people into thinking he might be better than that GOP nightmare candidate.

I voted for him reluctantly in 2008 and I will do so again in 2012. However, that reluctance will likely translate into having other people simply sit the whole thing out and that is dangerous.

[2Design]

36. Lost me BUT I will vote for Demcratic Nominee because the alternative is so MUCH worse n/t

[Sky Masterson]

37. I think that people are frustrated right now

But not enough to vote for whatever nutcase the republicans nominate.

[Blue-Jay]

42. If he's losing you, then he's losing his base.

Because that's all the "thinkin'" that we need to do.

This place sucks.

[Tesha]

43. In 2008, I was against Obama during the Primaries but once nominated, I worked my tail off for him.

For 2012, I will actively work against him in the New
Hampshire Democratic Primary and I've predicted here
in DU that thanks to the way we run our primary (allowing
"undeclared" voters, i.e, Republicans and Libertarians
to vote in our primary/monkeywrench our primary), Obama
may outright lose the primary if he has any credible
challenger at all.

And in the General Election, considering how many
times Obama has gone out of his way to piss on my
ideals, I'll return the favor by doing no more for
him than voting for him. Annie McLane Kuster is
running for Congress again and there will probably
be State House, Senate, and Governor's Council can-
didates that I support so I'll probably end up
doing something for the Democratic "Coordinated"
Campaign, but I'll certainly minimize my efforts
for Obama.

Tesha

[MuseRider]

46. I believe he has lost them

and I don't believe a lot of them will go back to vote for him because they have learned their lesson, talk is cheap and he certainly has proven that. Does not matter what he says at this point, he missed the window of opportunity to explain himself to them and perhaps lure them back but now we are in campaign mode and nothing he says will likely be believed. Most will either not vote for President or write someone in, the others may just stay home.

[Keith Bee]

47. Ugh

In 2008, we broke pattern and voted for someone. The person we vote for next year will be the same---Obama---but we shall have reverted to our usual electoral paradigm of voting against somebody, be it Romney, Palin, Huckabee, etc.

[Skittles]

48. he's lost his base

just not his fanbase

[femmocrat]

49. Speaking for myself and friends who worked our butts off for Obama in 2008:

We won't be fooled again.

I'll only vote for him if he is unopposed.

[Raine]

50. Well he's lost me but I'm not his base, I'm not a rich corporatist.

I'm sure they'll come thru for him unfortunately they won't go door to door, sit and make phones call or GOTV. I guess though with the money he'll get from them he can hire jobless for those once volunteer jobs.

[Lost-in-FL]

51. For the general election I will request an absentee ballot...

Cause there is no way in hell I would spend gas just to vote for Obama.

[Blue_In_AK]

53. I personally never was part of HIS base,

although I've been a Democrat all my life. Candidate Obama just never really impressed me and hasn't done much during his presidency to change my opinion.

That being said, I do believe he has lost a lot of people who strongly supported him in the 2008 campaign. He made a lot of promises that he's been willing to throw overboard without much fight, and I think that's turned a lot of people off. They (and probably I) will vote for him in 2012 because there won't be much choice, but I'm guessing a lot of people will stay home.

[Mutley]

56. The whole system lost me a long time ago.

[pnorman]

58. Once more: "There's Not A Dime's Worth Of Difference Between....."

n/t

[frogmarch]

60. I'll vote for him again, but

he's a DINO in my opinion, and I'd rather see a real Democrat as president.

[MineralMan]

63. No. His base consists of people who support him and will

vote for him. Others are not his base. The word is misused and misunderstood.

[TheKentuckian]

70. You set a definition that can't be lost. Obama zealots is not the traditional party ideological

base.

No base is unlosable.

[MineralMan]

71. Incorrect. Obama's base is not the same as your definition of

the "base." The question was about Obama's base, not yours.

We disagree about what the base of the Democratic Party is. Seriously disagree.

I see the Democratic base at the DFL caucuses and conventions I attend in Minnesota. They are the base. They will be back at the caucuses in 2012, just as they were in 2008 and 2010. Those who are not there are in no way the base of anything. They are just disgruntled "sometimes" Democrats.

What you describe may be the base of something, but it is not the base of the Democratic Party. Fair weather friends are not friends in reality.

See my signature line.

[TheKentuckian]

75. A friend that is quiet as you go down the wrong paths.

That stands idol when you are a threat to yourself and others.

That cheers you on when you betray what you claim to believe in.

Friends like these are no friends at all.

Unconditional love is for family and friends not political organizations. There is no accountability. Some of us have been working in this party way before 2008 and have seen plenty of shitty weather so that won't cut it.

The if you can be lost then you aren't the base shit is a crock. You are describing partisan zealot rubberstamps.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

64. Some of the people I know who were all aflutter about Obama in 2008

are starting to express doubts and wondering when he's going to stand up for ordinary people instead of caving all the time.

You'd have to know what utter fans these people were in 2008 to understand how significant this change is.

[Logical]

66. I think we will NEVER see the excitement we had in 2008. n-t

[annabanana]

69. He may still draw on the base... but he could draw on a LOT more of them

if he could throw just a tad more red eat. We need some protein to stay healthy.

[ProgressIn2008]

73. It's complicated, I think, and depends on what you mean by "lose"

The White House is utterly and completely out of touch, but I take that for granted as the condition of ruling elites, and I wouldn't criticize Obama or anyone else for that condition. It's just how the ruling class is. I have to say that I believe the role of the citizenry is not to be a base, but to be a constant, loud, and unrelenting voice demanding accountability on the part of the ruling class.

That being said, most left-leaning folks I know are disgusted and angry. But come 2012, they know the political system is broken and no one is willing to call the situation for what it is. We'd only call it certain things if it happened in another country, far away. So, given that "sit down and shut up, you have nowhere to go" will be the theme of 2012, I have no doubt that Obama will win a second term, and enough people will fall into line that we'll just go on... and on... like this.

But that doesn't mean that people won't be disgusted and angry. They'll just be disgusted and angry and resigned at best, and disgusted and angry and trapped and hopeless at worst.

I've seen a lot of people experiencing painful cognitive dissonance lately, realizing that too many things they wanted BushCo imprisoned for... are still happening. So, they're painfully realizing that either: 1) they were wrong about Bush, or 2) it wasn't about Bush in the first place, but the way the game is set up, and they were royally suckered. It's a huge paradigm shift and paradigm shifts hurt.

[Donnachaidh]

74. In my area -- it's gone.

The downtown area of this small town is shuttered with for sale or lease signs EVERYWHERE. We have people still losing their homes and jobs. Our new governor is planing on giving tax breaks to the rich on the backs of the middle class.

We all thought we were voting for someone who would fight for us. Not lecture *us* on our attitudes. Certainly not turn his nose up about doing something about gas prices - which is something he CAN do, but chooses not to.

It was great to see all the excitement in 2008. But the sense of betrayal is thick here. And likely to get worse. I think his advisors on 2012 are going to get a real big shock - IF they really take a look at the devastation that is still happening.

[lunatica]

76. I'm still a Progressive Democrat

It's the traditional Democratic ideals that I'm loyal to. Hell! I'm actually a Socialist Democrat, so I'm disappointed in something all the time.

[GeorgeGist]

77. I think the Republicans will die sooner ...

if they don't have Obama to protect them from progress.