No, the left has not abandoned Obama.

[Drunken Irishman]

Certainly you've read the Salon article posted here that says Obama's approval is sketchy solely because the left has started to abandon him. This is not true. The evidence given in the article isn't very concrete and it ignores actual poll numbers that break down approval by ideology.

In the most recent breakdown of Obama's approval, Gallup shows his support among liberals at 74% - which is where it's typically been for a great chunk of his second term. He's been in the 80s, and he's dipped below 70% at times, but on the whole, it falls between 67-75 and it's been the most remarkably stable aspect of his poll numbers.

Where he's faltered is both among moderate and conservative voters. Today, his support among conservatives is just 6% - the huge divide between those two is why his approval is just barely above 40%. It's that polarization that'll make it harder for Obama to edge up his support to around 50%, as, when he was at that total in these polls, he wasn't dramatically off in his support from liberals.

The recent Washington Post poll echoes the Gallup - as Obama's approval among liberals is 69%, which only a marginal change from the daily Gallup poll. His approval among moderates and conservatives is actually 50% and 19% respective. Again, it's that polarization that has driven down his numbers.

Obama has also had approval within the range of 40-50 for most his presidency. Beyond just the initial first year of his term, he's never had impressive approval numbers and that is a direct result of that huge divide.

Sure, Obama has lost liberal support - but it's not at the level of other ideologies and the trend has been pretty consistent the last two years. You've got to remember, self-identifying liberals made up only 25% of the voting electorate in 2012 - with moderates pulling 41% and conservatives 35%. They're constantly third in the ideology game and it means that there are less of 'em out there. So, even if Obama bumps that 74% up to 80%, it won't be significant enough to budge his numbers that much - not without moderates pushing their support of him higher than 50%.

It is connected, tho, and Obama has lost support across the board. But it's absolutely false to say liberals have abandoned him. Some have - but not enough to make the impact we're seeing in the approval polls. That is due to two reasons: his tepid support among moderates, who, even today, make up a vast plurality of the American public, and the record low numbers among conservatives.

[cali]

1. you make a persuasive argument.

good job.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Facts don't matter

Anonymous posters on a message board disapprove of Obama and we've even got a Salon article to prove the left doesn't like him anymore.

This means the left has abandoned Obama.

Facts and numbers be damned.

Warren 2016.

[99Forever]

3. Denial...

... isn't a river in Egypt.

[Cha]

33. Yeah, you'd be served well to apply that to yourself.

[Thinkingabout]

4. You point out interesting information. Sometimes i get the feeling some falter on a single issue

Of which I see in the Republican party, I have hoped Democrats are smarter than selecting a single issue. I do not like war but sometimes it can not be prevented so in times we are currently in there has to be action taken. I am happy President Obama is building a coalition of nations to Tackle ISIS and not going along. He kept his shirt on when going after bin Laden, I expect some of the same here. It really boils down to supporting our nation and its leaders to have a stronger nation.

[LostInAnomie]

5. A lot of people are deeply invested in creating a narrative.

Despite what DU thinks, Obama is popular with liberals and Democratic voters.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. I'm part of the so-called Hard Left. The DEMS left me behind years ago. But I still fight for what

they **claim** to believe in, even if they won't.

[SoapBox]

13. Yup!

[LoisB]

15. Yup! again. I got a call from Shenna Bellows yesterday asking for money (what else).

When she started talking about "progressives", I told her that I am not a "Progressive", I am a LIBERAL and not ashamed of it.

[Scuba]

35. +1,000

[OilemFirchen]

7. I'm confounded.

Over the past year or so I've read innumerable posts suggesting that supporting Obama (or, lately, his proxy Holder) classifies one as a "conservative". One of GD's hosts greets all such posters in that fashion. ("Welcome! Go fuck yourself! There are appetizers in the dining room. Hope you choke on one!&quot

And yet, his support among conservatives ranges between 6 and 19%.

Do all of them post here?

That would be weird, huh?

[freshwest]

22. "Welcome! Go fuck yourself! There are appetizers in the dining room. Hope you choke on one!"

LOL... Journaling that one...



Don't think that is a 'liberal' position they are using there, but then a lot of Libertarians say they're the only TRUE liberals on their websites. Ain't buying their line, though.

[OilemFirchen]

37. Flattered, I am. (n/t)

[Cha]

34. " One of GD's hosts greets all such posters in that fashion. ("Welcome! Go fuck yourself! There are

appetizers in the dining room. Hope you choke on one!&quot

What?!!!

[OilemFirchen]

38. Not literal, mind you.

I just renewed my poetic license and thought I'd give it a spin.

[Cha]

39. Oh!.. look at

me.. all believing it!

Rofl

[Number23]

41. I think alot of folks are beginning to smell the 8 foot tall dying rat that has been parked in

this forum for years.

Over the past year or so I've read innumerable posts suggesting that supporting Obama (or, lately, his proxy Holder) classifies one as a "conservative".

And yet, his support among conservatives ranges between 6 and 19%.

Very similar to my question in the Grade Obama thread where 85% of the respondents gave him a passing grade and yet... EVERY FUCKING DAY this forum is filled to overflowing with the shrillest screams and the most offensive insults hurled at the man, most of them as well thought out and informed as a D level Freeper post.

Something is hella off around here and has been for a loooooooong time.

[OilemFirchen]

42. I estimate that there are about 317 of these screaming narcissists here.

Rough guess, of course, but based on observations of huzzahs, attaboys, recs and +one graboozalons.

Much like mosquitoes, minor irritants but [font size=15]LOUD[/font].

[Number23]

43. A year ago I would have agreed, but judging by the attaboys lately, I think their numbers

have been halved.

Which is sort of terrifying in a way. At least DU was keeping them off of the streets.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. It may depend on whether you think 'the left' and 'liberals' are synonymous

Some might say "the left" is smaller subset, or even a group to the left of liberals.

[Kaleva]

10. I for one don't think the two are synonymous.

[Drunken Irishman]

11. Well you kind of have to.

But let's assume they're not. Let's assume the left is more to the left of liberals. They still fit somewhere in the ideological composition of America. Presumably, the left, when presented with the question of where they fall on the ideological spectrum, will pick liberal if that's the only option (I don't see why they would self-identify as moderates). So, even then, you're still looking at a complete demographic picture.

Maybe those who disapprove of Obama are 'the left' but even then, they're such a small number of the liberal demographic that, even if Obama lost 'em all, it wouldn't lead to his overall disapproval drop.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Doesn't your last paragraph give a scenario where your OP could be wrong?

You're saying that if Obama did lose all of 'the left', then that wouldn't be enough to account for the drop in popularity he has had - ie that 'the left' and some other former supporters as well have switched to disapproval.

[Drunken Irishman]

23. No. Because there is no evidence he has lost the left...

Even if he's lost support AMONG the left, he's still pulling in support from 74% of liberals. If the left makes up such a paltry amount of liberals, then there is no point in debating their impact.

[RadicalGeek]

16. Maybe

I guess when I think of "The Left", I think of folks like Angela Davis, etc.

A "Liberal" would be someone along the lines of Sanders, Warren, etc.

(That might mean I see "The Left" as far end of the 'Liberals'?)

[Kaleva]

9. The extremes don't approve of the job President Obama is doing

For the hard left, he isn't liberal enough and in the eyes of many (almost all?) conservatives, there's nothing the 2nd Amendment hating, Kenyan Muslim can ever do that will win them over.

IMO, DU as a whole is far to the left of the average Dem so it's not surprising to see a great deal of angst here directed towards Obama.

[Drunken Irishman]

12. I agree, but their numbers aren't very large.

And I think that's something DU fails to understand. There are many here who believe their views are the majority and are baffled when, in the end, things don't happen the way they think. Let's assume Obama's approval among liberals is 74% - that means 26% of liberals don't approve of him (maybe a few of that are undecided). 26% of an overall group that makes up less than 30% of the total ideological makeup of the country is a pretty insignificant amount.

It's why Bernie Sanders is probably never going to become president. Not that I don't think he'd make a good president, it's just that most of America doesn't think the way DU does.

[quakerboy]

19. Hows he doing with the moderates?

[Kaleva]

21. A whole lot better then he's doing with the conservatives and those on the far left.

[quakerboy]

26. I'd love to see that in number form

I would certainly hope he is doing better with moderates than with the conservatives. In the absence of numbers, I don't think I will accept your assertion of the second though.

[Kaleva]

28. From the OP

"The recent Washington Post poll echoes the Gallup - as Obama's approval among liberals is 69%, which only a marginal change from the daily Gallup poll. His approval among moderates and conservatives is actually 50% and 19% respective. Again, it's that polarization that has driven down his numbers. "

As for his approval ratings amongst those who may consider themselves to be on the far left or very liberal, I don't have any numbers.

[GeorgeGist]

25. I agree ...

most Dems are Republican-lite.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

17. Playing the long game is tough for liberals.

TR showed that. FDR cemented how hard it is when he couldn't get much of his agenda done. Obama had to deal with Clinton era deregulation as well as ramifications of Reaganomics. Obama kept us from a depression even though libertarians seemed to crave one.

Plus long games require the kind of patience I don't often see at DU. Hope that doesn't hurt us November 4th.

[stupidicus]

18. they didn't say they've abandoned him, did they?

they said they are in the process of it.

and why make no mention of these groups? http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-losing-the-confidence-of-key-parts-of-the-coalition-that-elected-him/2014/09/11/18a1c2da-391b-11e4-bdfb-de4104544a37_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/09/26/by-at-least-one-metric-president-obama-is-indeed-losing-his-base/
instead of focusing on ideology alone?

ANd given that so many thrid way, DLC types claim the "liberal" label as we see around here even, which is the better measure of the support he's lost?

Face it, most of his loss in support are due to self-inflicted injuries. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/22/nation/la-na-obama-netroots-20130623

[woo me with science]

30. [phone]

The whining defensiveness of Third Way garbage is getting so old...

[stupidicus]

40. it sure is woo

in many ways it reminds me of the Clinton years, and particularly the early Bush years when they spent so much time and text on defending all of BC's efforts tooth and nail.

For example, I always argued to my so-called lefty/liberal allies, that Bush would have never have sold his war in Iraq so easily but for the lies Clinton told before him. As the Kay report inevitably made clear, Clinton could no more speak with certainty about wmds there as he did than Bush did. And his silence in the lead-up and during the occupation and adopting Poppy Bush as his surrogate dad at the time was barf-worthy as well.

The only substantive diff (non-ideologically speaking) between the third way crew and the rightwingnuts they fear so much, is that they'd prefer our republic be cooked by a slow boil or destroyed by the thousand cuts, because that's what they are supporting in many ways I don't have to cite to you. They will likely remain oblivious to the good cop/bad cop tagteaming that's been going on since Raygun for years to come, because like with their rightwing cousins, denial is the best ego-preservation tool available. WHile there fear of the alternative is understandable and may debatably justify this and that, it falls well short of justifying the treatment they mete out to those of us willing to see and act upon the big picture.

that's why they whine so much (as well as employ many other dishonest tactics rightwingers have long relied on) in lieu of a rebuttal they don't have in most cases.

[spanone]

20. the media has an agenda.

[FSogol]

24. K&R. n/t

[Doctor_J]

27. within the last month you made an op lambasting the left for causing the

upcoming loss of the Senate.

Which type of op gets more recs - those in which you bash the left, or those in which you say that we actually adore the president?

[Drunken Irishman]

29. I only bash the DU left...

Which is clearly out of step with the rest of the ideology.

[cali]

31. "the DU left". You seem to think that's a homogenous group. It is not.

[bobduca]

36. Hail, Centrist Purity Brigade Shift Leader!

BASHING and IDEOLOGICAL SQUATTING FTW!

Making DU safe for loyal loyalists and right-wing-policy-rationalizing apologists!