A maxim worth noting : You lose voters trust

[merbex]

You lose their votes come election time.

Trust
Leadership skills
Principled stands( even if a voter doesn't agree, they RESPECT a principled stand)
Betrayal
Judgment

I have news for the political junkies here, and I am one of them:THIS is what the vast majority of AVERAGE voters i.e. not political junkies aka activists, look for and base their vote on when deciding for whom to vote.

Barack Obama has caused many people to examine him through a different prism than the one he presented about himself when he campaigned for this job:

He did this to himself by berating his 'base'.

He invited this scrutiny.

[jefferson_dem]

1. Above all else, voters want results...

They value leadership ... and political competency. Obama has been demonstrating the former, especially in the past few days. Once the bill is passed and he signs it into law, he will have demonstrated the latter. That's not "3-D Chess". That's the truth.

[merbex]

2. Respectfully disagree

Voters ALWAYS vote for the man - not programs

Tons of political research done in this area

Check out Drew Westen's book "The Political Brain"

[fasttense]

3. I use to think some of the hate directed at Obama here on DU

was excessive. It appeared to me like a bad divorce, broken heart on one side disregard for the partner on the other side. Some Democrats sounded like they had been cheated on by a cruel lover. Obama appeared unconcerned, arrogant and calculating. He had no regard for the feelings of the broken hearted.

And now, I understand. I've come to the realization that Obama is not who he pretends to be. In fact, he is in many ways the opposite of what he pretends. He is not a liberal. He is a corporatist and believer in the "free" market religion. He didn't sound that way on the campaign trail no matter what people say about "not paying attention". If you paid attention, you would have thought Obama was more liberal than corporatist. But that was only what he pretended to be.

This supposed deal is what has finally broken my heart.

[ncteechur]

4. Because many in his base don't know the difference between what you want to do and what you can do.

We want single payer. It was never there to get.

We want middle class tax cuts only. Can't get there from here.

On and on and on.

[merbex]

5. Leadership is knowing how to negotiate

Start with single payer and fall back to public option.....you don't compromise your comopromise position

That's not leadership or good judgment