Sometimes, things are clear even to the most naive of voters. Me. And, after doing some googling, I think it is apparent why Obama doesn't care about Progressive/Liberal voters. That little light above my head flickered and went on.
He thinks he doesn't need them.
Here is what I think his strategy is in a nutshell, with references from various websites:
1. TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY
He who wins the independents, wins the election.
“It’s interesting that the two parties chose non-ideological candidates. That’s where the independent voters are,” said Matthew Dowd, a pollster and strategist on Bush’s 2000 and 2004 election campaigns who broke with the president over the Iraq War and now considers himself an independent, too. “They’re tired of all the bickering and posturing, and they want it to stop.”
Compromising on tax cuts is largely seen as a play for the independent vote.
BOTTOM LINE #1: THE IMPRESSION OF COMPROMISE, WHETHER TRUE OR FALSE, IS INTENDED TO BRING IN THE INDEPENDENT VOTE
More bottom lines below the line ...
2. THE DREAM ACT
The Obama administration has trotted out a parade of top officials to push the long-shot DREAM Act in recent days, even as tax, spending and defense issues dominate the lame-duck session. “We have a team at the White House working on this every day. The president himself is engaged,” said Cecilia Munoz, the White House’s intergovernmental affairs director and a longtime immigration advocate. “We are going stay absolutely engaged in this as we wait for congressional action.”
Several articles and the home page of the White House (whitehouse.gov) lists The Dream Act under what is called "Featured Stories", front and center. And, on the same page, "10 reasons we need the Dream Act".
BOTTOM LINE - THE HISPANIC VOTE IS A GROWING PART OF THE ELECTORATE
3. OBAMA'S STIMULUS POURS MILLIONS INTO FAITH-BASED GROUPS.
From Politico: "The story of the Obama administration's large-scale spending on faith-based groups has been largely untold, perhaps because it cuts so sharply across the moment's intensely partisan narrative. But the stimulus is also the largest-scale embodiment of what was, not long ago, a conservative priority: directing tax dollars to "faith-based initiatives," as President George W. Bush called them. (See also: Obama to rename Bush's faith office)
From Politico article.
BOTTOM LINE: PANDERING TO CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS GROUPS
4. FORGOTTEN PROMISES
President Obama seems to have forgotten another election-season promise for a second stimulus for transportation projects ($50 billion?).
One clear signal: The president never mentioned his stimulus plan at a White House event Monday with governors, mayors and transportation leaders that was supposed to be dedicated to the $50 billion proposal. Instead, the president emphasized a longer-term effort to pass a $450 billion, six-year infrastructure plan.
In general, Obama is still relatively popular with the bulk of Democratic voters. Losses among certain groups is probably irrelevant. Go to Gallup, Presidential Job Approval site.
BOTTOM LINE: BLUE-COLLAR DEMOCRATS ARE ALREADY STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE.
5. SYMBOLIC GESTURES:
The President urges Congress to address earmarks as a signal of fiscal reform. From WH.gov.
Freeze of salaries of government employees, from everywhere.
Etc. Too numerous to list.
BOTTOM LINE: SUBSTANCE DOESN'T MATTER, SOUND BYTES DO
6. DADT, DOMA
Still, gay rights advocates have complained that Obama hasn’t gotten personally engaged or used his power to push repeal legislation, and doubt it’s an Oval Office priority. The only direct involvement he’s had on the repeal issue in the Senate was a single phone call to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) two weeks ago.
From here.
BOTTOM LINE: LIBERAL AND PROGRESSIVE GROUPS REPRESENT TOO SMALL OF A PART OF THE ELECTORATE
BOTTOM BOTTOM LINE - CYNICAL STRATEGY FOR 2012
√ Hispanic voters - a growing portion of the electorate is a large part of Obama's strategy.
√ Republicans will see what he has done for religious groups and the upper income people.
√ Independents are a necessary part of any winning strategy.
√ Polling indicates that he is popular with most Democrats.
√ Liberal and progressive voters are irrelevant.
My opinion? No clue. I am left feeling kind of left out. Like the time I went to this big party and suddenly realized that I was at the wrong house (totally true).
Disclaimer: I am a scientist who avoided courses in history and liberal arts since high school when I had a totally lame history. I defer to those many among you who are far more intelligent than I am.