A new Public Policy Polling survey concludes that "liberal unhappiness with Barack Obama is still largely anecdotal and not very widespread" after finding that 95% of liberal Democrats approve of the president and 3% disapprove.I love reading blogs and writing this one, but there is a tendency toward blogosphere solipsism (i.e. blogopsism) in assuming that bloggers bear any relation to voters. It's not even a real cross-section. But if the Hamsher Axis actually has 3% of liberals to its name, I'd say it's doing pretty well for itself.
Then there's Ezra, describing the Administration's thought process:
A public option would be nice, but if it's not there, then that's fine, too. Full auction of permits is a good idea, but if most get given away to corporations, then that's how it goes. Infrastructure spending is good, but if tax cuts are the price of passage, then tax cuts there shall be.I think this is well-said, and I think that most liberals realize that there are political constraints on what can be done at this point, and would be perfectly happy with a health care plan that isn't perfect but that helps most people out. But, then again, most liberals don't read blogs every day. I often read bloggers (like Matt Yglesias) who complain about the hothouse environment of cable news, and its deleterious effects on our political culture. But the blogosphere is basically the same sort of environment. It's unavoidable, given the medium, and liberal bloggers will naturally get frustrated at Obama's progress. But Obama understands that, in the long run, tactics aren't particularly relevant. If you took the hill from the front or the rear won't matter as time goes on, it'll be whether or not you took the hill. But if the blogosphere were to ignore the stupid little stories of the day and to filter everything through a broader lens, there wouldn't be much of a blogosphere.
Just a reminder that it's important for all of us to make sure to get our reality from outside the blogging world as well.
