President Obama has gotten his fair share of verbal abuse from conservatives since his re-election. But now, even his own party is turning on him. On Thursday night, at the annual progressive conference Netroots Nation, leftists from across the country expressed their frustration with Obama and his slow progress in office.
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Some were disappointed that they hadn’t seen changes or consequences in the banking sector after the housing crisis. Some were upset that he’s failed to create a single job out of the one million he promised by the end of his second term. Some even voiced their distress over the NSA surveillance scandal and the government’s collection of private data.
In fact, CNN reported that it was difficult to find anyone who believed that the president has done enough to live up to the Democratic Party’s expectations for his presidency. CNN reporters found many of their questions about the president were met with shrugs and occasional eye rolls.
Co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Adam Green, thought he finally saw a sign of hope when the president attempted to pass comprehensive gun control legislation. But, alas, the president failed his party once again. CNN quoted Green:
"The American people want to believe in something, someone, and there are moments like the gun debate when the president did what progressives wanted all along, which is propose the boldest possible bill and barnstorm the country fighting for it.
"But on things like foreclosures, and even jobs, there is the absence of a policy. On some things he is just wrong, and on other things he is just absent. Why isn't he giving a speech on jobs every single week? Why isn't he owning that issue? He is almost treating his presidency like he is treading water. There are people who want to rally behind his leadership if he is willing to lead, but he is not."
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Progressive attendees are also unhappy with some of the compromises President Obama has made because they’ve only continued to halt change. One attendee said, “"Sometimes the administration is standing in the way of the agenda we all voted for."
The left’s biggest issue is that it’s not a unified group brought together by a few core ideals. It’s more like small groups of warring factions, each of whom identify themselves with a specific identity – from the environmentalists to abortion rights supporters. It’s a difficult group of individuals that are more focused on Obama’s media strategy than promoting his political agenda.
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