Once again, the corporate media has gotten a story badly wrong. And, once again, it’s due to the usual factors: laziness, sloppiness, the imperative to push a predefined narrative, and just shoddy “journalism.” Which story am I talking about? This one (“At Netroots Nation, Progressives Decry Obama Policies”). And this one (“Fear & Loathing In Minneapolis: Progressives Vent Frustration With Obama At Netroots Nation”). And this one (“Liberal Bloggers Are Breaking Up with Barack Obama”). And this one (“Netroots Nation event reveals unhappiness among Obama supporters”). And…we could go on all day.
So, the story is that progressive activists are unhappy with President Obama, deeply unhappy even? Right?
Wrong.
In fact, as a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll shows, “80 percent [of attendees at this past weekend’s Netroots Nation progressive gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota] either approve or strongly approve of the president.” But what about those headlines I linked to above, with all the media-lip-smacking schadenfreude they love so much? Let’s check in with that crazy thing called “reality” once again, where only 13% of progressive activists (the supposed hard core of what’s left of the “left” in this country) “somewhat disapprove” of President Obama’s performance, while only 7% “strongly disapprove.”
So, of course, where do you think the corporate media focused their attention? On the 80% who are more or less happy with Obama, or on the 20% who are more or less unhappy with him (because they want him to be more progressive), or on the miniscule 7% who are REALLY unhappy? Do I even need to ask that question? Of course, the corporate media always goes with the outliers, whether they’re talking about the weather, politics, people saying outlandish things while wearing weird costumes, whatever. It’s the “freak show,” and apparently it sells newspapers (or eyeballs, or whatever it is they’re attempting to sell us these days).
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