They Still Don't Get It

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 09:19:01 PM EST
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"Lots of people say, 'I want a Democrat,' but when they see the particulars, they say, 'I don't want that Democrat,'" said Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. "The thing that's amazing about the Democrats is that they could still snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. The major Democrats are all now well to the left of the median voter."

Matt Yglesias writes about this piece by ABC News that basically argues what Prof. Jeffrey Berry says. Matt comments on the lack of imagination of the piece. I am struck by its inaccuracy. The argument presented was the same one we saw in the runup to the 2006 election from the Media -- the Democrats are moving to far to the Left. As then, the polls belied every statement made in that regard. And of course the election results proved it too.

I have never heard of Jeffrey Berry and I imagine most of you have not heard of him either. He was chosen to be quoted in the article because the reporters wanted to put their views in the mouths of some semi-authoritative voice. And Berry obliged. But Berry is absolutely wrong based on all the polling on EVERY ISSUE. Let's discuss the particulars on the flip.

ABC "reports":

In recent months, virtually the entire Democratic field has tacked left -- not just on the Iraq War, but on health care, taxes, energy issues and gay rights

Where are the American People on these issues? In Iraq, poll after poll shows that 2/3 of Americans want withdrawal from within a year. Are Democrats to the Left of that? I wish. They are not. It is the Repuiblicans who are extreme in their views on Iraq.

On health care:

Most Americans believe government can play a role in fixing the health care system. Two-thirds say the federal government should guarantee that all Americans have health insurance — and a similar number says providing health insurance for all is a more serious problem than keeping health care costs down. . . . In the new poll, the public gives the Democrats a big edge over the Republicans on handling health care issues. Asked which party they believe will best improve the health care system, 62 percent said the Democrats, while just 19 percent said the Republicans.

On taxes, poll after poll shows a majority of Americans think the well off pay too little in taxes. But the Media will tell you that Democrats are "out of step." Revealing that they are the ones out of step - with the facts.

On gay rights, the polling indicates support for equal right for gays and either gay marriage or civil unions the majority view of the country.

And does anyone want to be with the Republoicans on the environment? Puhleeeaze.

As you can see, Professor Berry is talking out of his nethers. But who cares what Berry thinks? No one really. The problem is the media which goes and finds the Professor Berrys of the world to be able to "report" this drivel.

And unfortunately, too many Democrats still believe this nonsense.

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They Still Don't Get It | 19 comments (19 topical)

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Tenure is the ruin of many a fine mind.... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by jerry on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 09:37:19 PM EST

His website: http://ase.tufts.edu/polsci/faculty/berry/web.asp

I have no idea what his ideas actually are, but my rough understanding of the abstract of this paper, http://lobby.la.psu.edu/_documentation/MPSA2006_Structure_of_Policy_Conflict.pdf, has him writing/analyzing/complaining that there really aren't very many differences between the Clinton and Bush Administration

Friends don't let friends get tenure.

another bought soul (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by cpinva on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 09:42:43 PM EST

yes, there are massive differences between the bush and clinton administrations, 3500 at last count, i believe, at minimum.

this is the classic bs that the "liberal" media has been feeding the american public for years: republicans good, democrats bad. gee, i'm so shocked.

He calls himself (none / 0) (#3)
by Al on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 09:44:36 PM EST

a "Hubert Humphrey liberal".

: I didn't know that Bernie Goldberg (none / 0) (#6)
by andgarden on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:03:06 PM EST

was an HHH liberal. . .

Selling problem since ... '80? I (none / 0) (#4)
by seabos84 on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 09:55:23 PM EST

remember, in '79 / '80 during the ascendency of RayGun the Fascist,

feeling in my gut

that 70%, or 80%, or more of the population do NOT:

want your priest / guru / rabbi / preacher in their doctor's office,
want your priest / guru / rabbi / preacher in their doctor's school,
want your priest / guru / rabbi / preacher running their city or state,
want corporate thieves making more money than people who work,
want gov't bureaucrats who are unaccountable,
want crappy products at high prices,
want products made with slave labor,
want discrimination against our family or our friends ... or yours?

... so, WTF is 'left'?

the 19 nimcoompoops in cambridge ma, berkely and seattle argueing trotsky v lenin? who gives a crap about them, and

WHY have the Dems allowed fear of 19 nimcompoops to define what the middle 80%++ of us are for?

while it makes my blood boil that this tufts moron gets press,

it REALLY makes my blood boil that 100's of congress critters with a -D and 100's of their staff and MILLIONS of dollars in salary =

they haven't marginalized these right wing synchophants off to where they belong - arguing with the 19 nimcompoops.

while the rest of us get on with making some go$$am PROGRESS for the future before we shuffle off the old mortal coil.

rmm.

Ho Hum - They Still Don't Get It (none / 0) (#5)
by talex on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 09:58:00 PM EST

When are some on the Left going to come to the realization that there always has been and always will be political bias in the MSM.

That's Democracy! That's Politics for God's sakes.

If there is a minor story here it is that not all Massachusetts PoliSci Professors are flaming Liberals like the Right tries to make them out to be.

And your point? (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by Molly Bloom on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:04:41 PM EST

Acceptance is for 12 step programs, not poltical agendas.

I point you to the original post: (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by andgarden on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:05:00 PM EST

who cares what Berry thinks? No one really. The problem is the media

Rolls Eyes (1.00 / 1) (#10)
by talex on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:35:26 PM EST

No kidding? I can read. The MSM is who I mentioned....

And that "there always has been and always will be political bias in the MSM".

You are not going to change that. It has been that way since the founding of this country. Now granted often times the media has to be called on some things and they are worth discussing. But this?!! No! It's old and as such not even news. Of course the Left moves Left during the primaries and the Right moves Right. And the smart ones have no problem moving back to the center for the General. It's as old as politics.

I've read at least 20 other news items today that are not only more interesting but they are also more important.


Careful, talex (none / 0) (#11)
by Edger on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:43:08 PM EST

Last time you tried to backpedal that fast you hurt yourself.


: Considering that (none / 0) (#12)
by Edger on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:45:28 PM EST

that was your 5th comment today, you might want to be extra careful, talex.

Past (none / 0) (#9)
by koshembos on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:33:34 PM EST

The Prof and the Reporter sound like an a forgotten song from the 60s. Left, right and center have been redefined since the 60s more than once. Was the Prof on the History Channel?

Democratic Candidates Moving Left (none / 0) (#13)
by Alien Abductee on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 10:56:44 PM EST

We only wish.

Odd those quotes from Berry based on his bio and his Newsweek article (pdf). He's an old-style liberal. Who knows what context his statements were said in. On the basis of ABC's recent history, it wouldn't surprise me a whole lot if there's some disingenuousness going on here from the Republican bots infecting ABC News.

Some party strategists note that the Democratic candidates are not embracing the extreme left. No major Democratic candidate is endorsing gay marriage, single-payer health care, or an immediate and total withdrawal from Iraq -- positions that have sizeable, if not overwhelming, support among Democratic primary voters.

Ooooh, so way way extreme left there.

Who are these unnamed "party strategists" anyway?

Um (none / 0) (#16)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 11:27:04 PM EST

I'm not sure what context could possibly help that statement.


: Haven't you seen enough (none / 0) (#17)
by Alien Abductee on Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 12:02:53 AM EST

manipulation in the media the past six years to suspect malicious spin when things don't add up? I don't know the guy from Adam, but from a quick google, he's a solid liberal, no squishy DLCer or lap dog for right-wing media.
The only words of his they actually quoted in the entire story:

"Lots of people say, 'I want a Democrat,' but when they see the particulars, they say, 'I don't want that Democrat,'" said Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. "The thing that's amazing about the Democrats is that they could still snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. The major Democrats are all now well to the left of the median voter."
Who knows what was said to prompt that? Was he referring to a specific issue? We don't know. The rest of the article is the ABC hack's interpretation and unnamed "Democratic" consultant quotes. Just on the basis of what's presented here, I'd be more inclined to suspect ABC of spin to get the slant their editors wanted than pinning the whole weight of it on Berry.
But who knows. That's just me. I think context is important, and we don't have any here beyond what we have to take on trust from ABC.

: Let me take back (none / 0) (#19)
by Alien Abductee on Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 11:37:49 AM EST

my caveat. A bit more googling pulls up quotes from him that suggest he's a liberal, sure, but that he likes coming up with pithy little zingers that triangulate against Dems and get him quoted in the media. So, odds are it's no misquote. Fire away!

Jeffrey Berry (none / 0) (#14)
by chemoelectric on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 11:14:03 PM EST

I know who this Jeffrey Berry is. He played Captain Parmenter on F Troop.

I like the part where the guard tower gets shot down.

: Heh (none / 0) (#15)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 11:26:08 PM EST

Jeff Berry (none / 0) (#18)
by Mark Bail on Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 09:23:50 AM EST

Berry is frequently quoted in the Boston Globe. He gets no respect from the Massachusetts blogosphere. The only person who gets quoted more on things political is Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Assocation.

Here's a thread on Berry from BlueMassGroup:http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showComment.do?commentId=53693.

Mark