First, start by prosecuting these guys. That one is a no-brainer.
Or maybe put some of these people in jail.
Or maybe do something about this guy.
And don't even get me started on accountability for this...thing.
Nothing extremist there. These are all known criminals, and deeply unpopular people with not only liberals of all stripes, independents and even moderate Republicans as well.
Or, if prosecutions and accountability aren't your style, maybe the President could stand in solidarity with these people.
Or pay more than lip service in support of these people.
Or maybe stand up and celebrate with these people.
All of these people and their causes have majority support in the polls among the general public, and would be a big sign to progressives that the President has our back.
But if that's just too "dirty hippie" for you, perhaps he could just stop.
As in, stop doing this.
Or maybe stop doing this and this.
Or at the very least, stop doing this.
And for the love of all, please stop doing this.
All of which are fairly unpopular, especially among the very people who donate their time, energy and small-donor contributions to the President.
President Obama maintains a healthy approval rating among Democrats and self-described liberals for the same record I myself would tell a pollster I approve of his performance: compared to the alternative and to his predecessor, he's a heroic champion of the downtrodden and the middle class. And yet that support is fairly soft.
But on the core issues of our time, the President has left much to be desired in terms of holding accountable those most responsible for our nation's predicament, standing with those who are trying to bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice just a little bit faster, or even simply ceasing to actively do harm. These are not the critiques of implacable extremists; they are basic and simple suggestions for easy-to-implement policy and communications changes that would pay instant dividends in both policy and politics.
In spite of the poor economy, the President could take half or more of these simple steps tomorrow. If they were done with adequate fanfare and enthusiasm, his presidency would prove much more popular not only with progressives, but with independents and moderate Republicans as well.
It's so simple, in fact, that the only question left to answer is: why not?