At a recent fundraiser in LA the President attributed his currently low poll approval rating to high gas prices and then, paraphrasing various messages he hears from voters, assured his supporters that, because Americans have values that align with his policy goals, eventually they'll come back to him. He said, according to the
White House transcript:
Look, if I wasn’t professionally in this, I wouldn’t be following all these debates in Washington. But when you talk to them about their values, what they care about, then they say, "Of course, we should make sure every child has a good education and gets opportunity," and, "Absolutely, we’ve got to make sure that our commitments to seniors are met," and, "Of course, we want a family whose child has a disability to make sure that child is getting everything possible to allow them to succeed." And, "Yes, internationally, we want to stand on the side of human rights and democracy." And, "We understand the world is complicated, but we have a vision about what America should be in the world and we want to live up to that." And, "Yes, government should live within its means, but we think we can live within its means and still ensure that we’re delivering for the next generation." I have faith in them.
These are values, sure. But first they are the rhetoric of an ideology in support of (1) socialized government services and (2) American intervention. What he is quoting are the voices of people quoting ideological rhetoric. In other words, Of course we should continue taxing and funding public schools, taxing and funding Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid, taxing and funding regime makeovers. The President's quoting the people quoting the marketing of these programs and policies is wonderful.
The WH transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/22/remarks-president-dnc-event
