Every week CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist/philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogues compiled on Sunday, May 16, 2010 after watching selections from "The Charlie Rose Show," "PBS NewsHour" and NY1's "Inside City Hall."
Salit: I'm sure you're right about that. Alright, the Supreme Court, the nomination of Elena Kagan.
Newman: Yes.
Salit: The left is disappointed, not that they're not going to support Kagan, but the left is disappointed because they really want a "full-throated left liberal" justice on the Court to be a counter-balance to Scalia. And Kagan is not that.
Newman: Well, put another way, the left is disappointed because the massive turnout that made Obama the president is not left-wing.
Salit: Yes.
Newman: It's center-left. And they're going to pout as long as that's the case, but Obama's appointments will reflect that. That's who he is. Is he a leftist? Yes. Is he pro-socialist? Yes. Does he have the same history and ideological hard drive as the American far left? No. At least not the part that's most vocal. So, they're unhappy about that. What can I tell you. They're unhappy.
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