The “professional left” consists of left-leaning political pundits, paid activists, and the heads of progressive institutions.
The term “professional left” was coined by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs in an interview with The Hill when he dismissed the concerns of liberals frustrated with President Obama:
Said Gibbs: “I hear these people saying he’s like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested. I mean, it’s crazy. They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon. That’s not reality.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Gibbs later clarified he was primarily referring to the people “who chatter on cable TV news.”