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Obama In His Own Words

11 Apr 2008 09:23 pm

“When I go around and I talk to people there is frustration and there is anger and there is bitterness. And what’s worse is when people are expressing their anger then politicians try to say what are you angry about? This just happened – I want to make a point here today.

“I was in San Francisco talking to a group at a fundraiser and somebody asked how’re you going to get votes in Pennsylvania? What’s going on there? We hear that’s its hard for some working class people to get behind you’re campaign. I said, “Well look, they’re frustrated and for good reason. Because for the last 25 years they’ve seen jobs shipped overseas. They’ve seen their economies collapse. They have lost their jobs. They have lost their pensions. They have lost their healthcare.

“And for 25, 30 years Democrats and Republicans have come before them and said we’re going to make your community better. We’re going to make it right and nothing ever happens. And of course they’re bitter. Of course they’re frustrated. You would be too. In fact many of you are. Because the same thing has happened here in Indiana. The same thing happened across the border in Decatur. The same thing has happened all across the country. Nobody is looking out for you. Nobody is thinking about you. And so people end up- they don’t vote on economic issues because they don’t expect anybody’s going to help them. So people end up, you know, voting on issues like guns, and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. And they take refuge in their faith and their community and their families and things they can count on. But they don’t believe they can count on Washington. So I made this statement-- so, here’s what rich. Senator Clinton says ‘No, I don’t think that people are bitter in Pennsylvania. You know, I think Barack’s being condescending.’ John McCain says, ‘Oh, how could he say that? How could he say people are bitter? You know, he’s obviously out of touch with people.’

“Out of touch? Out of touch? I mean, John McCain—it took him three tries to finally figure out that the home foreclosure crisis was a problem and to come up with a plan for it, and he’s saying I’m out of touch? Senator Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt after taking money from the financial services companies, and she says I’m out of touch? No, I’m in touch. I know exactly what’s going on. I know what’s going on in Pennsylvania. I know what’s going on in Indiana. I know what’s going on in Illinois. People are fed-up. They’re angry and they’re frustrated and they’re bitter. And they want to see a change in Washington and that’s why I’m running for President of the United States of America.”

Tucker Bounds sends along the McCain response:

"Instead of apologizing to small town Americans for dismissing their values, Barack Obama arrogantly tried to spin his way out of his outrageous San Francisco remarks. Only an elitist who attributes religious faith and gun ownership to bitterness would think that tax cuts for the rich include families who make $75,000 per year. Only an elitist would say that people vote their values only out of frustration. Barack Obama thinks he knows your hopes and fears better than you do. You can't be more out of touch than that.

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Barack Obama’s foray into pop psychology, trying to explain why rural Pennsylvanians aren’t warming to him and are asking him to talk more about patriotism, is causing quite the stir in the blogosphere. “You go into some of these sm... [Read More]

Comments (48)

Boy, another false controversy no one gives a shit about that only Marky Mark and Ben Smith write up.

Even Drudge and MSNBC won't touch it.

I'm glad he's getting out in front of this so well.

You know, one of the best tactical points of the Obama campaign is how he has incorporated his opponents attacks into his presentations.

He did this successfully in Iowa: taking the main criticism of how he was a risk and how he wasn't seasoned enough and spoke to much of hope and he'd go off into an extended riff on this issue.

In a lot of ways, it's a great thing for this to come out so directly and everyone and his mother to confront him as an out of touch elitist because he just comes back harder and the thing fizzles out. A lot like that he's just a bunch of speeches thing fizzled and the Obamamania is a cult meme fizzled.

The more the attacks on him happen directly, the better off he will be because it gives him a chance to respond powefully.

Yes!! Thank you Barack Obama for being the strong, no-BS candidate we all (rural, suburban, and urban) need in this country.

Damn right! i'm bitter about the sorry state of this country. We need new leadership and a break from the failed policies of McBush!

What he said in California last week was stupid.

But -- damn -- THAT speech was really, truly first rate. Really good! If he can turn this debacle around to his advantage the way that clip suggest he might just be able to do ... well, I will be much more than amazed.

Incredible stuff. Just unbelievable.

I was clapping after watching this video! Way to go Barak. Tell the truth!

Wow this guy is good! Pretty accurate explanation.

Marc? Hey Marc? Are you getting it now? Obama is smarter than you and all the other pundits.

That, ladies and gents, is what we call 'doubling down.'

"Obama is smarter than you and all the other pundits"

If he was so brilliant, why does he continuously say the stupidiest things?

I noticed that Barry no longer is pushing that "uniter" role any longer. I guess it is a little hard since he has already pissed off the Canadians, Pakistanis, "whites' and now small town middle America. Who is left to unite? Only the kool-aide Obama-ites who still be believe the crap coming from the "Messiahs" mouth?

Is this effeminate marxist snob really the best that the American Left has to offer?

Ladies and Gentlemen, your next president.

Doesn't anyone remember analysis of Karl Rove's victories? He gets people who work at Walmart to vote against their economic interests with issues like gay marriage.

Obama is right about the religion, guns, and abortion. Economic problems make people easy to manipulate. Al Qaeda and Karl Rove know this.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your next president."

More likely, Dukakis...look it up

In one sentence, the brilliant "uniter" just insulted 70% of the nation by attacking their small town values. There is a reason why only about 20% of the population identify themselves as Democrats and those numbers are concentrated in several large cities and near college locations.

I once thought this race might be close, but I now know that Obama is going to get his clock clean. America is not going to elect someone who insults their beliefs.

LogicalSC --

You should double check those facts; Dems currently hold a 9 point advantage on party identification, 36% D to 27% R.

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/poll_pew_party_id.php

"Analysis from the Pew Research Center shows 36% of registered voters nationwide identify themselves as Democrats and 27% as Republicans -- "the lowest percentage of self-identified Republican voters in 16 years of polling by the Center.""

Obama isn't Dukakis and this isn't 1988.

"I once thought this race might be close,"

you're absolutely right, "Logical." It won't be close. Not close at all. Obama will slice, dice and eviscerate Grampa McSimpson. He's the most skilled presidential candidate since at least WJC -- with much, much more discipline, so things don't go off the rails as much as Bubba's campaign did.

I don't think it'll be close at all.

Sally this story was the headline on Drudge this afternoon.

Why doesn't Obama address the second half of his comment about these bitter small town voters "clinging to" religion, guns, etc?

He is insulting a lot of Democrats with his statements. I could careless about why people are bitter. Him and his wife should just keep their mouths shut for as long as possible.

McCain is such a nitwit. How can he think(oh yah he can't think without being fed lines) he will be taken seriously in the General Election? He's ignorant about what this country needs and he wants a war that lasts indefinitely.

I'll tell you this, there is no way that my son or daughter will fight for this country, EVER, if a man like McBush or a woman like McClinton gets into office. What a horrible embarrassment both of these people are...Way to do and say anything to win. I'm sure they are both really concerned about the average American and that's why they are jumping all over this non story...No really, I'm sure of it!

Actually it was a Drudge headline for a grand total of an hour and has completely disappeared from his site - altogether.
Interesting, isn't it ?

Everything Barack said is true from towns in CA to towns in NY...All across this country, we are bitter, we are sick of lies, we are sick of getting nowhere as a country. Don't slice and dice his comments...The fact is, people focus on what they think they can control in their lives because Government has left EVERYONE feeling so out of control. Get some context and get a grip. If you're offended you were never going to vote for CHANGE to begin with!

All this is is McCain and Clinton trying to spin a screw up....nothing more! Tell us some more lies Hillary and how about that 100 year war McCain?

Why do your intellectual leftist continue to make the exact same mistakes again and again? People are going to start to believe that you are not as brilliant as you are constantly telling us.

America will never elect this America-hating, racist, snobbish couple to be their President. Period.

The excuses are already beginning to run out. First, it was that Obama doesn't believe what his "pastor" preaches or his wife spouts, who he already had to muzzle. This episode shows even to the most deluded that Obama has the same views.

Considering his lifelong associates and mentors, it was almost a certainity but some people had to hear it from the horse's mouth.

No matter how much Berkeley, Seattle and Madison love the leftist radicalism of Obama, he will be rejected by middle America like all the rest of the marxist, elitist candidates before.

Change is never going to come out of the Chicago democrat machine. Obama was suppose to be the Dem that could peel off christian voter, he was supposed to be a great speaker, but can't keep his foot out of his mouth. He was suppose to be the clean candidate, you know the answer to that one.

Why doesn't Obama address the second half of his comment about these bitter small town voters "clinging to" religion, guns, etc?

He did. Perhaps you missed it because it was buried in the middle the post. You know, in that big blockquote where it says:

And so people end up- they don’t vote on economic issues because they don’t expect anybody’s going to help them. So people end up, you know, voting on issues like guns, and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. And they take refuge in their faith and their community and their families and things they can count on. But they don’t believe they can count on Washington.?

The people are bitter about how government has failed them, so they cling to the things they can count on (family, faith, etc.). And they vote against their own economic and social interests when they become single issue or wedge issue voters.

It's so straightforward, I'm amazed anyone finds it controversial.

Hopefully, Obama won't relive Gary Hart's 1984 New Jersey nightmare in Pennsylvania:

In late May and early June 1984, Hart was locked in a tight New Jersey primary contest he had to win to deny Mondale a first-ballot nomination at the Democratic convention the following month. At a California fundraiser eerily reminiscent of Obama's this week, Hart and his wife Lee spoke with reporters at a Los Angeles event. In one moment of carelessness, Hart, too, struck a nerve with voters in a critical state. As Time recalled:

In a classic campaign boner, he exposed his sarcastic side at a fund raiser in Los Angeles. The "bad news," he told a well-heeled audience standing on the lawn of a Bel Air mansion, is that he has to campaign apart from his wife Lee. "The good news for her is that she campaigns in California while I campaign in New Jersey." When Mrs. Hart interjected, "I got to hold a koala bear," Hart sniggered, "I won't tell you what I got to hold: samples from a toxic-waste dump."

Hart went from closing fast on Mondale in the Garden State to a decisive 15 point blowout a week later. Mondale went on to sew up the Democratic nomination thanks to the delegates he swept in New Jersey. The rest, as they say, is history.

For more on the history and worrisome parallels, see:
"Will Obama Relive Hart's '84 New Jersey Nightmare in Pennsylvania?"

"worrisome parallels" -- oh please. Voters are smart enough to know the truth (and empathy) when they hear it. Barack Obama is smart enough to hit back hard, and fast, against this smear attack.

Hey! I will take a "marxist snob" anyday to a cold, calculating, weak and pathetic woman like Mrs. Clinton who has to rely on the resources of the Right wing talk radio machine to help her win the nomination. Rush said it correctly once. He said Obama will win the nomination, but HRC will be the nominee and she will lose to Mccain. I think we need to take heed. Mrs. Clinton is much too dangerous for this country. I don't trust her and neither do 50% or more of this nation. THIS IS A BLOODY NON-STORY. He did not say anything that was offensive. For this if we are going to choose that weak excuse for a woman, then maybe we all deserve the mediocrity called Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Wait...so is Obama anti-free trade or pro-free trade? It's so hard to keep up.

"The people are bitter about how government has failed them, so they cling to the things they can count on (family, faith, etc.)."

Yeah, those foolish rubes. When The Change comes family, faith and guns will be superfluous. We shall all be redeemed by the mighty workings of the Obama super-state.

Religion (and guns and family) is the opiate of the masses.

This is so 20th century.

Yeah, those foolish rubes. When The Change comes family, faith and guns will be superfluous. We shall all be redeemed by the mighty workings of the Obama super-state.

This doesn't even make sense. Other than the Obama as Chairman Mao and Karl Marx all rolled up into one scary little red package.

On second thought, that's pretty nonsensical, too.

What I find entertaining is that so many bloviators, either professional or amateur, are so certain they know what offends or does not offend the mythical "real small town Americans." Hillary and Bill Clinton picked up $109 friggin' million peddling influence in the past 7 years, Bill O'Reilly wants to rub his assistant with a 'felafel' in Manhattan, Karl Rove is adamant that his kid should never work on a farm or change a sheet in Las Vegas, but when Obama speaks the simple truth, that the last 25 years have downright sucked for most Americans and they are understandably pissed off and looking for someone, anyone, to blame, the chattering classes go batty with criticism on behalf of their small-town brethren. I guess if they run Obama into the ground, he'll have something in common with old Barry Goldwater (other than his first name...): in your heart, you know he's right.

Obama's response to this media controversy of distortion has been brilliant. (CNN today had headline saying "Obama slams small town Pennsylvanians" or some such nonsense. McCain should be very afraid. http://acropolisreview.com/2008/04/top-reasons-to-give-barack-obama-your.html

HAHAHAHAH yeah, goodness forbid that anyone use the FEAR card... or else where would politics be THEN? Oh noez! Hahah.

LogicalSC, you're grasping at straws. This issue is a nonstarter and nothing compared to the Wright controversy. Rightists, detractors and cynics keep seeing this election through a defunct prism. News-flash: the paradigm has shifted.

LogicalSC, you're grasping at straws. This issue is a nonstarter and nothing compared to the Wright controversy. Rightists, detractors and cynics keep seeing this election through a defunct prism. News-flash: the paradigm has shifted.

LogicalSC, you're grasping at straws. This issue is a nonstarter and nothing compared to the Wright controversy. Rightists, detractors and cynics keep seeing this election through a defunct prism. News-flash: the paradigm has shifted.

So in a world out of their control, some people draw closer to them things which they feel they can control, and that which they feel will protect them. And since the Republicans and NeoCons created this economic mess, is it any surprise they are trying to run away from the blame? Obama is right, even with the symbols he uses to describe the pain of the Pennsylvanians he is going to be able to help.

Well, first, it's McCain's third try at being president...

This is also about McCain's own party's issues with how the whole idea of change is frightening to some. Just what the GOP is hoping for.

"“It’s the influx of illegals into places where they’ve never seen a Hispanic influence before,” McCain told me. “You probably see more emotion in Iowa than you do in Arizona on this issue. I was in a town in Iowa, and twenty years ago there were no Hispanics in the town. Then a meatpacking facility was opened up. Now twenty per cent of their population is Hispanic. There were senior citizens there who were—‘concerned’ is not the word. They see this as an assault on their culture, what they view as an impact on what have been their traditions in Iowa, in the small towns in Iowa. So you get questions like ‘Why do I have to punch 1 for English?’ ‘Why can’t they speak English?’ It’s become larger than just the fact that we need to enforce our borders.”

Return of the Nativist
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/12/17/071217fa_fact_lizza?currentPage=all

this is a natural response from Obama.

Instead of spinning the statement, or hiding from it all together, he explains it further and TURNS THE TABLES on Clinton and McCain!

Obama is right. People in small town USA have faced a lot of difficulties, and they want answers from their govt. They are bitter that govt has let them down. Thats why, for example, that we already knew from Iowa that this was a change election. Its why Bush has the LOWEST ratings ever. Its why in recent polls, most americans say they are not better off than 10 years ago. Clinton thinks people are happy? That doesnt sound like it to me.

You know, I think a lot of people are not realizing how good a politician Obama is and how good his campaing staff is. Obama is going against two huge opponents at the same time and is not only holding his own, but most likely winnning the war.

Has there ever been an example of such a succesful candidate?

This "gaffe", if you want to call it that, doesnt seem to be getting a lot of traction, despite the efforts of the Clinton and McCain camps. There is no video, and theres only horrible audio and, really, I think a lot of people are going to respond to Obamas quote by saying "so?" or by seriosly considering his idea.

This may be one of those situations where the blogosphere heats up intensly, but is a little out of touch with average joes who probably arent going to understand or care about this "gaffe"

Evidence:

Take a look at the comments about this story from MSNBC's First Read. There are a few comments here and there outraged by Obamas remarks, but many of these comments seem to be coming from people who reference muslim/wright/race stuff that indicates they hate Obama no matter what he says. Most of the comments actually seem supportive of Obama and seem to be initiating personal examples of frustration and bitterness.

Huffington Post has this story tucked away a bit and decalres "Obama remarks get both criticism and support"

From this evidence and Obamas quick response above I can see this playing out as a referendum on how happy people are today. This can become a serious discussion on the state of our economy today and who can best make it better.

Even CNN's Political Team supports Obama's comments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G8dRMofHNs

I'm not a Hillary supporter, BUT I'm going to send her some Viva papertowels to help her wipe up the floor with Obama.

Obama is nothing more than a novelty item, just like Mitt Romney was. Hillary is going to take PA then Indiana and Obama will go back to Illinois. Leaving the damage he caused behind all under the guise of the "uniter."

Yah, some uniter.

Do you really think the American public, who can't even wait more than 5 minutes in a fast-food lane, will be able to keep their attention on the rah-rah-rah adolescent cheer "Yes we can" and "Change" for more than a month?

Obama: put a fork in him, he's DONE.

HILARIOUS VIDEO OBAMA IN HIGH SCHOOL: FREDDY LOCKHART
http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/contentDetail.do?id=D81F2344BF5AC7BBCF096CA0DA7380ACEFBD9A8640FDF475

Logical SC:

Yeah, we really don't want to piss off those Pakistanis by telling them we'll catch bin Laden there whether they like it or not.

And the Canadian gov apologized for what happened.

sorry but of the millions of responses mccain might have had this is the worst. the best: barack has a point, people are justified in their anger. instead we get this drivel. clearly the people who are writing his speeches and his policy have never had to choose between putting food on the table and socks on the feet of their children, instead they are professional insideres who sooner see an angle than the truth and they have run this town much too long. seriously, john do the country a favor be a patriot fire the madison avenue ad executives you have running your campaign and speak the truth, let us respect you instead of subjecting us to the spin; keep it up and the Rs are going to hang themselves.

I'm glad he's getting out in front of this so well.

So this is what they mean by Obamabots. I was living a pretty sheltered life in a filtered blog, and didn't get to see the actual obtuseness, to this extent. Well, it will surely dissipate once they see the millioneth lie, gaff, atrocity (e. g., going to an anti-American church for 20 years), etc. Bless their hearts!

A little suggestion for BO - just don't say what you're thinking. Rely on speechwriters, as you did in 2004. That speech was great, and had me fooled for the longest time!

Shorter GOP: "How dare you point out how we exploit cultural fears to displace economic anxieties! How elitist and condescending of you to point out that we drum up votes on gay marriage and gun rights for working class voters who find nothing appealing about our economic message!"

True colors.....Obamessiah is a far leftist ideologue trying to hide his true self....it is not going to work. Far left political theories on why those poor, undeducated folk vote the way they do always crop up in the left's cocktail parties and Obamessiah is a true believer. Too bad his ideology is so divisive and elitist.

As one of those poor, uneducated folk who likes to believe in God, I will spend my vote on someone who is not such a snob and does not hold to the same tired old liberal beliefs of McGovern, Mondale and Dukakis....Senator John McCain...you got my vote!

"Take refuge in"? Is this supposed to be less offensive than "cling to". He's just so scary smart, WTF is wrong with me! Idiot!

What lies behind Obama's remarks are classic, orthodox marxist assumptions. This isn't an accusation. It's just an objective observation. Marxist theory holds that religion and other cultural ideas are the results of economic determinism. I.E., people "cling to" religion, not because it is true or rational (it isn't in marxist theory) or because it is a deep seated human value. They do so because it is a form of false consciouness, imposed upon them via their economic oppression in the capitalist system. They are bitter about their lot, so they retreat into religion and other equally false values (gun rights, nationalism) as an opiate to deal with their bitterness. The clear implication is that if they were not economically oppressed (i.e., if they lived under a socialist economy), then they would abandon these values of their false consciousness.

Obama appears to be square in the middle of classic marxist thinking on this. This is an all-encompassing paradigm and those who hold to it cannot seem to imagine a different interpretation of middle America. They really don't get it as to why this is so profoundly insulting and condescending. Since they think that economics determines all, they can't imagine that people actually hold values such as religion, and the right to bear arms, etc. as primary aspects of their world view. That they would vote on the basis of these values, because they hold them to be of more basic significance to our society's well-being than the state of the economy is not considered. Even more difficult is for the marxian mind to comprehend that people who do not vote in favor of socialism actually do so because they believe, through rational argument and experience alike, that it is socialism that is contrary to their economic interests.

Republicans have used religion & gun control to divide the country. What Obama said was true. He is NOT criticizing people who cling to religion & guns. He is pointing out that this is a natural reaction to the current uncertainty of our times. People now have a chance to do something different & vote for Obama - unless they they prefer the status quo.
Clinton & McCain represent the status quo. They have manufactured a controversy. They are using "small towns" to divide the country against Sen. Obama.

"People now have a chance to do something different & vote for Obama - unless they they prefer the status quo"

Replacing faith in God with Obama the Messiah, huh.

Yeah, the Obamessiah can make up for all of American's sin.

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