Senator Obama’s comments in response to the Clinton and McCain campaign’s attacks
TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA – At a town hall meeting in Indiana, U.S. Senator Barack Obama made the following comments in response to the Clinton and McCain campaign’s attacks:
“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.”
http://my.barackobama.com/page/communiqty/post/samgraham... ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sen. Obama's words couldn't be more true to the situation in America today, if we are honest with ourselves. The 30% or so, who give George Bush a positive rating may disagree. They appear to be happy or in denial about the reality that we face today. Is this the elite society? I don't know. I really can't imagine there being anyone who is happy in the middle or poor class. With George Bush's policies, their situation has gone from bad to worse. People in the middle class today are living from pay check to pay check, trying to pay their bills. Groceries, gas, increasing mortgages, transportation, childcare, healthcare...to name a few...all the while their paychecks aren't getting any bigger. The poor can't even live pay check to pay check, they are making hard choices about paying thier rent, or mortgage, filling the car with gas, sacrificing health care, or being able to buy groceries. They have to eat...what are they suppose to do? The middle class and poor class, cannot afford luxuries that elite society can. They are just trying to live day to day, hoping it will get better for them. You can't help but feel bitter, when no matter how hard you try to do the right things, it doesn't matter. It's like we are on some path to the depths of despair with no way to climb out. We can't save money for our childrens education, we can't save money for that vacation we've always wanted to take, we can't save money to have as a nest egg for retirement. We are busy trying to live for today, and not trying to live for the future.
Bitter? Hell yeah I'm bitter. I'm bitter that Iraq has a 30 billion dollar surplus, and our country is trillions in debt. How is this possible? We are paying for Iraq's freedom and sacrificing our own.
It doesn't seem like this administration gives a damn about the middle class or poor class. They give tax breaks to the wealthy...who do not worry about where their groceries are going to come from. They don't worry about having to pay their bills. They have money overflowing and get rewarded for that by getting a tax break. That is messed up! Hell yeah I'm bitter.
If you find yourself outraged over what Sen. Obama said...then you really have to step back and ask yourself, if you've lost all ability to empathize with the middle and poor class, OR if you've lost all ability to see what a fellow democrat says because you think it's beneficial to your candidate to try and spin it. YOU CAN'T SPIN PEOPLE'S HARDSHIP! It's very much a REALITY! People are fed up!
It's not all a bed of roses in the middle and poor class.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
