Bittergate ain't about really about guns, gods, and illegals...

[Crooked Moon]

some more context and link to video of obama's comments.

apparently, being "beaten down so long" has not only driven many small town folk to their local gun store, church or anti-immigration rally, it's rendered them immune to talk of "hope" (given their bitterness, y'see) and, well, a little racist...

"Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long, and they feel so betrayed by government, and when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama (laughter), then that adds another layer of skepticism."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Video_from_San_Francisco.html

[pinkpops]

1. Or...

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and class less and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. A president may not be able to change circumstances, but

definitely affects attitude. This was Barry's mistep ... he forgot the role he is campaigning to play.

The recording clinched it; it wasn't a public statement, so now he must defend it.

[jefferson_dem]

2. He's right.

Anyone who says he isn't...is lying.

Thanks for the context.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. By and large he is right about that

And Obama should continue to make that point. But the controversy isn't really about
"BitterGate", it's about "ClingGate". Obama would not have wandered into hot water by acknowledging that there are a lot of angry people out there for good cause. It is what he seemed to imply (I'll grant inadvertantly) about their need to turn to crutchs (and what he listed them being) to manage that anger that is causing a backlash. It'a the cling part, not the bitter part, that some folks are having trouble swallowing.

[jefferson_dem]

5. MORE COTEXT: He's talking about the media narrative...

Check out what preceded the material in the video --

OBAMA: So, it depends on where you are, but I think it's fair to say that the places where we are going to have to do the most work are the places where people feel most cynical about government. The people are mis-appre...I think they're misunderstanding why the demographics in our, in this contest have broken out as they are. Because everybody just ascribes it to 'white working-class don't wanna work -- don't wanna vote for the black guy.' That's...there were intimations of that in an article in the Sunday New York Times today - kind of implies that it's sort of a race thing. Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long, and they feel so betrayed by government, and when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama (laugher), then that adds another layer of skepticism (laughter).