IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING BITTER!!!!!!

[Texas Hill Country]

It is about the other half of the sentence.

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them.And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.

And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

He is basically saying that small town midwesterners cling to god and religion because of the economy... not culture, not because they believe in the constitution and freedom, not because they are truly spiritual people, but because they can't find a good job!!!!

And then he went one step further... he said that they are racists and xenophobes!!!!!!


It IS elitist, it IS sterotyping, it IS arrogant, it IS demeaning, it IS wrong

And it the perception that the leaders of the Democratic party actually think these things IS a major reason why we lost the last two elections.

[AX10]

1. Also, it goes right against what he has claimed he wants to do.

That is reach out to these voters. What he is doing is telling that their culture is 100% wrong.
That is the issue here.

k/r

[bowens43]

2. Your interpretation is wrong

but keep pushing the right wing talking points........

[Texas Hill Country]

3. but he did.

[Debi]

4. Wait, Obama said all small town midwesterners are racists and xenophobes?

:wow:

PLEASE get me a link to that quote!!

[Bensthename]

12. nope, he/she didnt want to quote that because there is no quote.

[Texas Hill Country]

18. see below... kthnx

[Usrename]

44. What he said sounds similar to what Sen Jim Webb said in his op ed.

A week after a successful bid to take a Republican seat for the Democrats, Sen-elect Webb came out with this:

The politics of the Karl Rove era were designed to distract and divide the very people who would ordinarily be rebelling against the deterioration of their way of life. Working Americans have been repeatedly seduced at the polls by emotional issues such as the predictable mantra of "God, guns, gays, abortion and the flag" while their way of life shifted ineluctably beneath their feet. But this election cycle showed an electorate that intends to hold government leaders accountable for allowing every American a fair opportunity to succeed.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009246

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2758686

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x246524

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2733673

[Debi]

36. I know it, but the hope that one person won't pull up Obama's actual

quote and realize how full of crap the poster is keeps them posting on behalf of the Goddess of Peace.

[Texas Hill Country]

14. the quote:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them.And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.

And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

[Bensthename]

33. Yup thanks for proving my point. He did not say anything about racism like you said he did.

[Debi]

35. Wow, if you took that quote as Obama claiming that folks in small mid-western towns

are racists and xenophobes you have mastered




Good luck with that.

[Two Americas]

39. of course he did

That is what anti-immigrant hatred is - racism and xenophobia. The point is, that it is no more prevalent in rural areas than suburban areas.

[cali]

5. yawn.

rural small town dweller here. didn't bother me and I think your interpretation is nonsense. oh, and shrill.

[EVDebs]

6. Obama needs John Edwards as running mate, he'll keep this on topic

IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID !

[americanstranger]

7. But Senator Clinton keeps bringing up the 'B' word, no?

If it's not about being bitter, maybe you should contact her campaign and let them know.

- as

[Drunken Irishman]

Nope, try again.

Clinton has said people aren't angry or bitter. THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID!!!!!!!! (see, I can type in all CAPS too).

Have you ever been disenchanted with anything? There are millions of Americans who are barely getting by and they take comfort in sports, religion and other issues that AREN'T political. I know I saw it with my parents, who worked their butts off every day and just wanted to relax in front of the television and drink a beer.

Hillary is the true elitist here, by telling these people everything is fine and they have no right to be bitter or angry. Well bullshit, they have every right and they should be angry and bitter over what their country has become.

So yeah, you're wrong. Nice try, though.

[Two Americas]

37. Clinton is wrong

She doesn't get it either. That has nothing to do with what Obama said, nor is it a refutation of the OP.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Dupe.

[Hepburn]

9. Hint: Read and comprehend what Wedge Issues are...

...and you will no longer be confused about what he said.

Hope this helps....:hi:

[babylonsister]

10. You're full of crap. Post his quote in its entirety and you will be

torn asunder for your lame interpretation. Obama xenophobic and racist? In your dreams.

[DJ13]

11. The crowd this morning that jeered Clinton for criticizing Obama disagrees

For the sake of your candidate its time to move on to another faux outrage.

This one is only backfiring and making people angry at Hillary.

[Cameron27]

19. The "crowd" didn't jeer,

there were a very few boos, and this isn't about faux outrage by my candidate. This is Obama's foot-in-mouth problem, and whether Hillary talks about it or not, it will continue to hurt Obama.

[AX10]

26. Those "jeers" were made by just a few people.

Unless those jeers were showing their discontent with Obama's comments. :shrug:

[DJ13]

31. Those "jeers" were made by just a few BITTER people

Better?

Its still hurting her as much as its damaging Obama.

Doesnt that bother you?

[Hepburn]

48. LOL....

...the crowd did NOT jeer...it booed...just a little...:rofl:

Helluva defense of your bullshit spewing candidate!

[Cant trust em]

13. When the story first broke, Clinton was just using the first part

She talked about people being positive and all of that. She took that part out of context which was actually being easy on Obama.

[Bensthename]

15. you are wrong and bitter in your thread about him saying people are racist.

[Texas Hill Country]

29. no, actually I am not wrong. that is exactly what he is saying.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. Well that's Mr. "Hope and Change" for ya. arrogance and condescending.

What more can we "hope" for?

[Cameron27]

27. I'm hoping that at the end of this primary

he packs up all his baggage and heads back to Chicago :-)

[Debi]

38. See??? Not bitter at all. n/t

[Avalux]

17. Obama did not say they are racists and xenophobes - that is YOUR interpretation.

He was also NOT describing small town midwesterners. Being from a small town in PA, I can say that Obama spoke a truth - an uncomfortable one that makes shallow minds scream he's an elitist and worse.

I suggest you think before throwing out such hateful language.

[Texas Hill Country]

21. re-read the quote... i posted it in the OP.

[Avalux]

54. I have read it ad-nauseum and had many conversations about it this weekend.

You are wrong.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Um, they ARE racists and xenophobes....

... Of course, that's not something white folks will ever accept hearing, no matter how true it is - especially from a black guy. Thus the broo-ha-ha for the last week.

[Texas Hill Country]

24. Nice... this is EXACTLY the issue and why the republicans win.

[Two Americas]

45. bingo

So many things Obama says are equally embraced by people who have opposite opinions on the issue being discussed. That isn't "unity," it is confusion, it is obfuscation, it is deception.

Obama can be portrayed as saying two opposite things here - that he is lecturing people as racists and xenophobes - and that he should! - which plays to the prejudices of the progressive base, and at the same time portrayed by other Obama supporters as saying the exact opposite of that.

I think you are being honest here, and that most of the people defending Obama's remarks on this agree with you. Some are saying, in effect, that "telling the truth" to "those people" about themselves will be good for them or help them, but even that is clearly condescending.

[Raffi Ella]

22. Thanks for spelling it out like this -

Skinner, the admin here, wrote a very similar post detailing what is the problem with Barracks statement and why it has the potential to be a huge problem for him but they still don't get it. Or refuse to.

"Barack is perfect and that is all there is to it; if you say otherwise you're just a racist!"

That's their answer to this.


They can keep embracing the bitter sentiment and ignore the elephant in his condescending and arrogant statement but they sound just as above it all as their man O does when they do.

And America is listening...

Democrats can not belittle small town America, like Barack has done, and expect to get their vote. Period.

[thevoiceofreason]

23. You is crazy.

We ignored these folks in the last two elections. We pretended a few feel-good words, and talking about how much we cared about them, would do. When Bill ran, he felt their pain, then proceeded to keep the "ship the jobs overseas" ball rolling. Pappy Bush and Ray-gun started it all. These folks have had 25 years (at least) of empty promises regarding economics, so they focus on the party that they perceive as the most friendly to other things they hold dear, faith and family and traditions (like hunting). Guess what, we dems have done a lousy job on those fronts (although I would argue that we are much better toward these ideals that the repubs). But that is not the perception. So, Sen. Obama was spot on when he pointed out their distrust of economic promises and how the folks who have been ignored economically judge candidates on other, often more virulent, issues.

[izzybeans]

25. Political and social scientist agree with the second half of the sentence too.

It's called alienation and is a thesis based on the function that religion plays in modern society-as a buffer against the contradictions of the modern world. So he is talking about where culture and the economy collide. It ain't pretty or for the faint of heart. Buckle up for a bumpy ride.

[nichomachus]

28. He didn't say they turned to God because of being bitter

He said they clung to God. When people are frustrated, they cling to the things that are important in their lives and culture, usually things that are already there. That's what provides their stability in tough times.

The right wingers and the Hillary supporters are still interpreting this to their own twisted advantage, when they're not outright putting words in his mouth, like the person who claimed he used the word "hayseeds."

[Life Long Dem]

30. You don't know what your talking about.

[Texas Hill Country]

32. yeah, i have no idea what I am talking about.... you just convinced me. thanks.

[JackORoses]

34. you make me ashamed of my Home state every time I read your posts

You are either ignorant or willfully dense if you do not realize that what Obama said was true.

When people have lost faith in their government,
they can be enticed to vote against their own interests using an issue that they do have faith in.

Just ask the Republicans.

Even though they may be the absolute worst choice Americans could make based on actual abilities,
some people are able to overlook these obvious deficiencies when they believe the Repug is
Pro-Gun like they are
or Pro-Christ like they are
or Anti-Gay like they are
or Anti-Immigrant like they are
or Anti-Abortion like they are
etc. etc.

Obama was talking about Wedge Issues, and how they are used to manipulate people who no longer believe in their government.

He wasn't calling anyone anything. He was drawing attention to the ways we can be divided against our own best interests.

[Life Long Dem]

41. Maybe Obama is so much more

smarter than Hillary supporters or Hillary herself. Because this has been explained numerous times and they "STILL" don't get it.

[Lord Helmet]

40. even in CAPSLOCK your premise is dumb

[nod factor]

49. Whether intentional or not

it comes across as though he is attaching a negative to being pro 2nd amendment, to being religious, to being against liberalized immigration policy if you will, and (the biggest misstep in my opinion) he attaches irrationality to being anti free-trade (haven't both he and his counterpart been recently stumping on the negatives of current trade policy)?
It at least comes across as condescending to aspects of small-town America culture.
Well that's just the way I see it I can understand why some believe this may irreparably damage him in the general.
Me? I happen to think there is no way superficial America votes for a guy who looks like he is one foot away from the grave.
First post!

[Lord Helmet]

51. Nah, he's pointing out they are used as wedge issues.

Wedge issues Clinton is using just like a Republican.

Congratulations on your 1st post.

[Kittycat]

42. I THINK YOU FORGOT TO A FEW MORE OF THESE!!!11!!ONE!ELEVENTY!!!

:rofl:

[jackson_dem]

43. Woah, too much truth in that post THC!

;)

[Exilednight]

46. I'll tell you what it is.........

It's the truth. God forbid someone actually tells the truth of what is wrong with this country without being demonized for it.

[SeaLyons]

47. Yes it IS.....

elitist, sterotyping, arrogant, demeaning and VERY wrong.

Thanks for the post. We can kiss the WH goodbye if he gets the nomination. Furthermore, I believe HE harbors racists feelings or he could not say the things he says, and keep the affiliations he has.

[Nedsdag]

52. "elitist, stereotyping, arrogant, demeaning and VERY wrong."

Isn't that the mantra for Hillary's whole campaign?

[SeaLyons]

Nope

[SeaLyons]

59. Nope

[smiley_glad_hands]

50. No.

He was pointing out how the working class has been programmed to vote against there own economic issues because of the politics of division and culture wars. That is a fact. The sooner you, your fellow Hill supporters, and Hill herself admit that the better off we are going to be as a party.

On edit: I'm sure both Hill, Mcsame, and Rush thank you for towing the republican line.

[amb123]

53. Self-Delete

[Blue_Roses]

55. WHO FUCKING CARES????????????????????

IT'S OVER. MOVE THE FUCK ON.

My caps work too.

[JoFerret]

56. It's all those things plus

since when did it become OK to damn the Clinton presidency for his economic gains and successes?

[RememberWellstone]

57. Thank you!!

I have been saying this 24 hours now...geeeeeezuz they don't get it.

[Seabiscuit]

58. True. If it was just the first part of the statement it wouldn't be a big deal but the last part is

very telling of what he is actually thinking. I get less and less impressed by him everyday. You take Obama out of a prepared speech format and he makes huge gaffes which then he has to retract. I think I've had enough of that with Bush.