An actual conversation that occurred between two of my neighbors last nite about Obama.

[jillan]

"Did you hear what Obama said about people that go to church or have guns?"
"What a f-n ahole. Who does he think he is?"

I argued with them trying to correct what Obama said - and finally had to go get the newspaper to show them Obama's actual quote. I, a Clinton supporter, profusely defended Obama. They didn't care.
Obama is now a dirty word to them.


People only hear what they want to hear.
Obama's words are being taken out of context.
I wonder how many other people "out there" are twisting Obama's words around like these two guys did?

[valerief]

1. Keep beating that dead horse. It might come back to life. Not. nt

[beachmom]

22. Somebody just said it LED the ABC Evening News. As an Obama supporter,

it is important to both acknowledge the reality of what is happening here (I watched Kerry's presidential prospects disappear in a matter of hours, so I have experience with this), while keeping our wits about us.

The truth is that this is a problem right now. It doesn't mean it will be a problem forever, if the Obama campaign does well in dealing with it. Since this thing happened this past weekend, the media is not done talking about it while today is Monday. Hillary has actually been helpful, with her awkward hunting remarks and doing whiskey shots.

But to act like this was nothing is not the truth. It may be nothing to us (we know what he meant), the politics and the way Gotcha is the media's favorite game is still something to contend with.

[Hoof Hearted]

39. It didn't just lead the news, it formed the content of at least the first two features.

I didn't really watch after that.

[Dorian Gray]

28. Is the horse dead

if all the news outlets and talk shows are feeding it water and taking it out for walks?

As an Obama supporter, this isn't his finest moment. And though I believe he will still win the D Candidacy, I also believe that this will hurt in the general election when McCain and his supporters play it ad nauseum.

[slick8790]

2. I seriously doubt anyone who has such a kneejerk unthinking response would vote for any Democrat. nt

[gabeana]

3. Well for one Hillary n/t

[npincus]

4. would these guys ever have supported Obama in the first place?

[jillan]

8. One - hell no - but the other? I don't know. I have spoken with him before

about was a loser Bush is.

I thought about that too, but it really bothered me how they interpreted this.

[babylonsister]

5. I, for one, appreciate the fact that you tried informing them, pirhana.

Thank you. They might have only needed an excuse to spew the vitriol; they might have been spewing it before yesterday.

[jillan]

9. It really took me by surprise how they twisted his message.

I a Democrat first....of course I would defend Obama. ;)

[endarkenment]

6. Everyone who wants an excuse to vote against the black guy

will be using every excuse the media hands them. Were Clinton the front runner, the media would be manufacturing equivalent issues to support rationalizing voting against the woman. McCain cannot possibly win on the issues or on the record of the last 8 years. They have to run on bullshit, and bullshit is what they are running on.

[cali]

7. Who knows?

But what you don't seem to grasp (but hey neither does Hill) is that every time she goes negative on him, she damages herself. She just doesn't learn.

[jillan]

13. Cali - this was not about Hillary...at all.

Infact, when I was arguing with them about what Obama said, I told them that I was rooting for Hillary and that I should be glad this happened BUT I'm not going to let them twist Obama's words around.

[Hepburn]

10. Wow...

...do you ever live around some totally stupid people. So sorry!

[JasonHill]

11. Same thing happened with Wright

As time passed and the nature of the outrage shifted into an open discussion/empathy and the issue started to fade away to where and couple weeks later he was back to where he was previously in the polls and actually gaining on Hillary in Penn. These sorts of things by their lonesome don't last, but they do leave scars in helping to frame future manufactured outrages.

edit* 2 dont's :)

[gateley]

12. Thanks for the effort, P!

It happens to both the candidates -- and we can see he here (magnified!) on DU. We see and hear what we want to see and hear. Human nature, I guess. :hi:

[oasis]

The perception: Obama has much more in common with Rev. Wright than he does with them.

"Bittergate" will prove to be Obama's "Dean Scream".

[Nia Zuri]

40. Rev. Wright = Latte sipping elitest?

[smiley_glad_hands]

14. And Obama has Hilliary to thank if your story is true.

Spinning and twisting the truth of the matter: Republicans have been using wedge issues and the politics of division against the working class in order to get them to vote against there own economic interests. If Hilliary does not understand this she does not deserve the nomination.

Hilliary just gave the repugs enough ammo to continue the culture war by not backing up what he said and for using it to attack him in the first place.

[jillan]

16. This has nothing to do with Hillary. This has everything to do with two

middle-aged, hard working men discussing what they heard (or think they heard) on the news.

[smiley_glad_hands]

23. Yes they are hearing it now thanks to Hilliary and her republican frames. eom

[jillan]

34. They heard it on the news - out of Obama's mouth -

not Hillary's....

The only time Hillary's name came up is when I brought it up in my defense of Obama . .
saying that even tho I support Hillary I wasn't going to let them spread lies about what Obama said.

[ima_sinnic]

26. it has EVERYTHING to do with your candidate, Hillary

--she's the one who sent the goon to stalk him and dig up whatever she could find, she's the one who made sure it was "leaked" to the press and repeated over and over and over again. She's the one who ridiculed obama about it, and brought it up--she could have said she agreed with his point and this is what she would do about it, but oh no, she has to be the stinking dirty, double-dealing republican that she is and use it against the Democrat. She is nothing but a knife-twisting, lying piece of shit. Your own judgement is in question if that is who you want for a president--another asshole like George Bush who cares only about the damage he can do to his "enemies" and the favors he can do for his "friends." Fuck that shit, I've had that botoxed beast up to here with her stupid molehilling bullshit.

[jillan]

36. Omg - are you okay? You are so full of hate - that is really not healthy.

[ima_sinnic]

47. hey, don't patronize me--you are full of it

your OP, all innocent like--ooh, I wonder who else is distorting Obama's words (paraphrasing)--gee, I wonder WHO that could be????
is anybody REALLY that out of it?
you think Molehillary had NOTHING AT ALL to do with it?
you need to get out more. I can't believe anybody could be that sheltered from reality. That's a fine piece of baggage you've chosen for a candidate--a person who is giving the republicans enough talking points to last into the GE and bring down the Democrats--that's reeeeal commendable.

[zalinda]

17. Yes, Obama opened his mouth and put foot into it

and it's Clinton's fault. Typical.

zalinda

[smiley_glad_hands]

21. Clinton distorts what he said and uses republican frames to attack him, the party and progressives

all at the same time.

[zalinda]

32. Then he shouldn't have said anything

but then it okay to attack her on anything she says, right?

zalinda

[smiley_glad_hands]

33. Correction: She shouldn't have said anything if she can't tell the truth about the matter. eom

[zalinda]

48. And, he should take responsibility for what he said. n/t

[bicentennial_baby]

15. ...

[rinsd]

18. "People only hear what they want to hear."

A truism that applies to nearly all people, informed and uninformed alike.

But good for you making efforts to correct the record. :thumbsup:

[beachmom]

19. Were they Republicans, though? That is important to distinguish.

A lot of the "opinion makers" listen to talk radio and Fox News and are very, very vocal. It's the quiet ones who I want to hear from.

Thanks for defending Obama.

[jillan]

20. One was. The other, I'm not sure....

we've had several conversations about what a loser bsh is.

I finally just walked away and went back into the house... it really made my blood boil.

[OnionPatch]

42. These days, if someone talks about Bush being a loser

it's really not safe at all to assume they are not Republicans. I made that mistake a few times already.

I grew up forty miles from Pittsburgh. There's not a soul in my family back home who is outraged by Obama's remark except for Uncle Dave, who hasn't voted for anyone but the GOP his entire life. Even Uncle Dave is angry at Bush (for not being as much of an asshole as he could have been, I guess.)

[knixphan]

24. They were McCain'ers anyway. Not a loss.

[DearAbby]

25. Sure you did ....pirhana

You tried to save Obama's good name by correcting your neighbor...I can really picture this in my mind...you've a heart of a saint! Yeppers, a saint I tell ya.


Snarf :spray::rofl:

[beachmom]

30. I can vouch for Pirhana that she defended Obama. I've "known" her on the internets

for several years at the Kerry forum. She wouldn't lie about this.

[global1]

27. Not Only Twisting His Words But Throwing In Things He Didn't Say......

that sound worse. This is really sick. Not unfair - but sick.

I really have to give Barack credit for not losing his temper here. I don't think I could keep my cool if I were him.

If the media would only spend this much time parsing *Co and their dirty dealings. All this hubhub about Barack's comments - they haven't spent any time talking about the torture that was condoned right from Dubya himself.

The longer this Dem primary plays out - the more crap that is falling through the cracks that *Co has done.

We've let *Co get away with murder and they are crucifying Barack Obama for telling the truth.

Yes - people in rural America and all over America are bitter. Look what's happened to this country. So a McCain or Hillary aren't going to tell the truth - they are part and parcel of the problem. Instead McCain and Hillary are going to divert the conversation away from the real issues and glam on to issues like gay marriage, guns, immigration - anything to divert the average American's attention away from what 'old Washington' is really doing to them.

[Aloha Spirit]

29. Good job trying ... these people are everywhere.

Even in Cambridge, Mass.
What can I say?
People like this are incontrovertible evidence that there really are right wing kooks on the radio making people dumber.

[Beregond2]

31. I don't

believe your story for a minute. You are trying to give the impression that average Americans are paying the slightest attention to this nonsense, which they aren't.

[undeterred]

35. People actually believed John Kerry promoted partial birth abortions

I mean, you'd have to be Jeffrey Dahmer to want to have more partial birth abortions. Thats what they think of Democrats.

[thoughtcrime1984]

37. Then your neighbors are stupid.

They are part of what is wrong with this country. There is apathy, and there is stupidity. Thanks for your effort, though.

[Texas Hill Country]

38. TONS... that is what the problem is.

[goldcanyonaz]

41. I've still yet to meet an Obama supporter out our way, but I know they exist, I saw a yard sign.

[EFerrari]

44. You're the same person that said Richardson isn't liked "out West"

What other democrats do you put on the list?

I'd be very curious to know.

[goldcanyonaz]

46. Obama did lose our state, I truly haven't met any of his supporters yet

but, I am always on the lookout.

[merh]

43. You argued with them my foot.

You have been against him for some time, if anything, you spurred on the distortions.

Though I am glad to know you admit to hearing only what you want to hear.

[EFerrari]

45. You mean besides Hillary and Bll Clinton and their whole campaign?