Posted on 04/12/2008 11:49:02 AM PDT by LJayne
In their attempts to spin away from Barack Obama’s stunningly stupid remarks at a San Francisco fundraiser last weekend, Democrats and the Obama campaign have focused on only the least objectionable portion of the comment as a means to frame the national discussion. In a single sentence where Obama called small-town Midwestern voters overly religious bigots who cling to their guns out of frustration with George Bush, the Democrats have decided to build their defense on “bitter”. Here’s the original remark:
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.
And here’s the pushback, courtesy of Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post, who spoke with two Democratic consultants:
Carter Eskew, Democratic media consultant: “It will be a problem because it reinforces an image of aloofness and elitism. It’s a verbal gutter ball–reinforcing the visual one. I say ‘may,’ because the first half of the quote has merit and Obama might be able to–as he did with Wright–take it to another place with at least some success.” ….
John Anzalone, Democratic pollster: “I grew up in a blue collar environment. ‘Bitter’ was a more-than-appropriate description of blue collar families, especially middle-aged men who were living the American dream and content on their union wages in manufacturing who then faced a hopeless future. … I think this whole line of attack by Clinton and McCain is [BS] and contrived. What do they know about economic anxiety. You think families in the Rustbelt care about the nuance of an adjective when they are hurting?”
Bitterness, however, wasn’t the objectionable part of the statement. Hillary Clinton chose to chase that particular rabbit around the track, and some of the media followed, although not all. Obama’s camp seized on that and has tried adopting bitterness as its strategy, claiming that small-town voters are right to be bitter about an economic expansion that has created the lowest unemployment we have had in any 25-year period of this nation’s industrial history.
But that’s intellectually dishonest. Let’s break this statement into its component insults:
* “[T]hey cling to guns…” Cling to guns? Americans have “clung” to guns since the founding of the Republic. It’s such a core value to this nation that its founders placed it second on the Bill of Rights, right after freedom of speech and religion. Speaking of which … * “or [they cling to] religion …” People don’t become religious because the economy hits a few bumps in the road. Obama may have chosen his religion based on politics, but most people follow a religion out of a deeper sense of spirituality. I can’t think of a more condescending and contemptuous analysis of religious dedication than this statement. * “or [they cling to] antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment…” Small-town voters are bigots and xenophobes; there’s no other way to read the first part of this statement. The second part, about them being “anti-immigrant”, is a non-sequitur. They may be anti-illegal immigrant, but that’s a far different issue. Obama offers no proof that small-town voters are xenophobes, but the Frisco audience didn’t demand any, either. It’s part of their own bigotry that makes them see middle America in those terms. * “or [they cling to] anti-trade sentiment …” And this is just jaw-droppingly hypocritical. This comes from the same candidate who opposes the Colombian free-trade agreement and wants to throw NAFTA out the window. Who’s clinging to anti-trade sentiment? Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Big Labor.
It would be difficult to be any more condescending or insulting in so many ways to so many voters in a single sentence. It reveals a deeply elitist and shockingly callow candidate. It’s the “Let them eat cake” of 2008.
Watch the media and the Democrats over the next few days. They want to drink deeply the bitter dregs and try to divert attention from the truly objectionable portions of Obama’s statement. Get your e-mails ready to remind them of the rest of Obama’s broadside against middle America.
Related thread:
Obama defends comments about bitterness in small towns
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2000404/posts
He sure says a lot of dumb stuff.
“So how’d it go at the unemployment office today, Jim-Bob?”
“I’m so dang frustrated! The government isn’t listening to me! Where’s my dang gun, Shirley?”
“Where it always is, next to the potatoes in the pantry. Can you explain your frustrations, Jim-Bob?”
“Yeah! I’ll explain ‘em! Watch this!”
Blam! Blam! Blam!
“Would you watch out with that thing? There’s another hole in the water heater, and you almost hit the damn parakeet!”
“Well too bad I didn’t hit one ‘a them durn immigrants! They’re all diffrunt from me!”
“Well dear, you know there’s a tent revival tonight, at least that’s something we can cling to.”
“I don’t know Shirley. If only there was some way we could bring about a… a… change in America.”
“Well now that you mention it Jim-Bob, I was watchin the tee-vee over at the hairdressers today, and there was this nice young man on with some kind of funny A-rab soundin’ name. I didn’t understand what he was sayin’, but whatever it was made me feel good inside, like there was hope again.”
“Ohhhh yeah. That negro fellow at the bowlin alley. First time I’ve ever seen a negro at the bowlin’ alley, huh.”
“Well that’s just it. Such an articulate young man. Even though I didn’t understand nothin’, it was like, I felt like I was floatin’ up on a big cloud, with all the immigrants, and everybody else, even that blockhead brother of yours. And we were all friends, there was this, like, unity.”
“Wow Shirley – that’s great! If only there was someone like that in the central govmint as the President! Someone that would listen to my concerns for a change!”
“Well maybe there can be now, Jim-Bob. Why don’t you put that gun down, and lets eat these beans, before they get cold.”
Is there a more bitter group than people serving 15 to life???
Ed has been a great addition to Hot Air. Still miss his Captains Quarters blog, but he and Allah have been great over there.
I agree
I think Obama just outdid every stupid statement ever made by a Democrat presidential candidate - in my lifetime at least. This is getting good...
That was funny....
L
“The moment when Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water skis in a scene in Happy Days.
The moment when Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water skis in a scene in Happy Days.
The term jumping the shark alludes to a specific scene in a 1977 episode of the TV series Happy Days when the popular character Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli literally jumps over a shark while water skiing. The scene was so preposterous that many believed it to be an ill-conceived attempt at reviving the declining ratings of the flagging show. The phrase has become a colloquialism used by U.S. TV critics and fans to denote the point at which the characters or plot of a TV series veer into a ridiculous, out-of-the-ordinary storyline. Such a show is typically deemed to have passed its peak. Once a show has “jumped the shark” fans sense a noticeable decline in quality or feel the show has undergone too many changes to retain its original appeal.”
This may be BHO’s “jump the shark” moment.
All these bitter people stayed unemployed in the same place for 25 years waiting for something to happen that would return Pennsylvania to it's days of steel glory???
all these bitter unemployed in PA...the unemployment rate = 4.9%....that is really bitterful!!!
John Anzalone, Democratic pollster: “I grew up in a blue collar environment. ‘Bitter’ was a more-than-appropriate description of blue collar families, especially middle-aged men who were living the American dream and content on their union wages in manufacturing who then faced a hopeless future. … I think this whole line of attack by Clinton and McCain is [BS] and contrived. What do they know about economic anxiety. You think families in the Rustbelt care about the nuance of an adjective when they are hurting?”
From someone whose family is long from the Rustbelt - WE ARE NOT BITTER. Listen to me - we are NOT bitter. We’ve survived; we survived the Depression, the 70’s, and we will survive this. Bitter is for people who have nothing left - no hope, no plan, no faith, no nothing. WE ARE NOT BITTER, and do not want nor expect the government to bail us out.
That this campaign chooses to tell people how they feel and expect that emotion to gain them votes is so appalling to me I can barely put my feelings into words. I have family who has been peacefully protesting against the war and even THEY have given up on the Dems and are voting McCain. At least you know he’ll be a better Commander in Chief!
For the sake of my BP, I’m going to have to start staying away from this stuff to read a good book. These people are so insulting, so degrading, and so demoralizing to America it’s ridiculous.
PLEASE WATCH AND EMAIL THESE LINKS OUT **NOW** TO YOUR FAMILY, CO-WORKERS AND FRIENDS AHEAD OF THE NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA AND PUERTO RICO PRIMARIES!!
Obama’s Pastor Celebrates 9/11 (explicit)
Only 5 Days After 3,000 Americans Killed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhl-endvco
Obama’s Racially-Divisive Pastor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUbUBTlmAiA
Obama Disrespecting U.S. Flag and Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8QCkgg5Kjo
The Audacity of Barack Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjnT4eJJvs
The Audacity of Barack Obama 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeC8BE-2T_k
Is Obama Wright? - Pastor Wright & Senator Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72B3tUAqpo4
Obama’s Pastor - 9/11 Fault of Israel Association
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnI431s1r6s
Obama - Cult of Personality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP7lUGn7HWk
Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeu_4Ekx-o
Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFOOcEQtP0
Barack Obama: There Will Be Bamboozling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuB_W8o_UsU
The Two Things Senator Obama Accomplished
http://www.floppingaces.net/2008/02/27/obamas-empty-change-message/
The Jeremiah Wright Lifetime Achievement Award
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prhnc2fxAzg
Gaza Strip Palestinians Campaigning for Obama
http://youtube.com/watch?v=21YF7ggCG6g
Barack Obama: Doesn’t Want his daughters ‘punished’ with a baby
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eNzmly28Bmg
I know I'm just a "TWP" (typical white person), but this Obama guy stereotypes to a degree I've never witnessed before. The prospect of him being President and governing based on sterotypes is scary. If he were white, blacks would be screaming bloody murder about "stereotyping" and how no one who does it should be President.
You SAID it.
Outrageous that what he's peddling someone is buying.
To the new elite, meet the old elite
Why couldn’t he have made this dumbass remark in October, after winning the democratic nomination?
“That ought to hold the little bastards” - rumored gaffe from a children’s tv host.
Oh, don’t worry - he’ll make more. He has a strong base of supporters who believe this is the truth and applaud him for saying so. Wouldn’t you like to have them as neighbors (not)?
I love his every word.
Obama’s “changes” are slowly but most certainly slitting his own racist throat.
I remain a typical white person, clinging to my guns and religion.
I certainly don’t put my faith in government to solve my problems.
Well, you know what they say...what's down in the well will come up in the bucket...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Elitist—He was addressing a bunch of SF millionaires and billionaires—what could be more elitist? See:
http://www.zombietime.com/obama_visits_billionaires_row/
This little riff of his was an overtly ideological statement and should be understood as such. Clearly, Obama has no idea what small-town America is really like, and he really doesn't understand the American people very well. However, never having been in a small town for longer than it takes to give a campaign speech does not himder him fom espousing his marxist view of the downtrodden dispirited and angry proletariat. That is what this diatribe was all about--Obama's view that America is a racist, sexist, pre-revolutionary capitalist state that oppresses its workers. In his twisted nightmare view of reality, we are all just one inspiring speech short of overturning capitalism and embracing a socialist state--with him as the MMFIC.
A certain song just popped into my head:
The preacher man says it’s the end of time
And the Mississippi River, she’s a-goin’ dry...
The interest is up and the stock market’s down
And you only get mugged if you go downtown...
I live back in the woods, you see,
My woman and the kids and the dogs and me...
I got a shotgun, a rifle, and a four-wheel drive
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive...
I can plow a field all day long,
I can catch catfish from dusk till dawn...
Make our own whiskey and our own smoke, too,
Ain’t too many things these old boys can’t do...
We grow good old tomatoes and homemade wine,
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive...
Because you can’t starve us out and you can’t make us run
‘Cause we’re them old boys raised on shotguns...
We say grace, and we say ma’am,
If you ain’t into that, we don’t give a damn...
We came from the West Virginia coal mines
And the Rocky Mountains, and the Western skies...
And we can skin a buck, we can run a trout line
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive...
I had a good friend in New York City,
He never called me by my name, just hillbilly...
My grandpa taught me how to live off the land,
And his taught him to be a businessman...
He used to send me pictures of the Broadway nights,
And I’d send him some homemade wine...
But he was killed by a man with a switchblade knife,
For forty-three dollars, my friend lost his life...
I’d love to spit some Beech-Nut in that dude’s eye
As I shoot him with my old forty-five
‘Cause a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive...
Because you can’t starve us out and you can’t make us run
‘Cause we’re them old boys raised on shotguns...
We say grace, and we say ma’am,
If you ain’t into that, we don’t give a damn...
We’re from North California and South Alabam’,
And little towns all around this land...
And we can skin a buck, we can run a trout line,
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive
A country boy can survive
Country folks can survive...
Hint to BO, ya know us hillbilly redneck types might not have the resources that an Ivy League education provides but we can understand English.
There are bitter people but to characterize them as those who go to church and bear arms is ELITIST and music to the ears of those maxed out SF liberal contributors. Barry was just tickling the ears of his fat cat donors, how was he to know he would get outed by a “citizen journalist” for the Huffington Post?
I was just at the DUmmie playground (only for a couple of minutes, then I had to go throw up) where there is post after post lauding his BRILLIANCE as if this whole entire episode was an intended campaign move!
OBAMA THE UNITER? Surely you jest (sarcasm..off)!
the word “cling” suggests a desperateness....hopelessness.
He is saying Pennsylvanians are hopeless and desperate enough to cling to these things which they would not if they only had jobs.
If they would just turn to him - they could quit clinging to religion and guns and concentrate on more noble things...like killing babies.
LOL!
I was a little kid when that shark episode was being hyped.
I bought into the hype. I was fascinated by the Fonz attempting something so incredibly dangerous!
I do remember being a little disappointed by how....unexciting, the actual jump was.
“If he were white”
He is as much white as he is black.
Raised by typical whites - so I guess you could argue he is more white than black.
He’s embarassed to be white, sounds like many a white liberal, yep.
The public will look at him differently now when he speaks, can't go back to be the "old" Obama. He has to get more specific now. Not just "hope" and "change" but "Marx" and "Mohammed"...
That is why I don’t like Liberals, sort of. They all vote, or give speeches on empathy whilest never even experiencing or being in that procedure. Empathy is OK but not as a ruling grid because sometimes it makes you think that you know what the people want.
That is how a Democrat votes, not on compassion or on sympathy or charity but empathy, that somewhere(and you might not know or the person doesn’t exist) somebody is hurting and you must vote to give them the medicine.
I’m glad that someone finally explained the derivation of that phrase to me. Since I don’t watch idiotic sitcoms, I didn’t get the allusion.
Obama is actually a smooth rhetoritician. If he was up front about what he was saying he’d have used Marxist terminology like “false consciousness” and “opiate of the people”. He plainly believes all human behavior is reducible to economic motivations—straight dialectical materialism—but he couches it in bland tropes instead of leaden jargon.
My recollection (I admit I do not recall the source) is that Obama has stated that he was subjected to discrimination as a youth, therefore, over time, he began to consider himself black.
To the marxist rat, religion is something bitter confused people turn to. It is not in the rat’s mental capacity to understand religion because his religion is Big Government.
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