Posted on 04/11/2008 7:54:25 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Sen. Barack Obama was criticized Friday by his two fellow presidential candidates for statements he made recently at a San Francisco fundraiser that could be viewed as derogatory toward rural America.
"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," Obama said Sunday, according to the Huffington Post web site.
"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," Obama reportedly continued. "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."
Obama does not allow reporters into fundraisers held at private residences, so they were not reported at the time.
The comments could fuel suggestions that Obama can be arrogant. They began circulating on the Internet Friday and drew rapid responses from both Sen. Hillary Clinton, his rival for the Democratic nomination, and Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican nominee.
"It's a remarkable statement and extremely revealing," McCain adviser Steve Schmidt said in a statement. "It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking, it is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans."
Clinton, campaigning in Pennsylvania, also suggested Obama sounded like an elitist.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
If only I coulda got me an educaton lik obama did. As I told my misses and me 17 kids wit a learn’n degree lik barcak I coulda done better.
Man this guy is not only too stupid to be President, but too stupid to be in the Senate...thats saying alot....not about the people of Illinois who elected him.....woops, I guess it is!
Has anybody asked Senator Robert Casey Jr about these comments?
“OPERATION CHAOS” IS IN FULL SWING!
“Un-FREAKIN’ believable!”
This had better destroy his campaign. Can you imagine how quickly this would have vaporized the campaign of a more urban Republican? I’m thinking of Mitt Romney in particular.
Thing is, with Romney, he was actually talking policy.
Now we have Obama, putting the full weight of his “audacity to hope” behind him. And that’s pretty much the flimsy stuff his whole campaign has been based upon.
The problem with the Rust Belt states are that they’re not attractive to companies looking to relocate. They have high taxes and high union membership. So what does Obama advocate? Higher taxes and stronger unions.
For the life of me, I don’t know how people swallow the Democrats bunk on the economy.
Being a typical white person from a small Pennsylvania town, I just want to say that this guy really impresses me. Not.
"It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to ...religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them... as a way to explain their frustrations." - Barack H. Obama
Sounds to me like he was slurring the Amish. Closed communities of like minded people who cling to religion.
oh, dear.
It must REALLY annoy bambi that he NEEDS the votes of typical white people to win......bwahahahahahahahahaha!
If he (and his wife) represent the best and brightest of the black race, I feel truly sorry for the worst and dumbest. However, the gap between the extremes seems to be very small.
Article does NOT contain a quote of his defense: “Obama said working class voters then sometimes end up voting on issues like guns and gay marriage.”
The same old liberal BS about how social conservative issues are “separtist” hatred and that it causes some Democrats (specifically in the black community) to vote against their “financial” interests (Republican tax policies).
Guns are a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. Sodomy is a BIBLICAL WRONG.
He wants an living Constitution (which was authored to LIMIT the powers of government) and a living Bible (which will redefine SIN as something to celebrate and indoctrinate children into celebrating).
An even better one.
Ace of Spades writes:
__________________________________
Obama To Rural Pennsylvanians:
Vote For Me, You Corncob-Smokin’, Banjo-Strokin’, Chicken-Chokin’, Cousin-Pokin’, Inbred, Hillbilly Racist Morons
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"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
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