Sen. Barack Obama has been hit over the head for days about remarks he gave at a San Francisco fundraiser when asked why his message has not resonated with blue-collar workers in small towns and states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
"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."
Mr. Obama went on to expound on what he said during a stop in Muncie, Ind.
"I didn't say it as well as I should have. When you're bitter you turn to what you can count on. So people — they vote about guns, or they take comfort from their faith and their family and their community. The truth is that these traditions that are passed on from generation to generation, those are important. That's what sustains us."
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain and a host of pundits strategists called the remarks "elitist" and "out of touch."
At a time when the U.S. economy may be in a recession come June, 26 million people will be on food stamps this year, almost 15 million Americans are either in foreclosure or soon will be, there is a world food shortage because corn growers are making $3.60 gasoline instead of cornmeal and flour, hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost last quarter and millions are out of work "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."
How insulting.
— Brian DeBose, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (5)
From: BLACKS4BARACK.org
Hillary/Media's 'bitter' tactic against Obama desperately PITIFUL !
Here we go again ! When the campaign started in 2007 Obama was said to have not been 'black enough' as per the media as they touted Hillary's 82% support from Black Americans. The Clinton camp scrounged and dug as deeply as they could to find some kind....ANY kind of smut they could use against Obama, even searching as far back as his kindergarten writings. Couldn't find a thing. Then as Americans of all races learned more about the real Clintons, while learning more about the great qualities and capabilities of Obama, the inevitable was no more. So the Clintons (and the media) decided if they couldn't find anything negative on Obama, why not search through video tapes of Obama's preacher. Yea ! That's the ticket. So they scrounged and searched through years and years of video taped sermons and found a few somewhat harsh statements from the preacher....looped them all together....played them on the news 1 or 2 million times, in hopes that they could paint Obama as this anti-American-black militant type person....exactly what he is not (maybe they forgot he's also half white). But, polls showed their masterminded plot to be ineffective. Now what ? Ahhhhh. Obama makes a statement discussing how many Americans are fed up with government failures and are 'bitter'. The Clintons....McCain....the media....ALL decide....here's something we can jump on top of.....Obama called Americans 'bitter' ! So he's an elitist out of touch with real America!
This is the weakest attempt so far. How in the world can they try to claim that a little black boy who's father left at age 2....raised by a single white mother...so broke at times that she was on food stamps....a boy who grew up and went to college through grants and scholarships....riding to school daily in a ragedy jalopy.....just recently paying off his student loans thanks to proceeds from a book he wrote....(entitled 'The Audacity of HOPE') who's entire life has been devoted to helping the disadvantaged....the poor....sick....the struggling....THIS IS AN ELITIST ?
Hillary, McCain and the entire media should be ashamed of themselves for this weak, pitiful attempt to literally make-up truth. They should be concentrating on REAL facts such as the 109 million the Clintons have made during the last few years...or the 300 mill McCain's wife is worth.....or what about Hillary's secret religion known as 'The Family' which CNN didn't ask a single question about in the so-called religious forum...or what about her election fraud case going on right now in California? Did we mention McCain's wife's stealing of drugs and her rehab stint ? There's so much more....it's pitiful !
The fact is.....Obama is about as elitist as Hillary ducked sniper fire in Bosnia....Stay focused people. They are all (Hillary, McCain and the media) getting more and more desperate everyday. That's a real good sign !
Greg Jones
Visit: BLACKS4BARACK.org
Posted by Greg Jones | April 15, 2008 5:53 PM
Shame on you washington times for the article "Clinton revisits Wrights role". I find it despicable that you would print Sen. Clintons remarks about Rev. Wright, the bitter comment and what she would have done at her church, and not print anything about Sen. Obama's rebuttle comments. It is clear that you are very biased in your reporting of the debate. Why didn't you headline Sen. Obama's statements rebuttle statements. That would have been fair. You are obviously for Sen. Clinton and fair and unbiased reporting is not what this paper is about. Therefore I will stop my six year subsciption to your paper immediately. In addition it was obvious Sen. Clinton is desperate and will say anything to get elected, but voters can see through this. Sen. Clinton has tried everything to win this election and now she is reduced to slinging mud, lies and anything else to get elected. Frankly I don't care about who Obama has associated with in the past, I am concerned about the future, about food on my table , my childrens education, the war in Iraq, jobs, college expenses. health care and the economy. I don't think Sen. Clinton can be trusted. You should watch the documentary "Bill Clinton His LIfe" and then lets talk about the Clintons and trust. You will see the real Clinton's. The Washington Times is for Sen. Clinton but you should stay neutral and report the facts, the way they are.
Posted by jerrold anderson | April 17, 2008 4:17 PM
Just a brief rejoinder to the person who described Sen. Obama as a poor, destitute child. Whatever he may have been as a boy, ever since he has been an adult, he has been doing a lot better.
Recent reports indicate that his wife's and his combined income for the past year were in the multi-millions of dollars. Is it not possible that he has been out of touch with exactly those poor people of whatever background that he and Hillary (another multi-millionaire) often champion?
Posted by Steven P | April 18, 2008 10:30 AM
I am so very tired of this primary season. I will be happy when we as democrats or people who just want to see change in washington can get down to the brass tacs and start fighting the real fight. I am so tired of people trying to make senator Obama dance a jig for them. He has had to explain hisself for being black, no other candidate has had to do that. Why isn't anyone saying what needs to be said? Well, I will. First, I'm still hearing how the comments by reverend Wright may have hurt Obama in the polls. I have one question to ask. Was the reverend lying, or, was it just something white folks did not want to hear? Black people have been hearing that conversation all their lives, but white folks are like "Oh my God! Did you hear that?" I remember a comedian once said, "America is like the uncle who molested you but paid for your college tuition." And, I'm sorry to say, many people in this country are like the aunt that knew it was going on, but let it happen. Shame! Shame! This country has a serious race issue, and its definetly spilling out in this political process. I believe that senator Obama would have blown clinton out the water if he was white. Hillary you are so smug after your dirty politics and riding on the wave of fear, that same fear that makes some white people cross the street just to avoid passing a black man. She knew it going into philadephia. Look at where she won? Play the game fair! Its not hard to see thats why he had to out spend her in this state, most blue collar whites don't feel comfortable in the dark, so was it really that much of a win? I don't trust you Hillary. You will say anything to get the nomination. You are a liar and is part of the same politics in washington. You say you have fought for people like me Hillary but nothing has changed with all your fighting. I am a single black mother struggling to attend college and make a way for my children. I dont want some politician forcing me to get medical insurance that I may not be able to sustain and then penalize me for it. Who is the elitist now? Have you ever had the humiliation of going to the grocer with food stamps? Do you even know whats its like to be a single mother Hillary? Do you know what poor feels like? I know there is a problem is this country and yes that makes me bitter. I understand why some people wont say what needs to be said for fear of a reverend Wright type backlash but is that not part of the problem? I heard on tv that they said senator Obama was not a patriot on the contrary, he is the ultimate patriot. Because he believes in a country that doesn't believe in him. He is the ultimate patriot because he loves the people that do not love him and even recent history proves that to be true. He is the ultimate patriot because he wants change and a better country for EVERYBODY, even the ones that will not pass him on the street. I can live next to anyone and not have a problem so why would the people I live around have a problem with me. We all need a change, We have to take a leap of faith because in these times thats all we got to cling to.
Posted by chevelle | April 23, 2008 4:16 PM
From Blacks4Barack...CALL DNC TODAY !!! Stress THE FACT !! Clinton Has Lost ENTIRE BLACK VOTE !
While the media is dissecting the demographics, for some reason they keep leaving one verrrrry important statistic out of their breakdown. The Major Fact Is.....BILLARY HAS ALIENATED AND LOST THE ENTIRE BLACK VOTE ! Where's THAT fact ? And they have the gall to think that they can claim her to be more electable to superdelegates.......with close to zero black support !!! Hillary Clinton is the first democratic presidential nominee in modern day history to lose the entire black vote ! That, too, is a fact !
It is time for EVERYONE to contact the DNC and every superdelegate and remind them that due to her own actions HILLARY HAS LOST THE ENTIRE BLACK VOTE ! SPEAK OUT !!!!
Call The DNC TODAY at 202-863-8000 or contact them at Democrats.org.
This is in no way meant to be racial. We are all in this together....blacks, whites, young, old, rich and poor......working together for a better America. But the fact that Hillary Clinton (wife of 'The First Black President', who started this campaign with 82% of the black support) has lost the support of an entire race of people....is not only pitiful.....but should be made....a very well known FACT !
Visit: Blacks4Barack.org
(A Multi-Racial Organization...Dedicated To Truth !)
SHARE THIS EVERYWHERE !
Posted by Greg Jones | April 25, 2008 5:02 PM