In a prior post, Garry Wise outlined his “Obama Rules” - the playbook for Obama supporters and much of the American media covering the race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Senator Hilary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama:
Rule 1:
Every word Barack Obama (or any one of his supporters) shall utter shall be deemed to be historic, monumental and as pronouncing a self-evident, higher truth never before heard.
Rule 2:
Every word uttered by Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton (or any other supporter of the Clinton campaign) shall be deemed to be controversial, divisive and solely driven by a shameless desire for political gain, at any cost.
After a particular comment made by Senator Barack last week, however, it appears (mercifully) that some rules are just meant to be broken.
CNN reports:
Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday tried to clarify what he meant when he said some small-town Pennsylvanians are "bitter" people who "cling to guns and religion."
Sen. Barack Obama told a newspaper if he offended anyone, he deeply regrets it.
I didn't say it as well as I should have," Obama admitted in Muncie, Indiana, on Saturday, the day after he first defended his comments, "because the truth is that these traditions that are passed on from generation to generation -- those are important." The Illinois senator made the controversial comments at a California event that was closed to the media last Sunday.
Obama defended his point of view amid intensified criticism from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain that's he's elitist and out of touch.
The following is Mr. Obama's controversial remark:
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.
- Annie Noa Kenet, Toronto
........
Update - April 13, 2008:
With their usual lightning-speed, Mr. Obama's supporters have now responded to the controversy. See: Bitter Voters for Obama.
I've also added my own 2.5 cents to this discussion. See: Haircuts, Drivers' Licences, Bitterness and Hypocrisy
- Garry J. Wise, Toronto
Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net
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19 comments:
Damn you people, you just distort everything!!! That is why many of us are cynical about listening to your almighty political correctness. Bet if we can sneak into your private conversations, we can probably see some inappropriate language that is probably worst that those people you judge. All of you are so disgusting!!!
Do you guys remember the speech Obama gave in which he repeated the phrase, "Don't tell me words don't matter" repeatedly in between quotes from the Declaration of Independece, the Gettysburg Address and the I have a Dream Speech? Don't tell me words don't matter. You need to mean what you say and say what you mean in foreign policy and mis-statements like this prove he is not ready for prime-time
Do you guys remember that speech Obama gave, the one that he repeated the phrase "Don't Tell me words don't matter" in between quotes from the Declaration of Independece, Gettysburg Address and the I have a Dream Speech? Don't tell me words don't matter. This is what I tell my kids: Say what you mean, and mean what you say. You can't mis-speak in the world of Global politics today. He's just Not ready for prime-time.
When did it become a crime say the truth? Obama deserves praise for being willing to talk about the dark and dirty secrets of ordinary Americans, which aren’t really so secret at all. Yes, there is an anti-immigration sentiment among those who are most affected by it. Yes, there is a strong religious movement among those hardest hit by a frail economy. Yes, there are undertones of racial inequality at every level in our society. Obama is the only one willing to even mention the real side of public life, and he’s pegged as an elitist! I’ve never heard more naiveté among politicians than I’ve heard from the Clinton and McCain camps in the past several days. How dare they suppose that Americans aren’t angry about being left to the vultures! How dare they suggest that a man is an arrogant pomp by raising the real, yet dark side of public sentiment to a national level. The real elitists are those condemning Obama for speaking frankly and openly about what plagues our society. This ‘controversy’ has convinced me that Clinton and McCain will do or say anything to get into the white house. Fools.
This is stupid. So what he stated that Americans are bitter about the way politics have played out over the years. It's the truth. People are angry about the war, job losses, immigrants, etc. It is really cute how McCain and Clinton can call Barack an elitist when they have been among the elite for over 2 decades. Mr. Obama is in touch with the Americans' thought processes that is why we are asking for change. Stop harking on every little thing that he says or does and trying to make a non-issue into an issue.
I think the diverse range of interpretations of Obama's comments truly reflect the diversity of cultures and thought in America. My interpretation of his remark is that because voting for a candidate on the basis of his or her abstract economic policies or his or her war strategy has not helped average Americans realize how the impact of their votes facilitate the resolution of our country's deepest issues. However, I can vote for someone who takes a specific stand as guaged by my religious or traditional values and have a better assurance of these being realized in that candidates administration. By that I mean I can vote for someone who has my same view on gun control, civil unions, stem cell research, immigration, etc.
In the long run, these issues don't have a major impact on our country's overall economic strength though, do they? Of course not - these are just convenient strategic distractions to keep us again from focusing on the real issues like a failing economy and a war we cannot afford.
I personally think Senator Obama made a great point, but you can make up your own mind which is what I urge rather than getting whipped into a frenzy by pundits, Republicans, and other anti-Obama entities who want to spin this into something that it is not. This old political tactic of character assasination shows how desperate the opposition is to find anything at all to attack this candidate, and they have been hard-pressed to come up with much. What does that tell you? Hey, let's be careful that we don't wreck our opportunity to have REAL and POSITIVE CHANGE in the direction our country is headed.
God bless you all.
If people aren't bitter, why are George Bush's approval rating so low? What emotion would cause this low rating? This is going to turn into a big win for Obama. It just proves his point that no one is listening to the middle and working class and don't have a clue what ordinary american's are going through. He's spent time with these individuals and that's the impression he gets. That is also the impression I get. When do the pundits ever listen to the american people? All they care about are ratings. Was it elitist of Bill Clinton to say "I fell your pain"?
"I didn't do it." (Bart Simpson)
Monorail, monorail, monrail...Monorail!
The micro-management of speech is a scary line for the media to cross. This countries first amendment of the constitution insures the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. How ironic is it that the press, better known as the media is the new tool of speech oppression. For the main stream media to perpetuate the ignorance of speech suppression is irresponsible and destructive. A strong distrust for ones government was not a crime but rather a duty in some of our founding fathers eyes. Too many Americans have been or are being persecuted by a relentless and unforgiving media only concerned with a higher profit margin. For the media to fuel the fires of hate by taking exception to what one says in regards to his or her government, religion and yes race is a dangerous game.
If you lose your job and watch US companies outsource all the jobs you have skills to perform, you could become bitter.
If you lose your home to foreclosure and watch the banking industry be bailed out, while you are forced to work multiple jobs at minimal wage, you could become bitter.
If you can’t afford to buy health insurance and are told help is on the way just to find out that the help is that you are being forced to buy health insurance or you will be penalized, you could become bitter.
I think Barack Obama is very in touch with the citizens of this country because even if these things haven’t happened to us yet, we know that they could at any given moment because of the direction our country has been taking for the last 8 years. Even if we don’t feel comfortable admitting it publicly because we are proud, we understand what he is saying and we know that he is right.
Don’t let the way he said it make you give the power to the people who do not understand what it is like to have to choose between putting gas in your car or putting food on your table or paying your bills. We all know that he is right. No one cares about the people who have become homeless because our administration has sold our country’s economic well-being down the river.
We need change and we need it now. Vote Barack Obama!
Obama has great oratory, but it's the "transcending" voice one hears in the black church, of the charasmitic preacher, not the true transcendence one who speaks from the collective unconscious, which has no boundaries of race, gender or country. I just don't see "true" transcendence in Obama. Most of America has never sat in a black church, so the voice spoken from Obama is new and seems revolutionary, but I don't think it's really for all of us. I just don't feel the transcendence.
I think Senator Obama is the closest of all the candidates to the realities of the American people. This thing has been twisted by the Hillary campaign to appear to be something else! He did not make any mistake...Yes, the American people are angry from the job losses, the foreclosures, and the continous frustrations from the administrations. Yes, they are angry about immigrants and they do tend to fear and blame people who do not look like them...If you have any doubt about that ask any immigrant about how he is treated here. And yes people find salvation in their religion and the churches across the country thrive on that..they love to have more people in their congregation and thrive on divisions amongst people of all walks of life. That's why you see black churces, white churches and Hispanic churches... you can never see a universal church! Obama is the first politician to address those issues instead of hiding them unger the carpet and pretending they don't exist. It is the human nature that people fall back on their faith to find strength at time of hardship.
And him being an elitist..that is so funny...he did not marry a wealthy woman from Arizona, nor did he make 100 million in the last decade...people give me a break!
Most of these comments miss the actual point of Oboma's comments. The question of "if" people are "bitter" is not the damaging part it is the assertion that this bitterness that drives people to "cling" to their religion and "guns". His assertion is exactly what Karl Marks asserted in the 1800's.
"Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions."
Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right"
In short, he's calling them poor, bitter and stupid.
Clinton talks about Obama being an "elitist"...give me a break...how many average people out there can write themselves a 5 million dollar check? She of all people cannot call herself "one of the people"...Obama grew up in the poorest of neighborhoods and gave up big money jobs to help his own community.
Clinton needs to look in the mirror before she starts calling people "elitists"...I don't have secret service protection...do you?
If McCain gets into office - I'm moving to canada....
PS we should be throwing Bush in jail for the crimes he has commited.
Obama is my personal lord and saviour, please do not judge what he says. How could you? Thank you to the anchors and commentators, you have always been so very kind to express the adoration of our king. God is supposed to be elitist, and Obama is God.
Many have criticized Obama for being inexperienced. But what he lacks in experience he has makes up for in insight, intelligence and maybe even prophecy. He was one of the few who knew ahead of time that invading Iraq was going to cause us untold trouble. That's what we need in a president. One who will know not only know what to do if we are attacked at 3 AM, but will know what to do all the rest of the time also. Hillary and John, no so much.
You people supporting Obama's comment are not being honest with yourselves. You can try to massage the words all you want, but what he said was just insulting. I slapped my forehead when Clinton made her "sniper fire" goof, but at least she wasn't making fun of the American public. Wow, how can you people say that Clinton and McCain will say anything to get elected when Obama has built and entire fake persona for himself in order to get elected? He is obviously pretending to be a religious person while making fun of religious Americans. I would think more of him if he just admitted that he has abandoned both his Muslim and his Christian beliefs. Why even pretend at this point?
Is Obama ready to lead America in foreign policy? He won't be able to let potentially offensive statements "slip" like this when dealing with leaders of volatile nations, no matter how "true" these statements may or may not be. Mr. Obama will be under a lot of pressure if he becomes president, even more so than now. Citizens of the U.S. may deliver a slap on the hand in response to such offenses, but the wrong words could potentially destroy years of political diplomacy when dealing with other nations.
I guess by the sounds of the Obama supporters that this is ok. For those who agree maybe you should have a pitty-party for yourselves. Because I guarantee that if it was Hillary or McCain that said this Obama and his supporters would be all over it. Calling it racist, and every other phrase that can be thought of.
Yeah I remember the speech he gave about words don't mean nothing and then quoted every phrase said in history. His supporters call that inspiring.
The only reason that we are having problems today is because in 2004 62,040,610 voted for Bush Jr. I wonder how many Obama supporters are in that number. Because they would vote for someone as clueless as that. I didn't vote for Bush Jr. I knew better, that he was a fraud, and a liar. I feel the same way about Obama.
To equate the Clinton Administration in that comment is appalling! I don't remember going through this back in 1999.
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