Poor Words for the Poor
I think someone stuck their foot in their mouth the other day. And it was covered in the New York Times, Boston Globe, LA Times, Washington Post, and many many more. Campaigning in Pennsylvania, he said voters, bitter over their economic circumstances, “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” as a way to explain their frustrations.
Ouch. Not such a good thing to say, Senator. Sure, it's true for some people, but not as a blanket statement. I know people who are "bitter over their economic situation," about to lose their homes in the sub-prime crisis, who don't own guns, love their neighbors, and are bored by religion.
Or if they own a gun, it's to hunt for deer during season to put some meat in the freezer because it is too expensive to buy beef in the store. The poor, the rural poor you referred to, are not caricatures of Jethro in overalls, Senator. They have many different looks and faces. The broad strokes, however poetic, were ill-advised.
And in no way unifying.
While I think Obama blew it, and came across as an elitist snob, I am more concerned with how he has shown, again, that he is untested in the face of intense media pressure.
Is this going to win the national election?
Ouch. Not such a good thing to say, Senator. Sure, it's true for some people, but not as a blanket statement. I know people who are "bitter over their economic situation," about to lose their homes in the sub-prime crisis, who don't own guns, love their neighbors, and are bored by religion.
Or if they own a gun, it's to hunt for deer during season to put some meat in the freezer because it is too expensive to buy beef in the store. The poor, the rural poor you referred to, are not caricatures of Jethro in overalls, Senator. They have many different looks and faces. The broad strokes, however poetic, were ill-advised.
And in no way unifying.
While I think Obama blew it, and came across as an elitist snob, I am more concerned with how he has shown, again, that he is untested in the face of intense media pressure.
Is this going to win the national election?
Labels: 2008 Presidential campaign, Barack Obama, elections, elitist image
posted by Sara at 7:43 AM
7 Comments:
For such a smart man, he sure spends a lot of time explaining what he meant. Trouble is, the Republicans aren't gonna sit around while he says "Wait -- that's not what I meant!" They're going to take what he says and run with it.
thank you! i agree with you and with what sue said in the comments.
i can agree with what he said to a point, obviously, but its such a sweeping generalization and that is what bothers me the most. i mean, does this man want to be president or what?
what a stupid thing to say in front of members of the press.
this, to me, regardless of if i can say he has a point here or not, troubles me, because it really lowers the electability factor if you ask me.
also, it doesn't matter if i can see what he meant, the general electorate is not going to like this. the gop is going to use this against him in a big way.
he just doesn't seem to do well in recovering from these gaffes. the only ones who fawn over his responses are those who are already so deeply in love with him that it is nauseating.
even if it is true for some, its absolutely not true for all and as someone who has family who are working class (not rural, more suburban), i take offense to this. like you said, not all people in this economic category are religious, gun enthusiasts, or harbor anti immigrant sentiment.
i think obama has done enough to make himself into john kerry no. 2, and unelectable.
oh, m., you're scaring me!!
but you know, I have a feeling. this is going to end up Clinton's nomination. Maybe I'm nuts.
but I think she's gonna win.
Ahhh... you have hit on a topic there! I have to say, I think that m. cacioppo may be right, Obama may be diggig himself into a "Kerry-like spot", and if so, we'll see Hillary emerge on top.
His inexperience will most likely lead to more of these monumental & divisive faux pas and more people will shift toward a more truly cohesive and copacetic leader. At least, one can only hope.
i know, its very scary to think of a john kerry repeat!
sara - even if you may be considered nuts by some, lets hope you are right!
more than some think I'm nuts...
over on bilerico.com, I was nailed to the wall for this post.
called stupid, small minded...
well, i think they have it wrong on that site. i'd call your outlook realistic. i think people forget what country we live in. but then again, i'm tremendously cynical. but at least then i won't be let down and suprised if we lose again, right? ha.
i just remember how we all thought john kerry (who i didn't particularly care for) couldn't possably lose in '04. . . then a day or two before i had a bad feeling about it all. i'm just not a believer that obama would do any better. i don't knwo who these people are who see it differently. i think maybe they've been in their own kind of bubble too long.
of course, if obama is the nom. i'd love to be proven wrong just to have a democrat in the white house. after all, there will be supreme court judges to appoint.
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