Obama: Addressing bitterness

"Sen. Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt, after taking money from the financial services companies and she says I'm out of touch?" Says the Messiah.
Now that's nteresting.
In recent this bankruptcy bill Obama voted against an amendment that would have capped credit card interest rates at 30%.
Yes, Obama's "in touch"... with the big money, with the Powers-That Be.

Go Obama! I just love it that Obama has had his hands out of the pockets of most lobbyists out there. As long as he gets this message out to the voters, he's a sure winner.

Oprahma out of touch?
The Messiah claims to not accept money from federally registered lobbyists... but he accepts money from these same lobbyists' business associates and spouses... and he accepts money from lobbyists who happen to not be registered. He accepts bundled checks. He uses lobbyists and other government relations professionals as advisers.
In 2005 Obama joined Republicans in voting for the so called Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) which effectively shut down state courts as a venue for class action suits. This was a long desired aim of both large corporations and Pres. Bush as it prevents redress in courts where these cases had a chance of surviving corporate legal challenges... forcing them into the clogged (and stacked with Bush appointees) federal courts.
Out of touch? Of course not! He's in touch with The Oil Companies, Agribusiness, the banking industry...

Marin County, where he gave his "bitter" speech, is an area of million dollar homes. It does seem condescending to intimate that one living in an area with hundred thousand dollar housing would then flock toward religion or guns and also then say bad things about people who were dissimilar (hispanics). Elitism.

First: there's a typo in the quote. I doubt that Obama said "I'm mean, John McCain, it took him..." (He rather obviously said, "I mean, John McCain..."; the typo changes the meaning substantially).

Second: When critics start complaining about the style of a candidate's remarks, you can pretty much assume it's because they can't raise a credible objection to their content. Such is the case here: Neither McCain nor Clinton can credibly refute the facts that Obama presents, so they accuse him of being "elitist." What a crock.

(Sigh) I must be getting old. I can still remember when the media covered campaigns as having something to do with issues and positions. Now it seems more like I'm reading theater reviews--all about style and performance; who cares about the content?

Marin County, where he gave his "bitter" speech, is an area of million dollar homes. It does seem condescending to intimate that one living in an area with hundred thousand dollar housing, without good employment would then flock toward religion or guns and also then say bad things about people who were dissimilar (hispanics). Elitism.

Obama has bad judgement. Once again he has to be condescending as his law school students I'm sure were well aware.
Obama talks down to people.
He said in essence people in small towns in Pennsylvania and in the midwest do not have a lot of jobs. So they get bitter and cling to religion and guns and are fearful of immigrants and people who are not like them.
Obama you are out of touch with rural America you graduated from Harvard and look upon people in small towns as hicks.
Most of the people who live in small towns are business people, bankers, lawyers, doctors or work in the service sector and many commute to larger communities for work and return in large part to a bedroom community which is the small town of which Obama speaks.
Since Obama is a typical black person and since I am a typical white person I think I know more about these good people than Obama does.
People in small towns are only bitter when politicians in big communites raise their taxes or put crazy wacko environmental issues on them.
People in smalll communities have more common sense than their big city counter parts.
In large part America has more small towns than big ones and many people in big cities like Chicago move to small towns to settle down buy a home and raise their children and grandchildren.
So Obama I think this is another moment in qwhich you stuck your foot in your mouth.
On top of Rezko,Wright, Ayres,Auchi and all the rest of the people who are swarmy friends of Obama ,now Obama has to pick on typical white people in rural America.
Here's hoping the voters keep this in mind November 4, 2008.
Jerry White,Springfield, IL

I think his remarks show he is in touch. People are bitter right now. They are watching our country become a 2nd world economy as our jobs go to Mexico, China, and India and our money goes to a war in Iraq.
Hell yes we are bitter! Obama is the only one IN TOUCH!

I think his remarks show he is in touch. People are bitter right now. They are watching our country become a 2nd world economy as our jobs go to Mexico, China, and India and our money goes to a war in Iraq.
Hell yes we are bitter! Obama is the only one IN TOUCH!

Why is anyone surprised? We've known for a long time that this is how liberal elites view those they are supposedly looking out for.

They all think normal people with normal problems are racist, religious, gun freaks because they haven't seen the light of what Harvard educated socialists can do!

I guess they are "typical white people" too that need liberal help.

Why is anyone surprised? We've known for a long time that this is how liberal elites view those they are supposedly looking out for.

They all think normal people with normal problems are racist, religious, gun freaks because they haven't seen the light of what Harvard educated socialists can do!

I guess they are "typical white people" too that need liberal help.

I'm not trying to stir anything up, but I voted for Obama the first time around and don't see myself doing it again.
To me his "I am your savior" act is getting tired.

It's easy for Obama to promise to solve all the problems in this world. Every politician promises things that never happen. What I want Obama to say is what should happen to him if he becomes one of those politicians. What should the people do to him if he fails to deliver on his promises? How long will it take him to deliver on his promises? I can promise a lot of things to a lot of people but that does not make me a president.

People are making a big deal out of nothing. Who cares what word he uses bitter, angry, or upset; don't they all mean the same thing.

Obama Presidency: four years lost in translation in need of constant clarification. Much of which will be spent on making sure his too good to be true person doesn't crack-- by portraying his lack of freelance verbal tact, organization, as "frank" and "inspirational"-- at the expense of the intelligence of the American people. Obama is a good person and a smart individual but it is all too clear that his great oratory skills have limits and his world view is simplistic; opting to view the world in the stereotypical. "Typical" of an elite. Not only does his psychological schema--evident here--support elitist attitude, but it won't win over the class he needs in the general election. I'm from the city but see those from the rural PA. It is ironic that "Obama didn't say anything" is now saying the same thing his supporters say. Since they can't win over a population who is more likely to support Clinton, or might become a swing vote for McCain, they denounce them and try to tie them to negative rhetoric usually associated with Republicans or feminists; odd bed fellows, I know. You don't like Obama you are a racist and an uneducated fool. Not only has this group, blue collar workers, put up with Washington policies that have off-shored their lives so the elitists can have their imported brands--or make more for less--but then, adding insult to injury, they become the poster child for ridicule; over guns, religious zealots, xenophobia, antipathy, anti-immigration, anti-trade etc. Meanwhile, the rich hold fast to their guns dropping $25,000 on lions during hunting safaris in Africa, hold silent births and denounce psychiatry professing strict enlightenment to the newest religious craze to replace Kabbalah, would die if their daughter married their Mexican landscaper, write conspiracy books on the Jewish Lobby, and do too erect fences to keep the aliens out.. If the blue collar class is at all like Obama wants us to believe, which I too think is just another poor generalization, then the "progressive" class he represents and is backed by is X to the second power. Don't pander--in front of one audience--to PA gun rights yourself ,out of respect for a time honored tradition, and then turn around and pander to CA "progressives"-- in front of another audience-- how others have these rural areas on lock over you because the PA voters are so pandered to that they only register with guns, religious zealots, xenophobia, antipathy, anti-immigration, and anti-trade out of "frustration." The fact is that all those issues are major general election issues in it of themselves. Issues that are part of the general election this year. To attribute them to one group to explain your short comings--you are having a hard time winning a certain group over-- is just too convenient. I don't care for his "explanations." For someone so "gifted" he sure spends a lot of time explaining himself. For someone about "unification" he sure spend a lot of time dividing. I know I know it's not his fault its Clinton fault, it's McBush fault, it's the PA voters fault, it's everyone elses fault....

Watch him wiggle and squirm his way out of this one with the help of the media. I give it one show on CNN and it will be out of the spotlight. However, us bitter, gun totting, prejudiced people of the fly over regions of America, will not forget as easily as the media will.

Senator Obama is the one who is in touch with the voters. Hillary and McCain, with their hundred million plus of wealth are the Washington D.C. establishment - always promising for middle America and never delivering; Always becoming richer while the poor become poorer. Senator Obama cares about Americans and he speaks the truth.

MJ -- Obama voted against the interest rate cap because he was trying to get a lower cap. Go back and check the record. You'll see.

Personally I'd have probably just taken the 30 percent and tried to pass an amendment lowering it, but Obama made it very clear he wanted a lower cap than 30.

How is it condescending or elitist? I was glad finally someone brought it back to where it belongs. Too long we were preoccupied with ideological issues, gun, abortion, gay or straight as if we don't have real problems. Could it be that the Clinton camp is trying to divert the attention from Bill's gaffe on Bosnia, that his wife was tired at 11 pm and misspoke about sniper fire just once? She said in more than once and once in reading from a prepared text. Do you misspoke in a prepared statement? How do you do THAT?

The naysayers would like to say that Obama is out of touch for saying people are "bitter". Is he?

Merriam Webster defines bitterness (1b):"distasteful or distressing to the mind"(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitterness)

Are Americans who are out of work perhaps finding their lives distressing to their minds? Are Americans who now find their homes being repossessed bitter?

And yes they find their strength in their religion. Yes they do 'cling to their guns'. The standard attack against Democrats is that 'they are going to take your guns away.' The Republicans are the ones who raise the issue through their agent, the NRA, attacking those who wish to provide reasonable regulation to assault weapons and the epidemic of gun crimes, as being somehow threatening the blue collar worker.

So when the average American in their modest car or pickup pulls up to the pump and shells out $3.40/gallon or more, or the trucker who fills his pump at over $4.00/gallon for diesel, reads about the CEO making the $50 million/year or more, and the billions spent in an endless war in Iraq, of course there is bitterness.

And if there isn't, there should be.

We are not all Pollyannas looking at how we should be glad. Barack Obama speaks truth and the 'talking heads' and his opponents can only condemn him.

Shame on them.

Bob

LOL! McCain and Clinton calling Obama an Elitist!

Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?

Senator Obama spoke from the heart - the 100% undiluted Progressive Doctrine.

Obama has done a masterful job of dividing himself from millions of American voters and also his politcal future - which at one time could have included the Governorship of Illinois - is cooking like a roast in the hands of an Old School Irish housewife - very well done! Kingsford Quality.

http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/2008/04/john-mccain-obamas-remarks-on-american.html

Susan-payback's a real drag rightabout now.
But rememeber when Obama called HIlary racist for stating a fact that LBJ signed the civil rights act?
Called bill racist for comparing the phenom in SC to Jesse Jackson's campaign?
Called Geraldine Ferraro a racist for her modest comments about her own campaign, Hilary's, and yes Barack's?
You can't have it both ways here.
and, no, you're mistaken about the Clintons. They've done more in their 35 years of public service to help poor people than Obama's even thought about doing in the past 10 years.
It's beyond time for the junior senator (he likes to say he's young, he's merely Rezko green) to fold into the Clinton campaign and learn some judgmenet. and manners.

RFB-IL -- who do you think is reaching out more to Middle America than Obama? Decamillionaire Hillary, who still believes the federal government knows best on gun control rather than the states and who cavorts with free trade lobbyists? Brewing company fortune husband McCain, who openly says the jobs are not coming back and there's nothing he'll do about it, and who abstains every time there's a tough vote on the housing crisis?

Obama gives the least to charity of the three remaining candidates. Could it be that he doesn't want his money going to those gun-loving, church-going "bitter" people?
Everytime Barack and Michelle open their mouths unsupervised more of this elitist BS comes out of it. Reverend Wright has apparently taught them well.

I'm "BITTER" ABOUT OBAMA

What's wrong with being an elitist. I'm an elitist. I voted against Bush twice, unlike all you people on here who are complaining about Obama.
I'm not a liberal, nor am I a conservative. I, like Obama, want to see rational people get rational policies passed in Washington Anybody see anything like that happen in the last seven years? Didn't think so.
There's a lot more I can say about how both Republicans and Democrats underfunded vital federal departments, FEMA and the SEC, for example, but why go into it. I'm an elitist and will be disparaged for my "label," not for what I'm saying.

Obama is the Trojan horse for hate in America. Nothing more.

Do people want Obama to be a politician like Hillary? Obama tells people what they need to hear and not what they want to hear. People do get bitter, especially when they filled that this country is doing nothing for them. I hope Hillary drops out, because her response in this, reflects what I don't like about her. She is a phony. Vote Obama.

The controversy, the commenting back and forth, baffles me. What Obama said is basically the thesis of a book by historian and journalist Thomas Frank called _What's the Matter with Kansas?_ (2004). Like all issues, both sides of the political squabble will cry fair or foul and lob their own "independently culled" statistics. But what it comes down to--and come on Clinton, McCain, and mainstream media--is that Obama said nothing new and put forth an idea a lot of people already subscribe to. I'm plenty sure there are a whole of folks in Indiana and Pennsylvania and Ohio and Illinois and every state who understand the content and context of Obama's statements. And remind me, how many states put same-sex marriage amendments on their ballots in time for 2004 elections? Eleven?

This is the stupidest "controversy" I've ever heard. Why on Earth is this on the Tribune home page?

Of course some people are bitter! The economy's going into the tank. People are losing their homes. 4,000 Americans have died in Iraq, and there's no end in sight.

Are you kidding me?

p.s. I love that Larry from Oregon just tried to insinuate that a man that spent most of his life moving from military base to military base and 5 years in a Vietnamese prison camp is more of an elitist than the Obamas. Maybe with Hillary you might be able to make a case but that's a dog that won't hunt.

This business, like several others in the campaign, demonstrates how thin-skinned many Americans are.

America has problems, serious ones. Becoming upset because someone utters the truth is at best childish.

Dealing with problems is supposed to be what politics is about, not just endlessly praising what is.

I think these kinds of things point to why there is so little hope for real change in America.

No politician is even allowed to speak the truth without a big wave of drum-beating, baton-twirling American Patriotism fanatics mindlessly shouting.

It really does remind one of a country ruled by a kind of regligious elite. Say nothing against the sacred national identity, even if it is obvious many things are falling apart.

Simply pathetic.

Slowly but surely we're seeing the real Obama. He's a far left-wing elitist that believes, like all left-wing elitists, that he is smarter than the common American. Therefore, we all need to give his government our money so they can tell us how to spend it.

I'm thrilled we're finally getting beyond the BS speeches and seeing the true candidate. Those of you who want government dictating your life now have a candidate.

Elitism?

Condescension?

Neither.

The only thing Obama is guilty of is cliche. He simply stated the obvious.

To those of you make a career out of waiting to pounce on Obama for every perceived slight: get over it!

Get a hobby! Get a brain! Get a life!

An "elitist" couple who wouldn't be a blip on anyone's radar screen without affirmative action. What a couple of hypocrites.

I predict a resurgence of the klan should he win which is a long shot. this guy is all talk with nothing to show for it

I find Obama accurate and I don't think he is condescending. I am a big city conservative Republican who came from the rustbelt Midwest (Northern Illinois).

The man calls a spade a spade and that is way to much for conventional politiciaans!

What is unconventional about Obama is he IS in touch! He needs to explain what he says because we are confused by his clarity!!!! Not use to it.

Do you think Washington is responsive to middle-class families? If you look at 85% of legislation to come out of Washington (or lack of oversight and regulation), who benefits, really benefits? Usually there is an industry or even specific company that gains while citizens suffer.

And we are not bitter, disenfranchised, and further disconnected from our government?

Clinton and McCain can continue their attacks. More opportunity for clarity from Obama!

At this stage, it seems Obama is so far ahead in the minds and hearts of his countrymen that the opposition, which has been waiting for him to stumble, has nothing else to screech on about.
This is it? Elitism? First, I don't think he is an elitist. Second, I don't hear anything in what he said that smacks of it. Third, they sat on this for days timing it to, they hoped) screw him up days before Pennsylvania. Four, Clinton has again diverted attention from her Bosnia gaffe (lie) brought up by husband Bill Clinton.
What, being out of work doesn't make a person bitter and resentful toward the unjust situation created by the government?
Come on -- get real.
Obama is our best hope to regain the respect of the world.

I'm guessing that people who don't understand this speech aren't living in small Midwestern towns where industry has dried up or moved out, leaving vast numbers of unemployed.

Anyone been to Galesburg IL recently? No jobs there anymore. How about Michigan? I just moved to Chicago from Michigan -- and relieved to get out out.

You who haven't directly experienced this stuff really shouldn't even comment. You truly have no idea how bitter some of us indeed are.

So Obama thinks in his mind that if you are middle class and are having a rough time, you will turn into a racist, gun carrying, religious freak, who hates gays. The real Obama has made himself known! Obama must have learned all this from his mentor Wright.

Is anyone listening? Sounds like more comments like his wife has made - remember this is the first time she has been proud of this country & now he says we all are bitter. Boy I wish I didn't live in America, there are just no oppurtunities - PLEASE GOV'T START LOOKING OUT FOR ME - I CAN'T HELP MYSELF.

This is the danger of being straightforward. If you express an honest, new opinion, you run the risk of being skewered.
On one hand, the media wants candidates to be genuine, but if a candidate slips up just slightly, the media crucifies him. If a candidate wants to win, he or she has to play it safe and repeat patriotic cliches, like McCain and Clinton.

I don't see why people don't want an "elitist" running for the top office in our country. Shouldn't that person be "elite"? I just don't understand why people vote for a "regular guy" president (AKA Bush), when to them that means the less educated, well-spoken, (capable?) of the candidates. (I also don't think that America is dumb, but we seem to enjoy dumb people). In any case, I want my president to be smarter than me. I want my president to be more well-spoken than me. I think these are important traits of being commander in chief, and we should stop putting candidates down if they have evidence of these 'elite' traits.

Execute Bush and Cheney for the murder of 4,000+ US GIs and 100,000+ Iraqis.

I say, what's all the fuss about? The man's choice of words: 'frustrated' and/or 'bitter', DO describe what many Americans are feeling today. We're tired of being lied to, of being cheated by trans-national corporations, of being fleeced by regressive taxation, of paying the price [in dollars, bodies and disabled veterans] for a fraudulent war with no defined goals and no means of quantified results.
'Bitter' - you're damned right!

His remarks were condescneding of people in small towns everywhere. It has nothing to do with being bitter over loss of jobs -- of course that part was accurate. It was his characterization of "small town" people -- his phrasing made them "small-minded" as well.

He just insulted much of American. I live 25 miles from Chicago and I'm insulted. And I don't own a gun, either.

THose of you who want to keep harping on the supposed "truth" of his statements are completely missing the point of what he said, and why people find it elitist and arrogant.

And that's why the story has legs.

Based on the tone of most of the messages posted on this board, I think Mr Obama is right--except the "bitterness" is well beyond those of us in Pennsylvania. In reality, Hillary Clinton is bitter. John McCain is tired and Barack Obama is offering a twinkle of definable hope for the country. I only hope the press drops this silly issue so we can focus on real issues.

We have a war going on, a crashing economy...and we're dissecting Obama's words?

I guess he should drop the lines that he's going to unite people from his act!

What would Rev Wright do? I suppose he would make fun of these rural people too. But wait, isn't Rev Wright moving to a rural area himself in that new 10,000 sq ft house? (Btw, Bush's is only 4,000 in Texas.)

Maybe that's what Obama means about rural people and religion?

The bottom line is Obama is a phony. He may come off as a nice person, but he is not qualified to be President and we shouldn't want someone who is a Socialist. Keep talking Obama.

Before I start, I am one of the proud undecided voters! I love these arguments! Personally, all politicians are elitist, so spending one ounce of time arguing this issue is doing exactly what all politians want us to do. Argue about completely idiotic things like this and stay as distracted as possible from the real issues. Every one of these so-called candidates will go home every night thanking whomever that it is so easy to distract the voters from the real issues! We all need to get our heads out of our you know whats and get some people in power that have some real concerns for the country and the citizens of the country. The government and this country are a mess and no one seems to care. All we care about is being hoodwinked into thinking garbage like this is an issue.

Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the elite — a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern [1]. Alternatively, the term elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of the elite.

Now can someone explain to me how stating that certain people might be bitter is elitist?

To the person that started the thread about people flocking to religion and guns, why don't you read and comprehend before you comment and get everyone else all riled up? He said people vote on issues like guns, gay marriage, and turn to religion. They do that because they think Washington is not going to help when it comes to the economy. Big difference.

As far as saying people are bitter, is he lying? I doubt it. Unless you are in the situation he described, how do you know who is bitter? Have you talked to the people he is referring to?

"I said, well look, they're frustrated and for good reason because for the last 25 years, they've seen jobs shipped overseas, they've seen their economies collapse, they have lost their jobs, they've lost their pensions, they've lost their health care and for 25, 30 years, Democrats and Republicans have come before them and said we're going to make your community better. We're going to make it right. And nothing ever happens."

If that paragraph described me, yeah, bitter would be a good description of how someone might feel.

Anyway, I am off as usual to try and make a decision on the issues and pick someone to support. If you guys want to follow down the same usual path, stay here and argue about all the non-issues.

Who is elitist? Please! Every single one of them are..................................but not because of garbage like this.................

He was part of the political map in Illinois. Come to Illinois and see how incredibly ineffective his leadership was. Terrible economic climate, crumbling roads, growing unemployment, high real estate taxes and high gas prices to top it off. He is undoubtedly the biggest hypocrit to enter politics in a long time. A seasoned politician acting like a virgin. Only in America.

Another "spin" job by the McCain and Clinton camp, who feel a little edgy, that this Obama, seems to be the "odds on favorite" to win the presidency. Both McCain, with all his "right wing spin Master's", and Hillary, are both taking the truth, and twisting it to look like something totally different then the intent of what was said. It supports Mr. Obama's thesis and theme. Those are simply this: For the last few elections, the Republicans Daddy Bush, and his Son have circumvented the real issues, and instead focused on: Abortion, Patriotism, American Values; abstract themes. While in reality, as Mr. Obama points out, paying little attention to jobs going over seas, affordable college, the housing debacle, and the deficit in trillion of dollars. McCain does not focus on real issues. Instead, he talks about ways to waste the American tax payers taxes. McCains solutions to the problems that face the average American is "Trickle Down Economics" Let the Corporations control the economy, bail them out, and when they do well, the average American will eventually get a few crumbs. Mr. Obama is saying: Let's bail out the average American; then, maybe the big corprate companies who have sold the American public to foreign capital will finally get it.

The average American is thinking that because of illegal aliens, terorrist they are losing their decades ago Standard of Living. Mr. Obama is saying those are not the reasons but, rather, the mismanagement, and the wrong approach and neglect to the people.

How this can be construed as being a "elitist" is beyond me; but, in my own view the average American votes on broad themes and not issues that would change their lives.

Our president has never had any policies that improved Domestic Policy in this country. He has only had a Foreign policy that has failed. Yet, the Amerian people can't see, McCain has that same philosophy toward government. If Americans want the same vote McCain in. Let the Rich get richer. The Clinton's made 109 million on their taxes, Mr. Obama made 900, 000 thousand. Now who is the "elitist". McCain is a octegenarian bent on continuing a war that has cost this county over 600 billion, with no Domestic plan. Who's the dummies. The voters, my friends. The enemy is Al Queda, Mexican Immigrants, when you have more illegal Eastern Europeans in the country.

I think Jeremy Wright prepared Obama's speech.
On the fence about Obama?
Check out his dismal record in the Illinois senate. He voted present on controversial issues, rather than a committed Yes or No.
The only change he wants to bring about, it POWER for himself. And, do we really want to see Oprah in the White House.......HELL NO

In reference to Jerry White's comment:

"Most of the people who live in small towns are business people, bankers, lawyers, doctors or work in the service sector and many commute to larger communities for work and return in large part to a bedroom community which is the small town of which Obama speaks."

I may be wrong, but I think those are what are referred to as "suburbs." Having spent years in a truly rural small community, hours away from any metropolitan area, I can say with confidence that it was not populated with bankers, lawyers, and doctors. It was largely manufacturers, those who had once been manufacturers who lost their jobs and now work at Walmart, and other similar service jobs. These communities are dying, and I don't think it's a coincidence that meth production and abuse has skyrocketed simultaneously. I think these are the sorts of communities Sen. Obama refers to.

Bitter and angry, I don't understand how candidates who address us as lower income people get scolded and yet Mr. Cowboy who's had everything handed to him his whole life - including 8 years of presidency - doesn't get called elitist every day. Many of us who have toiled and desperately tried to get some economic stability and upward mobility into our lives have been squashed by the policies of the last 8 years. And all the while I'm supposed to believe Bush is in touch with my reality? Why??? Just because he can't speak or put together a complex thought?? Here's a guy who's educated despite his circumstances and still connected to my issues - and I personally want to thank Obama for that. Keep calling things as they are. Use the terms that are honest. And let's hope the neocon machine hangs itself by continuing to try to hoodwink us into believing it's "condescending". Please. Limbaugh's blatant hypocrisy is condescending because he thinks we can't see through it. Bush's outright flaunting of his privilege is condescending because he believes that dying in war is all right for the masses but not for someone of his "stature" and deserves to escape it. Please. Etc., etc. I've been condescended to and robbed of any chance of breaking free of economic hardship by a man and his administration who have blatantly sunk our economy just to fill the pockets of an elite few. I'm bitter. And I don't mind that someone who might be in power recognizes that.

This is just what I was afraid of. An untested, Harvard-educated lawyer. As a Democrat, I'm very ambivalent of having Obama as the nominee. I think that Mccain will eat him up.

Obama needs to look down at others because it makes him feel better. This whole campaign is to prove to his father (he actually said that) that he should of never left and to prove to his typical white grandma that he is just as good as a white person. He doesn't give a crap about you or me. He will say anything to get your vote.

Let me see.........are the rural unemployed happy or bitter about it? Obviously, Obama is speaking honestly.

I find it incredulous that Hillary can lie and make jokes about that lie on TV, and many people laugh with her. McCain can tell us that Americans who aren't even born yet will be sent to a continuous war in Iraq, and many people still sing his praises.

No, you're not a racist if you don't like Obama's politics. However, are you a racist if you use other criteria for not liking him but don't use that same criteria when judging Hillary or McCain?

You people are too easily distracted and pulled into the fray over NOTHING!

Find something else to discuss. As one poster said, the campaigns used to be about REAL ISSUES. Not dissecting and re-assembling words/phrases. Good grief!

Keep your eye on the prize!

People have learned to voice opinions over absolutely NOTHING at all. Every spoken word is a controversy. Every utterance causes shock and dismay. Don't we have a war to end? Don't we have questionable loan sharks (masquerading as legitimate bankers) to go after? Don't we need to push for investing in America's crumbling infrastructure? And most importantly don't we need to be all up in arm over the fact that in many major US cities the high school graduation rate is less than 50%!! Aren't these REAL ISSUES??

When people don't like you they will jump on any excuse to do you harm. One poster claims that he voted for Obama once but won't do it again because Obama is playing "savior of the world." Nonsense. What I like about Obama is what I see again and again, he can zero in on a problem and discuss it candidly and honestly. If he is a "savior", good! We need more people like Obama who's running for office.
The guy is just good.

Jeff... really? obama gives the least to the charities? could that be because, oh, i don't know... HE MAKES THE LEAST OF THE CANDIDATES?

let's say you make $40,000. are you going to donate 10% of your income to charity? hell no.
if you make $100,000? yes, probably edging closer to 10%....
if you make $1,000,000? it's EASY to donate a higher percentage to charity.

jeez man, use your brain.

I see the Bush trolls are out in force here. No matter how much Bush and the Neocon Republicans make like difficult for them, the trolls say, "Please, sir, give us more!"
Don't worry, McCain will give you plenty more.

To Ken: "I am elitist."

It sounds like your 18 years old and need to go back to school to learn History 101.

Go Hillary!

I am not a Barrack supporter, but I will tell you that his speech made in Indiana TO the people of that Indiana community was appropriate for his audience. He did his research well, as it is an area where people have strong faith and values in religion. Guns are important based on their hobby - hunting. Many small towns in the area have become "over run" by migrant workers, where the entire town does not speak English, and those born there feel forced to move over to another town. Add a bad economy and anyone in that area can moments of bitterness. Obama had the facts right, and the past voting records too for that area, and spoke to those people in Indiana...not everyone in the rest of the country. no elitism, he just dialed in on that specific community.

Jerry white from rural Springfield, Il. wow. you are really from the sticks aren't you? Whats it like living so far from the modern world? i see you do have internet. must be nice. So it has been exposed that the needs of rural america are different then those of urban america. Obama is right. Rural america tend to be very strong on issues like gun rights. Why? well little town america does not have school shootings on a regular basis. a murder in No Mans Land, PA is front page news for a month. a murder in Phillidelphia is just another day like any other. So rural america defend your guns. never mind that your american counterparts in the urban areas are having to suffer the downsides of your guns.

And religion. yes rural america tends to be more open about their religious beliefs. And i am not affraid to be more specific and say christian beliefs. Why? My guess is that due to the limited diversity in small towns all you have is what the media tells you about those of other beliefs. Which is not the best. But those in more urban areas have it different. they are friends, neighbors, coworkers of people from other religions. and they see the true nature of these people. And maybe that is why they tend to be more against the war.

side note: what president has not gone to some ivy league school? so dont go knocking Obama because he went to harvard. at least he was smart enough to get in. Bush got into his school because of name only.

crazy environmental laws? Sorry for trying to make this world slightly more healthy to live in. wont do it again. come on man. crazy environmental laws are extremely important to have. I know it makes your life slightly harder being in the farmland of springfield, but you will reap the benefits when the air you breath is slightly cleaner because these laws changed how the factories in St louse operate.

to say that people in rural america have more common sense is ignorant. you have common sense based on the world live in. just realize it may be different then the common sense of someone in an urban area.

i applaud Obama for not being afraid of saying the obvious. but something every politician is afraid of saying.

as for me i grew up in Suburban Holland, MI. (which is smaller then Springfield). i lived in the wonderful city of Chicago for 3 years. and unfortunatly currently reside in Las Vegas. The biggest hick city in the country.

OK I guess I should fess up. Obama's RIGHT, I am bitter. I'm bitter because I see politicians (THE SAME ONES WHO SOLD US OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE) who roll up all like "Well the ordinary working American is suffering under the current economic conditions." and then they go CRAWL into a limosine, go have their smoked Salmon with Rice Pilaf and Lobster Bisque dinner, then head back to their half million dollar DC condo with some $5000 hooker they ordered that afternoon before they made their little "Doo Dah" speech, for a night of coke snorting and adulterous sex.

YEAH, you could say I'm a little BITTER! When our kids are getting their a----- shot off so Bush's Oil Company buddies can make YET more money. Families are split up and children living with grandparents for the same thing. The rest of us being overworked and cheated and swindled, and overcharged and underpaid and overtaxed and etc, etc,etc, ad nauseum.

And as to voting my FRUSTRATION? You're G--- D--- RIGHT! I'm sick and tired of these A--h---- promising us that they're gonna fix it and make it ALLLL BETTER (Hillary for instance) and then the MINUTE they get what THEY want, they get amnesia ( I never SAID that, I never PROMISED that). Well F--- you too!

YOU'RE DAMNED right I'm bitter. I'm not JUST bitter. I'm FIGHTING MAD. These scummy politicians and Corporate Robber Barons have been picking my pockets for years, and NOW we can't even pay all of our bills (unless we blow off eating and having gas money to get to work that is). YEAH I'M BITTER, and if you're NOT then you're either an IDIOT, or you're one of the people who' s getting rich(er) off of it.

so the people picking up welfare checks are just whistling a happy tune, huh? this is why people are calling for hillary to drop out. she's karl rove in drag. and if you're amongst the people who think this signals that obama is out of touch, you're simply too dumb to vote. please move to canada.

I hope Obama is only fine tuning the semantics and not abandoning the underlying thought behind his comments. 81% of Americans think the country is headed down the wrong tracks, and so, yes, I would think that there is some bitterness out there. Wouldn't you? Yet candidate Hillary Clinton curiously is only encountering optimism about the country. What b.s.! This is pure Rush Limbaugh, and she is playing to his court. Let's vote for the one who is telling it like it is, who is expressing the thoughts and feelings of us 81%.

It still amazes me that voters don't understand who Obama is. He is the poster boy for Black America!

We need a President for ALL the people!

I agree with George, "I'm BITTER about Obama."

seems hes hd his hand out of the pockets of lobbyists but in the pocket of REZKO?

Marin County, where he gave his "bitter" speech, is an area of million dollar homes. It does seem condescending to intimate that one living in an area with hundred thousand dollar housing would then flock toward religion or guns and also then say bad things about people who were dissimilar (hispanics). Elitism.

Posted by: Joe Ullom | April 12, 2008 9:50 AM

That's the POINT Joe. He wasn't TALKING about the "Haves" he was addressing. He was talking about the "Have Nots" that are getting worked and swindled into the ground in order for the "Haves" to "Have MORE!"

It's too bad there are so many of you that just don't get it. Hillary Clinton is gonna do NOTHING for you. If you elect her that B----- will get Amnesia so fast you'll think she's got Alzheimers. Sound familiar (I NEVER said that!), (I was MISQUOTED), (That's NOT what I said). These aren't just things she MIGHT say, these are things SHE'S ALREADY SAID! Over and over and over again.

So go on, vote your conscience, and then pray GOD it doesn't come back to haunt you.

Keep your guns and religion and sex on TV
And you think you're so righteous and funny and free
But you're just flipping racists as far as I can see
A scared angry white man is something to be!
A scared angry white man is something to be!

I am one of those "bitter" people who "cling" to my guns and religion. It is unwise for this candidate to take such a cavalier attitude about us so early in his campaign.

What I want to know is if Obama believes that religion is only the refuge of the disaffected?

Does he believe that turning to religion and family and community is a bad thing?

Basically he is setting up a dichotomy, saying that those who turn to these supports are doing so because our government is bad. So if we have an improved government, do we get people who care less about their religion, family and community?

Oh, and by the way Joe Ullom, Terre Haute is in Indiana, not Marin County.

MJ
Capping the credit card interest rates at 30%? I remember when the Chicago loan sharks considered rates close to 5% usury. Then again they had guys like "Vinny" that would provide a good "knee capping" to promote continued payments on time.

All in all I think that Obama lives in a world unreachable by many. His thoughts are reality to him. Those of us that have hung on the words of politicians know that it is them that gain what they seek on the backs of the voters.
Voting may be your "right" but that only means that some SOB will ascend life's stairs ahead of you. Still, it beats anarchy and despotism.

Had Barack Hussein Obama used his vitriolic spout off condemning the home folks of small town PA, and applied it to the South Side of Chicago with a few additional comments about drugs, crime and unwed moms, would his fellow Democrats praise him for telling it like it is?

Bitter - I am bitter, the economy stinks, we are in an endless and pointless war. And two of the three candidates will allow the status quo to continue. I AM SICK of watching the standards be dummied down so that it looks like we are making progress. Obama spoke for alot of people - right now the rich get richer . There are still very nice tax breaks for the "upper class" and big business (who continue to use off shore services to save money) all the while the guy in the middle foots the bill. WELL I AM THAT GUY IN THE MIDDLE AND I AM SICK OF IT.

$4.00 a gallon for GAS, there are people out there who can barely afford to get to their jobs! It is insane - I am not a big fan of big governement but when big business is eating away at the ecomony then smart governement is the only solution. Too bad we have not had any smart government in the past 7 years! The trickle down of the high cost of gas in addition to the mortgage crisis have only begun to effect the economy all thanks to GWB and his minons!

I will not vote for a man who runs on a platform of change when he has been traveling and meeting with people and still dosen't have a grasp on the heart of our population. We are hard working intelligent people who may not be as wealthy or as priveledged to get a free ride at a prestigeous college like him. Come live with real americans every day don't just show up in your pretty suit and speak your poetic words. He has never walked in our shoes to pass judgement. He has shown his true face the face I suspected all along. This is just one more example of his uncaring person. He did run ads in Florida on cable. He first broke the DNC Rules. He is sore because Hillary beat him up in Florida. Those are her votes that would put her even with him and he is afraid to lose his position by counting her votes. He dosent think those 1.7 million people are important, he dosen't think middle America is important, We are all just bitter because we have not been privelged enough to have a free education because we were a minority. Listen to his wife she is just now proud to be an American.... she should have been proud when she went to college on schollarships because she is a minority. Middle class Black America has more opportunity than whites. They need to take responsibility and face reality and be thankful they aren't still in Africa suffering.

When does speaking the truth make one an elitist? Of course people are bitter. Are we all supposed to be rejoicing over the high cost of living, the enormous burden of debt we'll be passing on to the next generation? If speaking the truth makes one an elitist, I wish there were more so-called "elitists"!

I am so glad I do not vote in this country where I reside. I cannot stand the political correctness that candidates have to abide by. What is wrong with the truth ? If SmallTown USA was like Chicago, then people would not leave SmallTown to flock ot the big cities, no ? not unless they have a job for the State or the County living large in SmallTown USA and deriding the big city liberal that fund them.

Yep. Clinton is right. Small industrial towns have never been in better shape. Nobody is skeptical about the government in Washington. It is pure heaven in Aliquippa.

To Tribune Editor:
I think this Osama guy is the one who is bitter. He is upset he has not snowed us right off our feet and has gotten sore about that. He wants to have won his prize by now but still has to work. Makes him mad. He would be a lazy president and the country would be in worse shape than it is now. thanks

obamas a racist

What the heck are they talking about, condescending and elitest? Obama's the only one in touch with small town America it appears to me. I've lived in PA for a long time and we were just discussing yesterday about the job losses, the anger, the frustration, about the Dixie Cup plant that closed down and those jobs shipped to Mexico, we talked about the mill jobs closed, the jobs that have left Pennsylvania and oursourced. We talked about the reason things are the way they are is because of spending $12 billion on Iraq every month, neglecting us here. So it appears to us Obama is the only one speaking this way and perhaps that's why Hillary and McCain are angry because they didn't say it, he did, and that he knows what's going on, they don't..

The Clintons rake in $109,000,000, and Hillary has the gall to call Obama "elitist"?!?!

Why would someone have to be bitter to vote based on their belief in the second amendment and their religious convictions?

Liberals do not understand that not everyone will agree with their stance on guns and God. They dismiss these "small town voters" as unable to make an informed decision.

Guess what Obama and the elitist left - their informed decision led them to their vote. They actually believe that God has a place in their everyday lives and that a law abiding gun owner makes society safer. Some even have the audacity to believe that government is not the solution to their economic woes. Respect that and you may get their vote. Stop writing them off as ignorant idiots that you have to save from themselves.

ANDY MARTIN

Executive Editor

ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not

Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHICAGO NEWS CONFERENCE APRIL 12, 2008

OBAMA: HICKS IN THE STIX ARE NIXED

OBAMA IS THE FIRST ANTI-AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN U. S. HISTORY

SMALL TOWN SUPPORT FOR THE MILITARY, TURNOUT IN 2008 ELECTIONS SHOW REVERENCE, NOT BITTERNESS, FOR AMERICA

“OBAMA IS NOT A TRUE CHRISTIAN,” SAYS ANDY MARTIN

MARTIN DEMANDS THAT OBAMA END HIS “SECRET CAMPAIGN”

(CHICAGO)(April 12, 2008) Chicago-based Obama expert and Internet columnist Andy Martin will hold a 1:00 P.M. Chicago news conference Saturday, April 12th, to condemn Senator Barack Obama for suggesting that small-town America is “bitter” about America and that Americans “cling” to “guns” and “religion” as an outlet for their bitterness.

Martin will also demand that Obama end his “secret” campaign in which the presidential candidate uses meetings that are closed to the media to raise money from wealthy liberals by privately disparaging ordinary Americans.

“In listening to Obama depreciate and disparage small town America,” Martin will say, “I am reminded of the New York tabloid headline about ‘Hicks in the Stix.’ Obama has denigrated small town America. In Obama’s eyes, Main Street in Middle America is ‘Macaccaburg.’ Obama believes ordinary Americans are the real Macacaas.

“While others are focused on the politics of Obama’s outrageous comments, I want to zero in on what his remarks tell us about his religious beliefs and values. And I want to demand that Barry Obama end his ‘Secret Campaign,’ where he attends fund raisers at the homes of wealthy liberals and depreciates American values and out constitutional rights.

“Obama seems to think that people turn to religion out of ‘bitterness.’ That has not been my experience. Christians are optimistic people, not bitter. Maybe Obama and his soul brother Jeremiad Wright are bitter, but America is an optimistic nation.

“For Obama to suggest that people turn to Christ and attend church out of bitterness devalues every Christian around the world. Obviously, after converting from Islam and after twenty years of the distorted racist theology of Reverend Wright, Obama still has no conception of Christian theology. People do not seek Christ out of bitterness; they seek His church out of grace. Obama may be a ‘Christian’ out of political expediency, but his remarks in California reflect contempt for the Christian message.

"Fundamentally, Barack is the first Anti-American candidate for president of the United States. He has been running down America in secret séances with wealthy liberals. Now we know why Obama and is wife hold closed-to-the-media fund raising sessions with wealthy contributors. They want secrecy so they can spew out their message of hate and contempt for the American people. They want secrecy so they can run a public campaign of piety and concern for American values, and a private campaign of elitism and condescension and contempt for the United States. The Secret Campaign has now been exposed for what it is by the ‘San Francisco Tape.’ The Secret Campaign must end. Obama must open fund raisers to full media scrutiny. Senator Clinton must do the same.

“Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times was the first, I think, to make an issue of Obama’s ‘secret’ campaign schedule and Michele’s closed campaign appointments. Sweet also pursued Obama’s secrecy to southern California mansions where Obama delivered his ‘real’ message to wealthy, anti-American liberals in Hollywood. Now Obama is spreading his virus to northern California.

“I demand that Barry and Michele end their ‘Secret Campaign,’ and stop holding clandestine meetings with wealthy contributors, where this pair stomps on Americans and ridicules our values. We now know from the San Francisco Tape that Obama uses these secret meetings with elite contributors to give liberal extremists the ‘Real Obama,’ and to deliver his real message of ‘hate and contempt for Amerika.’

“For Obama to suggest that small town America is ‘bitter’ is really a reflection of his own bitterness, and his wife’s bitterness. With all they have been given, this couple expresses a sense of arrogance and entitlement that is truly amazing. And very un-Christian. They especially condescend to the very people that have been bamboozled into voting for Obama in the primaries. His message seems to be, ‘Thanks, sucka.’

“Small town America` is the backbone of our military. Small town Americans reflect patriotism and optimism, not bitterness.

“Liberals are bitter because they want to devalue America and adopt defeatism as our foreign policy. Small town Americans are not prepared to disown this great nation. Only the wealthy, elitist supporters that Obama meets in secret salons share his despicable plan for the destruction of the United States.

“Four years ago I began to strip the bark off Barack Obama’s phony image, his distorted message and his shameless ability to denigrate even his own family for political manipulation and advancement. In the four years since then, the mainstream media have barely begun to catch up with ContrarianCommentary.com.

“Americans are slowly coming to know the ‘true’ Obama that I first exposed way back in 2004. I have fought against the efforts of Chicago newspapers to whitewash Obama and to conceal all of his corruption and condescension. This man is someone who has been coddled all of his life by the establishment, and his payback is to run as their ‘elitist’ candidate for the White House. Obama says in his defense, ‘I’m in touch.’ I’ agree. Obama has been ‘putting the touch’ on the American people for the last four years.”

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO: Internet Columnist-Editor/media critic Andy Martin

WHERE: Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago

WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 1:00 P. M.

MEDIA

CONTACT: (312) 440-4124

WEBSITE: ContrarianCommentary.com

E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com

---------------------------------------------------------

Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of http://www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has been a candidate for U. S. Senator from Illinois. www.AndyforUSSenator.com. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Columns also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Add'l media contact: (866) 706-2639.

Our public education must be much worse than I thought if so many people didn't understand what Obama was saying.

Why are people so quick to assume they're being insulted, anyway?

There is a two part equation to being a good politician. The first is a legitimate concern for the issues and the second is telling the people what they want to hear. The problem with Obama is that he only has the first part of the equation down. McCain and Clinton have been at it a little longer and know to keep their mouths shut when comes to expressing the way they really feel about the American public. (I mean do we really think these two don't also harbor some "elitist" attitudes as well--they are politicians after all.)

Oh well give him time, Barack will learn that populist pandering is more important than truth.

People have a right to be bitter! We have had nothing but government officials that continually put their own agenda ahead of anything else. Look at Clinton. Do you really believe that she is putting your best interest first? We keep getting the shaft as the rich get richer. How many elected government officials are struggling like the rest of us. Obama may not be perfect, but how many of us are? At least you get a sense of importance more so than with any other candidate. It is not that he does not think those 1.7 million are not important, he is just not changing the rules as he goes to fit his needs. Someone has the guts to say something without offending the PC police and they are elitist? Guess an elitist gets my vote this November.

A lot of the people taking offense to Obama's words sound bitter.

How is Clinton not an elitist? How is McCain and his wife's McFortune not an elitist?

Fact is, they all look down on the majority of us. Again, Obama is the only one to talk about it and truly speak on why people who are in the working class continue to vote for conservatives with no policies to help them, its because they are pro gun, pro life and xenophobic.

I guess the truth hurts sometimes, there is nothing wrong with being bitter.

Oh Boy! Fun word of the week! You're an elitist! I'm an elitist! Obama's an elitist! Yippee! Anyone who dares to say it like it is is an elitist! Anyone who has more than an eighth grade education is a liberal elitist! Heck, my dog's an elitist!

The good news is for all those folks that think they've been diss'd, you're in the news. Attention has been drawn to the fact that the fat cats sent your jobs to China and Mexico so they could get even fatter. Seems that's what Obama cared about more than whether he was insulting anybody. All you thin skinners need to get over yourselves.

Obama is TOO smart for his own good. How dare he say that some Pa. residents find relief in guns, religion, and worry TOO much about being out of work. He is not only arrogant, but THINKS he has been gifted to the point that he is smarter than the rest of us folks. The more he opens his mouth, the more of his true character is revealed, The folks in Pa. will remember his elitist remarks when they go to vote.

Obama gives the least to charity of the three remaining candidates. Could it be that he doesn't want his money going to those gun-loving, church-going "bitter" people?

Every time Barack and Michelle open their mouths unsupervised more of this elitist BS comes out of it. Reverend Wright has apparently taught them well.

Posted by: Jeff | April 12, 2008 10:21 AM

Jeff you need a course in Mathematics. Obama gave only HALF as much to charity as Hilly and Willy. Of course HIS income was only about $4 mil, as opposed to the $110,000,000 that The Hillybillys took in over the same period. What that calculates out to is that Obama contributed about 13 times the percentage of his income that the Clinton's did.

Add to that the little known fact that 9 of every 10 dollars the Clinton's donated went to their own "Foundation" and what you have is yet another cleverly concocted Clinton tax dodge (and you can bet your A-- the dollar amount was the largest allowed by the IRS or it would have been even MORE).

Jeff are you familiar with the term "Money Laundering?" Well what the Clinton's did with those "Charitable" contributions amounts to nothing more than TAX Laundering.

I KNOW, that I have very little hope of getting through to most of you, but I do keep trying. so at the risk of sounding like a broken record let me spell it out for you ONE MORE TIME!

Hillary Clinton is NOT! Repeat NOT, going to save your A--! she's NOT going to save your home, she's NOT going to save your job. She's NOT going to get your expenses lowered and she's most definitely NOT going to take your side against ANY corporate conglomerate.

Thirty seconds after she gets into office she's gonna forget that she ever had to dirty her queenly hands by lowering herself to SPEAK to any of you. She's going to shove a MANDATORY universal health care package up your A-- that will effectively DOUBLE the withholdings from your paycheck (HEY, how does that sound for helpin' out, eh?).
Then she'll sell what's left of you out, and the future of your children and THEIR children systematically to any and all buyers Domestic AND foreign. And when she's FINALLY come to the end (Term limits you know) she'll set up her Daughter to be the next in the succession (That's how Monarchy's work)

So vote your conscience, and since you're obviously privy to some greater understanding than the rest of us lesser mortals, vote your SUPERIOR intellect, but for GOD's sake at least do the math first.

He who is WITHOUT sin.....

I agree that people are bitter. We have watched the good jobs disappear overseas while Washington stood by and did nothing -- we have watched the food and oil prices rise while Washington did nothing -- we have watched an arrogant administration lie and trash the Constitution while Washington did nothing, but the bitterness hasn't a damn thing to do with Obama not getting the blue collar vote. Down home people know a flim flam man when they see one.

What Obama said is true. I am bitter. I am 42 year old with a serious medial illness with no health insurance. I don't not understand why white people are being SO sensitive. This month 80,000 people lost their job. People are losing their homes. Yes, people are bitter. We had eight years of Bush and He F-us. The Clinton Administration shaft a lot of small town or middle class worker by sending their jobs overseas. Obama is telling the TRUTH. Many whites do not like to hear the truth from a black man.

OH...now we're bitter?? I thought we were supposed to have hope.

Obama out of touch? I think he was speaking the truth. Most people can't handle the truth. Who's really out of touch? Take a good look America.

Obama, your slip is showing. Attempting to rework the message of small town America's bitterness actually is much closer to home. Think Chicago! First there was Michelle, "The first time I wasn't ashamed of America; The Rev Wriight; " God bless America; No No No, it's God Damn America, and now we see the victimology continue with Obama's latest "Freudian Slip"

Able Easy

Obama doesn't seem to be saying that people cling to their guns and their churches because they are bitter -- he's saying people are VOTING on these issues because their elected leaders aren't making progress on their promises.

It's the distinction that all the critics are eliding. clearly yes if he were actually saying the first thing it would be a pretty condescending thing to say. but he's not saying that. he's saying that guns and religion shouldn't be the basis for a vote - that there should more tangible and practical things to base one's choice on.

The bottom line is that in the absence of any real progress in their lives -- and 8 years of a borrow-and-spend Republican administration that has robbed them of even more of their wealth -- people drift toward voting for the issues where at least they feel their vote may have an impact, even though that vote may ultimately be self-defeating (in the case of voting for Repubs who give tax cuts to the wealthy.)

Barack is simply stating truths that everyone knows. It's refreshing to finally have a politician on the national stage who speaks to people like they are adults. The idea that he is "out of touch" is laughable. He couldn't be more in touch.

Two words for Barack: Drop Out.
He's not ready for prime time, always backpedaling.
His pastor hates America; Barack knows all about us "typical" white people; and now we love God only because we're bitter? Quit Barack, you're the wrong man for our times.

I now live in small town America. In a state that has been ravaged by jobs going to Mexico and China. We are now reading daily reports in our local paper about American Axle holding the feet of their employees to the old "give us concessions or will move to Mexico fire". This after a record year of porfits for the corporation. Guess what, instead of asking pundits, or other nitwits like us who read and write to newpapers (online or printed) ask the folks who are truly suffering these experiences. They're bitter. They're scared. They're losing their homes and are asking the kids to go to bed hungry. And guess what more, they do support gun rights legislation and maritial rights. It is something they have some control over in local and statewide elections. Barak is not out of touch with them, but he needs to figure out what influence he can have as president to change their/our expectations. I hope the folks in small town Pennsylvania carefully read and listen to exactly what he is saying. It is the truth about our kinds of area in the United States. We are bleeding and we need someone who understands why we are bleeding and what we can and cannot do about it. The Clinton's contributed this with NAFTA. Bill's time served as govenor was full of job creation in Arkansas at the minimum wage level. When he ran for president there were Arkansas pundits who warned us about Bill and smoke and mirrors. Bush contributed this also with an ill advised tax cut to the wealthiest 2%. With a surplus at hand; instead of saving for a rainy day (or an imperialistic war) he, Cheney, and Rove snowjobbed the same small town Americans into supporting their neo-con agenda. Now with a friendly regime in the white house corporate American can loot the country, punish their hourly employee's and line the pockets of the CEO's. And you people are worried if Obama is an elitist? I would day we are much more endanger of the Clinton's making some of their cronies rich at our expense or McCain (who I have been in favor of in the past) burying us into a Middle Eastern war for generations to come (and it may already be too late. I really think we are in it for centuries to come. Just as the Sunnis and Shi'a have been for thousands of years) instead of derisively calling Obama a messiah or an out of touch elitist. After all Stupid, uhh, I mean George Bush was a C student Ivy Leaguer and look what that got us. Maybe we could use an A student Ivy Leaguer for awhile and see where we go then.

How can people claim Obama is an outsider when his top strategist is David Axelrod's organization, the same party pushing to put the Chicago Children's Museum in Grant Park?

I AM BITTER about ...

the War and over 4,000 young people dying for nothing and thousands injured.

The unemployment rate - 80,000 jobs lost in the month of March. Our greedy corporations shipping jobs oversea and leaving our towns, schools and country starving for ways to pay for our schools, police, firefighter's, etc. They are creating a low income, service sector welfare class among the middleclass.

We are left with no tax breaks, broken infrastructure and colleges that are unattainable.

For those of us who are still working, we are left with the uncertainty of losing our jobs or suffering with higher taxes, utilites, gas, food, etc. We need a change.

Google a company call Tata in India and ask yourself who is elitist. Any company taking jobs out of this country should be penalized. We have lost our manufacturing jobs, now the banking and customer service, jobs are going by the wayside to India, China, etc. Ask your senator what are they doing to keep jobs in this country? Tell them you are going to fire them if they don't start bringing jobs to your community and make it happen.

No future for our kids and an elitist government who give us a lot of lip service while enjoying their perks. (A let them eat cake mentality)

Take away their health insurance, pensions and travel, lunches, etc., and see how long they choose to stay in office.

Obama's right...we choose to ignore who's making our lives more difficult when they (the media, marketers and our government) pulls our chains about issues that won't help you one bit financially.

Go through your 401k, unemployment and find our how much you care about race or religion. You will only care about getting a job and taking care of yourself or your family.

The last 8 years have taken us through hell. I am ready to see the light.

I am BITTER and plan to do something about it when I vote for Obama

My only reply to people charging Sen Obama with elitism protestations is that those people who are incapable of conceiving a particular case through an abstract category of denomination are congenitally incapable of understanding any abstract concept, let alone elitism, and would be much better off leaving intellectual subjects to those who can think.

Elitism arises from the fact that, in any complex society, a division of labor is necessitated by economic forces. This is true of any type of advanced economy, regardless of whether it has a capitalistic, interventionist, or socialistic structure. In concrete terms, this division of labor requires that each participant in the society chooses a particular type of labor.

What makes elitism unavoidable in society is the problem of limited access. Not everyone can be a professional artist, or a senator, or the best student in his class. Some selective process must be at work. The question is only: which one?

This is another example of Obama's contempt for the Middle class and willingness to trash what we believe in.

Obama is right on the dime about the rust-belt states and the bitterness. After having lived in Columbus and Cincinnati, I saw the loss of jobs and the gap widen between the haves and have-nots. Because the youth couldn't afford Jr College, they had no other avenue than to enlist in the Armed Forces. These kids have either returned handicapped or in coffins - obviously not using that college aid.

Also, the poorest voters in the state voted twice for Dubya and the Repugs who stole state $$ from the coffers - Coingate scandal. Read about it and then you'll understand the bitterness that exists.

Obama was addressing the 81% of us who are feeling the results of the Dubya regime and this useless venture into the Middle East. Clinton and McCain offer more of the same..don't be fooled again.

"People are fed up, they're angry, frustrated and they're bitter and they want to see a change in Washington and that's why I'm running for president."

He's right. And that's why I'm voting for him.

This is par for the course when Obama speaks. It depends on who is Audience is and he will be come that chameleon. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't and McCain in is my devil, Billary and Obama are a absolute train wreck. I wish we a candidate that was not owned by lobbyists.

having watched Wal-Mart come in and destroy and blight my hometown, then pull out in favor of a super Wal-Mart 20 miles away, why isn't Hillary touting her vast accomplishments when she sat on Wal-Mart's Board of Directors and started selling us out to the Chinese? Started trashing rural communities to the point that an $8 an hour job with no medical benefits is the best thing going? Thanks Hillary. What's your vision for trashing what's left of the American dream? And you think people are arent bitter? Why don't you talk about your Wal-Mart credentials Hillary? Will we be mandated to go to Wal-Mart to see a doctor as part of your National Health Care plan? Perhaps we can package up Hillary and Bill in bows and Bush can return them to China as an Olympic Opening Ceremony gift on behalf of disenfranchised rural America. I'd donate for the cheaply made Chinese bow.

The most embarrassing thing about all this is how the media are implicit in finessing the issue. So Obama put it all on the table - and rather than acknowledge that these moral issues have risen in direct proportion to the marginalization of the lower-income, or give us any in-depth analysis, we have them glorying in the take-down between candidates. Disgusting.

And I hope Clinton watches the roof cave in on her lucrative deals after this. Elitist is continuing to think you deserve a better life-style at the expense of those "below" you who make it possible.

Obama made some very truthful statements in my opinion. the problem is he generalized about a group of people which is never a good idea and gave them a reason to rally against him. I agree with his overall comments though as it applies to a lot of working class families. Too bad. He'll rebound from this though. Hillary and McCain are so unlikable.

B arack Obama is not an elitist as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of everyday people who are for him and supporting his candidate with small dollar donations. The elitist is the constant thorn in our sides - Hillary Clinton - who picks on every word he says and makes a mountain out of a molehill. She needs to quit so we can move on!!

With as much biased news spin the people of this nation endure, it amazes me that many still cannot see the blatant distortion of Sen. Obama comments. He is right about middle America. We are bitter and with good reason.

Would you rather have someone like Sen. McCain or Sen. Clinton tell people how content you are with the state of the nation while you lose your home to foreclosure?

Wake up America. Don't elect someone who will lie to you when there is candidate who is willing to speak the truth! Vote for Obama!

Exactly what did Obama say that is offensive? Are Americans, especially rural, midwestern Americans, not frustrated with the economic ruin of the Bush Administration? I'm from Wisconsin and have moved to Los Angeles. I know small towns and big cities. The poor and middle-class in both little towns and big cities have been hammered by Bush. The fact that Obama recognizes this and is willing to talk about it is EXACTLY why I'll vote for him.

I seem to remember that in 1960 John F. Kennedy visited impoverished families in West Virginia, was shocked and moved by what he saw, and made similar comments. He was hailed as a great humanitarian--as is Obama. I was too young to vote for JFK, but I am definitely voting for Obama.

All we are seeing is what Mr. Obama learned under the tutelage of J. Wright and others like him. He is speaking from his acquired knowledge through that relationship nurtured by his education and by his experiences. This is what he brings to the campaign trail.

Obama continues to demonstrate he isn't to be trusted. He obviously relates religion to useless superstition and for the life of me, I can't understand why people don't see this guy for what he truly is - a manipulative, elitist kid who just happens to have a bit of moxie when it comes to the morning shows. NOT TO BE TRUSTED! Wake up, People!

Seems another instance of a compliant media running with another trumped-up "story" hatched in the fevered imaginations of Clinton's media advisers. Another non-story in a "Silly Season" full of them. I've got an idea. Why don't some of you reporters get off your butts and go visit some of the small hamlets in Indiana and Pennsylvania to which Obama refers. I'm sure you'd run into plenty of "bitter" people who feel left out of our selfish political culture and who feel powerless to change it. Now, all weekend long, we get to witness a parade of media and political elites filling their 24-hour news cycles with a lot of meaningless blather about whether Obama's comments were elitist or not.
Talk about out of touch...

Walmart wasn't crazed when Sam Walton was still alive--that's when Hilary was on the board.
Unlike Michelle Obama.
Who apparently had to be dragged kicking and screaming this last year off Tree House Foods. Long after a big battle to keep Walmart outta Chi-town, long after numerous documentaries about what the company had done in the past five years, chiefly.
Get your facts straight before you bloviate.

Maybe we could use an A student Ivy Leaguer for awhile and see where we go then.
Posted by: Michigan Bear fan | April 12, 2008 3:26 PM

An A student would be terrific, but a A student racist and bigot...no can do.

The American voter is basically out of touch because they keep choosing bad leaders. Who voted for Bush for two terms, who is still voting out of fear tactics? When will the American voters get it right? Probably not for a very long time! Who will vote for a republican presidential candidate knowing these are hard economic time and jobs are few while people are struggling to maintain? The American voters. Obama really isn't out of touch for what he said, most american voters still don't get it.

All of this is just another excuse to re-direct attention away from Hillary and Bill. She might as well endorse John McCain. Instead of sticking to the message, she is looking for anything to hit Barak Obama with. And I was a Clinton supporter for years. The Clinton campaign is leaving a nasty taste in my mouth.

hmmm...Hillary and McCain both benefited off their name to get where they are in life, Obama had to work for everything he got, despite having a name most Americans don't like. He is way more in touch with the common man that John "Daddy get me into the Naval Academy" McCain and Hillary"ride the coattails of my husband" Clinton.

Out of touch? Why would a millionaire Harvard-educated lawyer who's grown up in Hawaii and who is the senator with the most liberal voting record in 2007 be out of touch with rural America??? And please, "antipathy towards people not like them" or some other version of that, choosing a raving racist for a "spiritual mentor", and stereotyping "a typical white person", and he's not a racist?? Then who is? Is this the man who is to lead us and heal us in a discussion on race, a "uniter, not a divider"? Unfortunately, sometimes he has to speak off the cuff leading him to unwittingly depart from his carefully constructed image. Expect more of this in the future the longer he's in the game.

Since when is it elitist and demeaning to speak the truth? I've read the text of that comment several times and I just can't seem to find it. Seems to me the campaigners who want to spin Obama's words are getting pretty darn desperate. This is just another way to distract voters, which to me seems awfully demeaning in itself!

80% of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction right now according to a recent poll. Clinton, McCain and the media biased toward them are all part of the same group of elitists that would have you think that the 80% are happy about that wrong direction that we know our country is going in. It defies logic to think Obama spoke anything but the truth. Are you all going to believe Hillary, raised in Park Ridge and an attendee of private schools all her life when she calls someone else an elitist? She can't even tell you the truth about what she did in Bosnia.

I found his comments an over generalization. So small town mentality means guns, religion, anti-immigrant and anti-trade? So those of us who feel we have been sold a bill of goods over NAFTA, support strict border control and LEGAL immigration, have faith in a religion, live in the major urban cities and suburbs -- I guess we are small-mined as well? Obama shows his leftist leanings and elitist attitude - coming from the university bubble, removed from the real world. We see the true nature of an individual in small ways by the words chosen. As I mentioned to someone recently, it is amazing anyone has made up their mind on any candidate thus far given we are still learning more about the great unknown -- Barrack Obama.

DBX
Obama is not effective. In politics you do wind up compromising so if the best cap you can realisticly get is a 30% cap you vote for it and continue to amend appropriate legislation to lower it further while you seek earmarks for your wife's employer.

Obama supports Mayor Daley and that is why I would not vote for Obama.

Obama was elected to the US Senate WITHOUT Daley's support and yet Obama supported Daley for Mayor when there were 2 qualified (African American) candidates running against Daley.

Of course he's right. It's just that Americans are never supposed to be anything less than bright eyed optimists because we live in a perfect country. Don't we? How dare a politician speak the unspeakable. We aren't perfect and people do cling to some of the "social issues" precisely because they have given up any hope of government actually helping them out. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, big government is bad etc. All the right wing cliches of the past decades must be right....Come on. Hillary can try to make the most out of this as she can but most of these counties are going to vote for McCain anyway.

I am surprised by anyone's "surprise" that Obama's elitism is showing. Michelle Obama made a comment in an interview in which she stated that:

"Barak is one of the smartest people you will ever meet who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics."

The dictionary definition of the word "deign" is: to condescend or to lower oneself.

This, I think, epitomizes the Obamas' attitude towards typical white people and small town America ... and probably a lot of other groups they haven't had a chance to offend yet ... or, more accurately put, the Obama loving media hasn't reported yet.

You Obama supporters are so two-faced, it's actually funny!

When Obama makes offensive and stereotypical comments, he is speaking the "truth"....So why aren't Geraldine Ferraro's comments considered the "truth"?? If Obama and his supporters are going to call Ferraro a racist, then the "annointed one" has to live by the same standards....You all are so hypocritical it's pathetic. Playing the race card when it's convenient is getting old....real old...And it will blow up in your face in November....

Obama is simply a Harvard educated far left elitist who's plan for change, no matter what the issue.....is "tax the rich".....How original......

If he hadn't used the word "bitter," we wouldn't be having this conversation. People will admit they are angry at Washington, but somehow "bitter" sounds like too much, too personally offensive. Well, having watched Washington do nothing but screw this country up for 8 years, I'll say it...I'm bitter. Obama was just calling it like it is, and he's getting my vote.

I'm more offended that Clinton is trying to use this to her advantage. If you aren't upset/mad/bitter (whatever you want to call it) at Washington, you aren't paying attention.

Sorry Obama, but I believe in Christ, and not for economics problems ... his words are offensinvs .. and show who are you !!!
He must avergonsarse of what he said ...
Why are you christian ?? whenever you truly to be...

COME ON PEOPLE! Grow up Hillary!! Talk about nitpicking! What did Obama say that was so wrong? Focus on his speech in Gary, Indiana....this is a man who speaks from the heart, and THIS IS WHAT WE NEED! Hillary keeps bottom-feeding for ANY ammo against Obama's appeal...at least he did not say he 'misspoke' as she did when she said she was under fire in Bosnia, named after Sir Everest, and that her daughter was at Ground Zero on 9/11!!!

PS. I'm typical white woman and christian

King Obama has no clothes.He is so out of touch with reality it is scary. If a white candidate were to utter half the non-sense he does, he would be driven out of the country.

I am encouraged to see that many of these posters GOT IT -- Obama was only speaking the truth, and that's what has rattled these people.

If you're not bitter, then either you feel very secure in your job (should you though?) and/or you're among the truly elite who are prospering in this dismal economy under the Bush regime that is beginning more and more to resemble France under King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette. Don't forget that the response to them was a revolution.

Barack Obama told the truth. There is bitterness in our country, be it in small town or inner city. Bush's only solution is tax cuts for the rich and corporations and keep the war going pointlessly. Obama tapped into this bitterness and Clinton and McCain are double-teaming him to get a political advantage. Obama is the best candidate for the job.

the obama signs are coming down in pa. i live there and talk radio is buzzing. i say it is 75% against him and 25% for him

This letter is in response to the remarks Barack Obama made regarding voters in Pennsylvania and has since added Illinois and Indiana residents to the mix. This was our response to a cable station's request to offer comments on those remarks, which we since elaborated on. If you agree, pass it on, or better yet, write to your own newspapers or radio/TV shows but most importantly to your elected officials, and get your feelings heard...on this issue, on taking God out of our country and our schools, on racism, illegal immigration etc, etc. Its imperative that we get our voices heard now, dismiss the oligarchy. We no longer have the luxury of being the silent majority. Thanks!

This was the question asked and our answer:

Are Obama's comments offensive to you?

YOU BETCHA THEY ARE! VERY OFFENSIVE! We think his attitude is belittling to people in small communities and everyone else. If the man is not smart enough after making offensive remarks, not repudiating them, and then turning around and repeating the offensive remarks regarding the citizens of two more states, then the man is surely not smart or savvy enough to be President of the most powerful country in the world.

We're tired of the politicians and pundits interpreting events to their liking...ie: when interpreted by Obama's groups or republicans, you hear that he didn't want to demean anyone, Obama wants the democratic nomination, and the republicans want the same thing, knowing that Obama is the least electable of the two democratic challengers, even though they won't openly admit it. When interpreted by Hillary, she leads us to believe it is insulting and demeaning to everyone because she believes that the American people are resilient and strong and will roll up their sleeves and face all challenges.

Unbiased and intelligent "heartland people" will decifer it as it was meant...knowing that Obama has a firm grasp of the King's English.

Obama's remarks "...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."

Obama feels that, first of all the heartland is bitter; secondly they are paranoid and have to cling to their guns, third that they 'all of a sudden' got religion, like they're not usually religious people; fourth, he is saying that they have a dislike (antipathy) for people who are not like them, which is calling them bigots; fifth, they are anti-immigrant, which would be anti-themselves because they are all immigrants or descendants thereof, Obama refuses to say the words "illegal" immigrants; sixth, his view of anti-trade is shipping our jobs and equipment all over the third world, letting illegals infiltrate our country to grab up the leftover menial jobs, and then have the audacity to back a movement to unionize illegals so they can have a better job than the American worker who should have had the job in the first place; and lastly, the folks in the heartland will cave in and become immoral because they are frustrated. WE THINK NOT!

Geraldine Ferraro was vilified for being 100% correct...Obama could not be where he is today, being a new, inexperienced, first part-term senator, if he was not black. She knows better than anyone and admits that she was considered for Vice President because of the benefits of her being a woman.

The contrived seating arrangements, by race and gender, at Obama's appearances are obviously customized to local mores and norms and what they want to convey to the viewing audience. The escaped sound bites, "we need more whites over here", recorded at a recent event, exposes this intentionally fraudulent portrayal. This, along with his wife's attitudes and his minister's attitudes, makes us suspect that maybe he is what he inaccurately accuses us of being...bigoted.

The white male, long considered the most bigoted, has evolved into a plethora (too many) of Obama's supporters, many, just to prove that they are unbiased. Now we find, through the displays of the "black and afro-centric theology" which is exclusionary, that blacks and their black preachers may be the most bigoted and hateful of all. This is crazy...haven't we learned anything in all these years? Let's not ruin the progress we've made since the Civil Rights Movement, dishonor what Dr. King stood for, and chance rebuilding white resentment as well.

I was Senator Obama's personal body guard the night he was elected to the US Senate and, in the elevator on the way down to make his acceptance speech, the first to congratulate him on his victory. I returned home, really pumped on Obama, telling my friends and family that he could be our President in 2016. I have since changed my views. Fools rush in...he should have taken the time to gain necessary knowledge through experience. It's akin to attempting neurosurgery before finishing med school. You have to own a problem before you can correct it, that's why we need to say to hell with politically correct and kudos for common sense and honesty in order to transcend race, gender, and religious hurdles.

Until there are no paid lobbyists, until every bill has to stand alone, and until candidates can truly run on merit, not on clout, we will always be forced to choose between the least of the bad rather than the best of the best.

To all you not too smart people who keep bringing up the wealth of the Clintons and McCain, don't you realize that anyone who can run for the office of President of the United States is going to be worth 20, 30, 40 times more than any of us. The days when a poor person could be president ended more than a century ago.
That said, the people that Obama thinks are bitter are not bitter; but scared, scared of what will be coming at them next. Scared of losing their jobs, and scared of losing their homes, scared of what will happen without health insurance if a member of their family should become seriously ill.
"Bitter" . . . resentful, embittered, cheated.
"Scared" . . . afraid, frightened, fearful.

DBX: OBAMA!!!

Terry: Is that a recist comment, spade a spade? Don't let the Obama campaign hear you say that. Fairy Tail.
The biggest problem with what Obama said is that he said it in a closed door meeting to get money from a bunch of his very rich contributors, where he thought it would not get past the closed door. Surprise Obama you just got found out.

These are politicians. They ALL lie. It doesn't matter if you are conservative or liberal, if you believe anything a politician tells you or says in general you deserve whatever mess you find yourself in. It's their job to lie. They are all out of touch. Do you get a pension after working at a job for only one year? They do !
Do you make a lot of money and get paid for your expenses? They do. None of them live the life of a middle class or lower class American. They don't have a clue what people do to survive and they never will know.
Just vote for your party of choice and hope for the best.
It can't get much worse than it's been for the last eight years.

I can not punish him for speaking the truth, I would never vote for Clinton or McCain and there special interests. The last 8 years have been the worst in my 52 years, so yes I am bitter.

Jen, If you look again at the article that said Obama gave the least to charities, you will see that it gives percentages, PERCENTAGES. His percentages were way, way down there on the scale.

bitter: Obama put it all on the table all right, behind closed doors to get money from his RICH contributors. And he got caught with his hands and mouth where he didn't want it to show.

Did anyone actually think the media would let a black man get elected to be President of the United States? They supported him until it looked like he might win and then have had to bash him since. Saint McCain will obviously win in November. White? Check. Man? Check. Old? Check. Ding, we have a winner.

GEeeeeezzz!

Democracy is a wonderful thing, But America's morphed version of it continues to decsend into nonsense.

C'mon, there truly needs to be a better way we elect our President and candidates.

I get sick thinking listening to this petty he-said- she -said..."CRAP!"... It's like my daughters squabbles.

Nothing clearly stated by any of them, of what they intend to do.... Just vague overtones of each hot-button topic.

For the first time in my life I am worried about what America is going to be in 50-75 years?...
I wouldn't blame the generations of that era if they looked back at us as idiots.
(as they suffer the rath another country!!!)

There are probably 50 better candidates than the 3 stooges we watch every night on TV.
How about candidates that would make a difference?
That are proven successful people.
True working / career leaders.

Colin Powell... Warren Buffet
True leaders!!!!

right now we have a "racial" election. Only a fool would deny that. And it Really don't matter what color skin the president has, it's the system that needs "CHANGE".
BUT once the president is elected, they could care less about the process of how they got there. So the chances of getting a president who truly can make "CHANGE" happen will never find the Oval office. Only the puppet one of the two party's want in there.

I LOVE this country! I really do, And it hurts as I see the walls starting to crack & begin to crumble. I wish I could find a better attitude....ugh

It's true... at least he speaks about the truth... did you hear Clintons laugh this week when asked about Bills Columbia Trade Conflict of interest?
Fake fake ekaf.

Hillary Clinton has the smile and laugh of a Jackal.

Chuck:

There is a two part equation to being a good politician. The first is a legitimate concern for the issues and the second is telling the people what they want to hear. The problem with Obama is that he only has the first part of the equation down. McCain and Clinton have been at it a little longer and know to keep their mouths shut when comes to expressing the way they really feel about the American public. (I mean do we really think these two don't also harbor some "elitist" attitudes as well--they are politicians after all.)

Oh well give him time, Barack will learn that populist pandering is more important than truth.

Posted by: Chuck | April 12, 2008 1:49 PM

I agree with Chuck but rather than saying these traits are what makes a "good" politician I would say this is what gets a politician elected.

I am a small town guy, one dealing in public opinion by way of a media outlet, and I am largely of a conservative outlook. But Obama is exactly on target with his comments. We are bitter, and we have been mistreated. Downstate Grayville is a prime example, and probably something he was thinking of. George Ryan gave them a prison as his crony swindled thousands out of the town, and then Blagojevich pulled the rug on the project, essentially telling the town to eat poop and die. Explain to me how Obama is not correct in his perception. The people in Edwards and White Counties, as well as the counties adjacent, are exceptionally bitter about the whole experience.

I wouldn't call Obama elitist. A man who is half white, claims to be black, and dismisses his white maternal grandmother in stereotypical terms is a racist. What cracks me up is all the white sympathizers he has.

Only a fool would believe that Hillary and McCain will improve their lives. In fact, McCain has already stated that he would continue to bankrupt this country,by staying in Iraq. In truth, middle class people have more in common with Obama, than Clinton or McCain. Some of us appear to be blinded by color to see it. Thank God, that he looks out for children and fools (voters).

So if Obama thinks its all about economics and that small town Americans are silly for voting on the basis of gun ownership rights, illegal immigration control and opposition to homosexual marriage ---

Why doesn't Obama just go up to his gay-rights financiers, the Brady gun controllers and La Raza ---

And thell them that he no longer will endorse homosexual marriage, gun control and illegal alien amnesty.

After all, he says they're trivial issues. They should understand, right?

Elitist? Hardly. Honest? Yes.

Small town voters know how hard it is to travel the road paved with the promises of forgetful politicians. Bitter doesn't begin to describe those left behind.

And while the GOP plays distraction games with red-meat issues like guns and religion, the country's great chasm widens and nothing gets done. If only the GOP could manage to win on the big issues that affect everyday Americans, they might be called statesmen. Instead, like Clinton, they wallow in divisiveness and broken promises that won't advance the future of average Joe Citizen one iota. No wonder people vote on wedge issues on the ballot. They just want a little control back. Obama is right.

I wanted to make a comment about the recent pouncing on Senator Obama regarding his comments in San Fransico and "bitterness."

It strikes me so funny that his opponents are pouncing on him as an elitist, when it is Senator Obama that would still sit with the enemy? It is Senator Obama who did not vote for a war because he wanted another way than SHOCK AND AWE, When we create war campaigns like "Shock and Awe," that glorify death and destruction, and make it a spectator sport for the American people and the world, I shake my head and say, elitist? Senator Obama? What is Hillary and John McCain trying to spin?

There are injustices in America that black Americans face. To go to a church that articulates these injustices are understandable and for me except able to a limited extent.
What isn't except able is to point a finger at Israel as being a terrorist state and then Jeremiah Wright being honored by the NAACP and the black community. I doubt if he will apologize for his anti-Semitism but these words will remain in Obama's mouth as long as black America remain silent to this injustice.

The legendary 'Republican hate machine' and the vaunted (and equally feared) 'Vast right wing conspiracy' are getting rusty because the democrats are doing it ALL to themselves. Obama is 'out of touch' and then Hillary Clinton weighs in with a few choice remarks on the subject in order to flex her street cred muscles and to emphasize her working class roots, etc.

You CAN'T make this up.

And when the general campaign starts all we'll have to do is run the reruns and that'll save the RNC money which they can spend on ofther terrible things.

We knuckle-dragging drooling at the mouth misogynist (sp?) minority hating gay-bashing socially regressive republican types are just loving this so PLEASE keep it up.

p.s. - We DO need a viable democratic party. Among his other activities the late Charlton Heston marched with MLK Jr. in the early 60s. At some point he changed from the democratic party to the republican. when asked why he said "I didn't change, the democrats changed."

Again, all we have here is Hillary and here bunch trying to make something out of nothing. Many Americans are bitter, to say otherwise is not to be able to see the truth right before your own eyes. Senator Obama will not take the money that others take and that is starting to scare the hell out of them. What if he should win they wonder, what would he really do? It is time for a change, a big change in the way we hold our government responsible for what it does and what it allows.I am not afraid of someone coming to kill us, let them try, if they succeed even just once then let's go after the ones who are really responsible and hunt them down and strike back, not get caught in a war in a place that had little to nothing to do with what and who we really shopuld be fighting against. You see people who really do love a free society are willing to die for that free society. Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to die needlessly. I just don't want all of our freedoms to go by the wayside because of something that might happen.

Someone commented on Obama being elitist, thinking he's smarter than us, etc.

I for one, would prefer someone smarter and more informed than the average american leading the country. I don't care if he thinks he's better than us, is cocky or bombastous, as long as he does his job, and does it well. I'm not electing him to be my friend. I'm electing him to lead a country. The result of someone less intelligent running the country has been made painfully obvious in the last few years.

So have a little humility and be willing to hand the reins to someone more capable to the job, and not to the "likeable guy you'd have a beer with."