Obama: bitterness a reality

Finally some humility.
Is he really going to Israel next?
What harm can that trip do--certainly nothing can go wrong there!
This latest comment--"get past these divisions"--
HIS CAMPAIGN IS THE ONE CREATING DIVISION!
Calling people who state a fact racist is divisive.
Calling people who disagree with your the slghtest unethical is divisive.
It's more than time for his campaign to fold.
Unless this campaign closes down or folds into the clinton campaign we will lose and lose big in the Fall.
and the spoiler mantle will follow his political career all of his days.
Why not do a poll in Illinois (not that these show how we vote) about how popular a Senate reelection bid would be for the Rezko kid right about now?

Senator Obama is saying the obvious. Politicians come in, promise rural America the moon and they end up with hay. If that happens to you time and again, you would be bitter too! Elitism is the wrong word to use, in describing Senator Obama's remarks. I would have used, democratic, honest and straight-forward. If you can't handle the truth, than get out of the business!!! Vote Democrat, for a better, urban and rural, America!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.

On a scale of 1 to 10 this gaff was a two or three. It was easily explained for what it was: a condensation of Thomas Frank's views in his book (whatever the name of it was).
So the media and his opponents jump on his comments like it was a a huge 10 point Reverend Wright sermon or something.

Some are way too quick to jump on the candidates.. Hillary and John notwithstanding

He spoke his heart instead of carefully planned words and it showed people the real Obama. See:
http://christianprophecy.blogspot.com/

Obama didn't refer to those here in the small towns of the Midwest, who are without jobs, as just bitter. He painted a picture of small town people as gone toting, religious, racists. Those of us that are gun owners, are made up of hunters and law-abiding citizens. We cling to our religion out of faith, not out of economics. Neither our guns or faith in our religion are based on whether their are jobs or not. He also said we were anti-immigrant, we are not, we love thy neighbor. America is made up of immigrants, there are those who may oppose illegal immigration, however, if Mr.Obama knew as much as he claims to know, then he'd know there are millions of Americans, across the USA, from all economic backgrounds, opposed to it, not just small town Midwestern folks without jobs.

Again Obama says what people need to hear not just what they may want to hear. The truth is difficult for some, but it's time it's heard. So many Americans have been cynical about government, yet Obama has been able to inspire so many to face reality and work for change. Clinton is putting him down again just to get votes. Don't be fooled America. The Clintons and Republicans are very good at manipulating you and they are trying it again. They owe all Americans an apology for forgetting about them in their many years in Washington. Even now, Clinton wants you to forget her Bosnia lie and NAFTA hypocrisy. McCain wants you to forget Iraq. Watch out! This is exactly what has created the bitterness Obama talks about.

What did he say that was not true? Some times the truth is unpleasant.

Bitterness is a harmful emotion.
Nobody should run around with it.
Nobody should run for office with it--especially when life's been as good as it has to Obama.
But those bitter "others" is just the last nail in the PA race for the Obama campaign.
The main nails were driven when he got that 'great' endorsement from Sen. Bob Casey.
Obama didn't know what the dems in PA knew--Casey's an opportunist.
Casey got what he wanted --the 3 milliion dollar print contract for Casey's sisters's biz--Universal Printing in Scranton.
Dey don't call Scranton "little
Chicago" for nuttin'.
The greed isn't the worse of it.
Casey was going to come present medals to the family of a kid killed in Iraq. He cancelled at the last minute.
You know why?
Cuz he had to go campaign for Obama.
The lead balloons of hope are just raining down all over PA.
I hope Obama teams up with Hilary. His campaign could learn about keeping one's mouth shut, about putting the hand over the heart, about just going along and hoping for the best.
Hope springs eternal.

With each passing day, the magic of Saint Obama the Uniter is washing away and being replaced by the reality of a smug, smirking, bitter con man.

Nobama. No way.

Senator Obama is right on the money.

Just call me angry, frustrated and bitter in Houston, Texas.

It is a shame that truth has become a dirty word.

Obama has my vote.

Deward Bowles
White, 48, Male, Professional, Business Owner.

The man speaks on a touchy subject that no one wants to talk about, tells the truth in the process, and now they label him an elitist. But more ironic is Hillary trying to say she grew in a small town and blah blah blah. She is elitist as they come. Next she'll be saying that she wiped the sweat from men's brows while they toiled away in the factories! Has she ever worked a blue-collar day in her life? Don't think so.

Obama making a boo-boo and Hillary seizing the opportunity to trumpet her working class cred.

You CAN'T make this up

Amazingly, for such a good speaker, Obama isn't very quick on his feet. As long as he sticks to a script, he's okay.
Unfortunately for Barack, he has a tendency to pontificate- tries to show everybody just how sharp he is. That's when he gets in trouble. Well, he put his foot in it this time.

Obama making a boo-boo and Hillary seizing the opportunity to trumpet her working class cred.

You CAN'T make this up

Hillary is desperate! Read what Obama said in its entirety, do not listen to the snippets from Hillary.

Obama deeply cares about people! He is the leadership of 21 century America. It takes a while to get use to honest 'ideas' coming from honest politicians especially having lived thru the lies and scandals of the Clintons!

Vote for Obama, do not MISS this opportunity!

Willis

Willis

With each passing day, the magic of Obama is washing away and being replaced by the reality of a smug, smirking con man.

He will continue to fool the fools but won't come close to winning the general election -- ever.

Do I get to be the first to weigh in on this non-controversy??

OK, here are my thoughts. Obama has it totally right. People ARE bitter. Take, for example, all the people that lost jobs either due to the "re-engineering" craze of the late 80s-early 90s or due to past recessions or today's shaky economy and either haven't found new work or had to take a job with less pay and benefits.

That happened in my household, right here in Illinois, and while we don't let it drive our lives, I totally understand the point Obama was making.

And I think it proves that he totally "gets" middle America and the way they feel about what is happening in the country today.

So for that, and for many more reasons, my vote went to Obama in the primary and I hope I get to vote for him in November.

It makes you wonder doesn't it? I mean, for such a smart guy, every other time he opens his mouth ( without a teleprompter handy ), he has to later backtrack and say "Well, what I meant was..."

I hope he doesn't keep screwing up his lines when he's talking to Iran, or North Korea, or Russia.

Oh, he simply "mis-spoke."

What gets me is that in "a closed-door fundraiser," while speaking to his sheep, the words were appopriate. But when he's in a more public and "transparent" situation, he tries to smooth it all over with some glib attempt to backpedal and pretty it all up.

You may not like it but the guy spoke the truth. I am bitter, angry, frustrated and confused by the direction this government is taking the country, A country where the rich are getting richer and the middle class and the poor getting poorer. He is damn right am angry! I

If you cannot bear to hear the truth, don't even read or listen to it. Its true people are bitter and angry. And why not. They are being lied to, shafted, cheated by a government that is suppose to cater to their interest, and when Barack pointed that out, people are freaking out. Those who are mad about the comments may be doing good. I am not, and I am angry and bitter.

I moved to the USA from London England in 2002, married a wonderful American woman and now live in Paris Illinois, in the heart of Mid-West America.

Paris is principally a farming community whose population is around 9,100. It is the county seat of Edgar County. 25 miles from any other sizable town. It does not have a public transport system. It does have a Walmart, Kroegers, CVS, 4 fast food outlets and some light industries on the city's outskirts.

It is typical of Mid-West rural America, often described as "a town with a Blockbusters and a diner and nothing else".

Paris generates income principally from property taxes, water rates and sales tax. Hence, taxes are seen to be too high and without local businesses to spend your money, sales tax is low.

Income from utilities, telephone and cable company contracts is not substantial.

Income to expenditure indicates that the city will soon if not already be in the red. It's like someone living on a fixed income.

Paris' population is aging. The High School used to have around 600 students in the 70s but now that has dropped to nearly half.

In the 1960s, downtown Paris was a thriving. Every building occupied, businesses booming.

In the late 1970s businesses like JC Penney and Sears move out. No doubt for economic reasons.

This has left the downtown square almost devoid of retail stores. For the most part the buildings are dilapidated and in urgent need of substantial repair and renovation. I know, I worked in such a building for 3 years.

So, the local Economic Development organization was formed and has tried, for the last 30 years, to bring Industry to the area as an alternative. The problem is that to attract Industry you have to offer enticements such as tax breaks, which do not benefit the town. When the incentives come to an end the business moves out to a new location. It's like trying to tread water all the time. To further illustrate the point, a neighboring town may well lose a business, which is looking to relocate to China.

The local Chamber of Commerce and Main Street organizations continue to battle on behalf of downtown and the surrounding business area. However, it is indicative that there are two loan companies on the small downtown square and a third within 1 mile!

Local and national pride has understandably been hit hard. Nevertheless, the local National Guard, the 1544th, served honorably in Iraq. I stood on the square, on a cold February morning, sharing tears with parents, relatives and friends, watching their sons and daughters, husbands and wives go to war. I was there when they returned. Well not all of them.

Are Parisians bitter? You bet they are!

We are trying to better ourselves. For instance, there is an initiative to replace the local electric company with a Municipal Utility company. This would generated income that would stay in Paris rather than going out of state. The process to do this is arduous and expensive. To do nothing would be to ignore an opportunity too good to miss.

And the point of all this?

In my humble opinion Barak Obama appears to be the only potential presidential candidate who is in touch with the average rural American.

Contrary to Steve Schmidt of the Republican Party, who said of Obama's words, “It is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans." It is Obama who seems to have his finger on the average American's pulse.

Clinton said "It's being reported that my opponent said that the people of Pennsylvania who've faced hard times are bitter. Well, that's not my experience. As I travel around Pennsylvania, I meet people who are resilient, who are optimistic, who are positive who are rolling up their sleeves. They're working hard every day for a better future for themselves and their children. Pennsylvanians don't need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them."

I do not believe Obama is “looking down on them” rather he is trying to empathize with them.

I am not a declared Democrat or Republican. Until I gain citizenship, I cannot vote. However, though I am loyal to Britain, I love my adopted country and recognize that when “it isn't working” “do something different”.

Obama is a leader and could very well be an inspirational leader - a statesman if you will. The USA needs a statesman and I believe that his time is now.

Some are ready to spin anything. There is a whole army in search for words to put out of context as soon as they can. They can twist anything and without any blood in their faces show surprise on those found words. Mainly if that can keep the focus of the media far away from the lies and misjudgements that once was said and done.

Give me a break! McCain, Clinton and the media need to get their pantyhose out of a knot and stop this Obama bashing unnecessarily. Obama is absolutely correct in what he said. I and many others like me live in Pennsylvania and just yesterday I was talking to a man who was angry over the state of the economy and the job losses in Pennsylvania. He talked about the Dixie Cup plant that has been closed and those jobs that were shipped to Mexico and the outsourcing of jobs once in Pennsylvania, the mills that closed down and the plants. Yes, he and we were angry, frustrated. We talked about Iraq and how the economy and gas prices are what they are because of $12 billion going to Iraq every month. So it is Hillary and McCain that are the elitests, they have no clue what's happening. Obama was telling the truth, he was right on. People are clinging to their guns, to their faith, praying for jobs here, praying to stay healthy because they have no health care. We talked about the people who are paying over $100 for one or two pills they must take who have no health care. Yes, we are frustrated, we love our country but we feel our country has deserted us, has turned its back on us. So stop with this political b.s. Hillary and McCain and listen to Obama. Hillary and McCain are just angry because they didn;t say it and Obama did!!!

What a lying jerk! Who is he to look down on me? Beware, this man has dual citizenship and will not stand for Americans at all! His disdain for us clearly shows.

He's right. I moved into a small town and was greeted with suspicion, and I'm white!! I have a big city accent, am Catholic, and middle of the road in my politics. God forbid! The world as they knew it was coming to an end.

""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."

You know, that is exactly the conventional wisdom about why some people become terrorists.

However, recent research has shown that this is simply a wrong explanation for terrorism. In fact, it is foreign occupation that leads to most terrorist activity.

I find it rather disturbing that Obama would use the same sort of rhetoric usually applied to terrorists to describe small town America.

There is nothing here for Clinton and McCain and the media to comment on, they are just sorry they didn't say it first. Obama is absolutely correct, he has his finger on the pulse of what's happening to small town Americans and middle town Americans. Clinton and McCain are the 'elitests', they are out of touch with what's going on!

News comes out that the entire executive branch signed off on torture, and the top stories the last two days on the online edition of the Trib are a story about whether or not there are naked boobies on Dick Cheney's sunglasses and a non-story about Obama's misconstrued remarks.
Sure looks like Sam Zell's Trib isn't much better than the old one. Enjoy your continuing slide into total irrelevance.
Maybe Zell ought to take his motorcycle to the top of Trib Tower, set up a ramp, and see if he can jump across to the Sears Tower.
I bet that'll pick up sales...

If you don't think people are "bitter", just read these posts.

It isn't so much what he said but HOW he said it. Behind their backs to a bunch of wealthy people who laughed at his "funny" remark. He has no idea what he is talking about.

Obama is right. Those who are up in arms are the same people who refuse to look in the mirror and see their true self. Sometimes the truth hurts, if those who complain want to run and hide from the truth then they mave only themselves to blaim for the morass they are in. The rality is also that these very biggoted small minded folks weren't going to vote for a black man anyway, even if they know he's right. They will vote for the hollow promises of Clinton or McCain and they will be in the same miserable position 4 or even 8 years from now. Call it Intellectual Elitism if you want. If you are too stupid to vote for help, then you deserve what you get.

Well Steve and Ruthie, according to Obama you are anti immigrant racists. Go play with your gun and get thee to church. Did Obama mention how he plans to fix all the small towns in America. Oh that's right with hope. Hope and a change we can believe in is going to make everything better. Businesses will suddenly start investing here in the US, The stores will come back and everything will be new again. People will move out of the sun belt and return to where they came from because jobs will be plentiful.

You know, you know, that you know small, you know towns, you know are you know bitter, you know, but I you know can no you know longer you know chastise my reverend you know than I could you know distance myself you know from you know my grandmother, you know.

No, Mr. Obama. I dont know...

There are bitter people all over America, not just small towns. Obama is just stating the obvious. The fuss is just politics as usual. I'm a retired manufacturing engineer and a combat veteran of WW II who is voting for Obama.

Candidate Obama is guilty of sharing his thoughts. They resonated with me

*No, I'm in touch. I know exactly what's going on. I know what’s going on in Pennsylvania, I know what's going on in Indiana, I know what's going on in Illinois. People are fed up, they're angry, frustrated and they're bitter and they want to see a change in Washington* Ok all three enjoy the luxuries of importance, the status of elitists--money. Didn't Obama drive a gass guzzling 340 horsepower Chrysler 300C? Yet the other two, no matter--right or wrong--what their solution or stance on economic issues, show more tact in addressing issues--not expressing an elitist "I know who you are(typical white people), I know what you do(cross the street when you see a black man), I know what is best for you (change), I know why you vote like you do(it's safe), I have figured you all out" attitude. Taken together this isn't straight forward or new, it's a man who can't see past his limited scope of the world--no matter how "worldly" he look on paper. Without addressing the complexity of what it means to be who "we" are, why "we" do what "we" do, what is best for "us", why "we" vote as they do. I would really love to believe the inadvertent implication "the fault lies with the voters"--elite attitude, but I can't. Keep throwing yourselves under the bus say-anything-to-make-it-sound-right-and-get-him-elected: "Obama's right, I am a racist, I am a typical white person, I am bitter and angry, wooohooo Obama tell me who I am today...." I I live in the city. A guy just had a semi-automatic pulled on him for his wallet down my street by a bunch of kids. Yet if I'm gonna vote on guns I'm going to vote based on my stance on the issue--not out of the fact the politicians are known to "let me down" on other issues--"frustration"--because those are the only issues I can count on--guns anti immigration xenophobia religion antitrade etc. I would think people in rural areas do that too. To think they don't would only confirm the elitist attitude his followers hold for this group of people. AND Since Obama, wife in tote, had expressed that they could see a need for guns in rural areas based on tradition, the distance involved for 911 to work, and the lifestyle--hunting. I'm sure rural voters are voting on issues because they could easily LOSE, not COUNT ON, those issues and want to hold stead fast to them because they are important to their way of life. Obama wants to make sense of the world (some groups are not voting for him) by interpreting it through his world(I'm about change so they are voting against change voting based on other issues--guns antiimmigration religion antirade xenophobia ect), but he doesn't grasp that we don't live in his world, he lives in a world where no one person can claim it. He's stating "the obvious" "the truth" "straight forward opinion"---- sure, he's the perfect blank onto which to project your own "truths" about all of America. People might be bitter about a lot of things and they might like hope and change, but they don't want and should not want Obama to overextend his rhetoric--at the expense of a people he wants to govern over. Not because Americans have thin skin, as Mr. Canada likes to think. But because for any one book on why people do what they do there are ten others of a different view, and the facts support a complex exchange of influences. Not just one. As usually Obama gave his opponents an in. And they rightly take advantage of it. But I am sure that the polls a week from now will show it didn't hurt him, with a verdict still out as to how it would play out in the general.

bon appetite.

It's interesting to now see the real Barack Obama instead of the candidate cut from Hollywood's central casting and public policy department. The real Obama is the one who is truly bitter and he is the one who is causing so much division as of late. Got caught hanging our with an anti-America, black liberation spouting "pastor"? Make a melodramatic speech focusing exclusively on race. Got caught in bed with Tony Rezko? Shift focus to the economy and try to stoke the fires of class warfare. Frustrated that you are still behind in the polls to the Hilldog in PA? Make a bitter and exceptionally condescending speech to a bunch of foaming at the mouth leftists in SF. Barack Obama is not the one who intends to "bring America together". Rather, his entire career (from Harvard on up) has been built on underscoring the very tensions and divisions he and his rabid followers claim to abhor.

I know what it is like to grow up in a depressed and overgrown mill town where jobs are few and no one wants to pay.I have seen cities of 275,000 people who have little if any work.Obama offers an incentive package for self improvement and it is yours if you want to help yourselves.

It is so refreshing to finally see a politician on the national stage who actually addresses people as adults, and speaks frankly about the realities around us. The idea that McCain labels his campaign the "straight talk express", while peddling the same old rhetoric of fear and gutter politics, is laughable.

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.The idea that he is "out of touch" is laughable. He couldn't be more in touch.

I'm beginning to think this guy is not as bright as his media pals make him out to be. He delivers a written speech very well, but when speaking extemporaneously, he stammers, stops, and falters more than George Bush. And he seems to have a problem with accuracy, as to his memory lapses regarding his pastor. Of course, Hillary is worse because she fabricates. Looks more and more like a McCain year.

It's hilarious how the Clinton and McCain camps are just salivating and ready to pounce on the slightest thing Obama says or does. Their desperation is telling, obviously they're beginning to realize that they're likely to lose to him and so they're bringing out the Slime Machine.

Like someone said earlier, this rates about a 2 out of 10 on the gaffe scale. Hillary's Bosnia Fantasy rates about an 8 and McCain's constant confusion of Sunnis and Shias rates a 9.

As for Obama, what's even more ironic is that he is RIGHT. I also live in rural America and guess what Hillary and John: We ARE bitter. Thanks to 8 catastrophic years of Republican control and 8 years of Bill Clinton's free trade policies.

I'm with Hans.
and since some Obamites have accused me of being MJ (I ain't) I looked him up and found out the types of jobs Barry wants us rural types toiling in:
= = == =
Obama on the other hand, is all about "The Green"...cha-ching!

In November 2007, Obama came out against a bill that would have reformed the notorious Mining Law of 1872. Signed into law by Ulysses Grant, the current statute allows mining companies to pay as little as $2.50 an acre to mine for hardrock minerals like gold, silver, and copper without paying royalties. Yearly profits for mining hardrock on public lands is estimated to be in excess of $1 billion a year according to Earthworks, a group that monitors the industry. The industry spends freely when it comes to lobbying: an estimated $60 million between 1998-2004 according to The Center on Public Integrity.

The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 would have finally overhauled the law and allowed American taxpayers to reap part of the royalties (4 percent of gross revenue on existing mining operations and 8 percent on new ones). The bill provided a revenue source to cleanup abandoned hardrock mines, which is likely to cost taxpayers over $50 million, and addressed health and safety concerns in the 11 affected western states.

One of Obama's key advisors in Nevada is a Nevada-based lobbyist in the employ of various mining companies (CBS News "Obama's Position On Mining Law Questioned. Democrat Shares Position with Mining Executives Who Employ Lobbyist Advising Him," November 14, 2007).

Obama used the rhetorical crutch of "you know" four times in one paragraph. This is not the sign of an accomplished off-the-cuff speaker. The only one who resorts to "you know" when she's stuck for words is Hillary. And the supporters of these two speech defective candidates had the gall to criticize President Bush's speaking problems. Look in a mirror!

http://www.dropouthillary.org/

No comment, it never gets printed anyway.

Hey obama talk about bitter you should talk to your wife and wright.
You share exactly what they believe. Yes, obama WORDS MATTER. CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN. Great UNITER you are. Go ahead obamamanics defend this there is always an excuse for this guy.
Just say….uh,uh,um,uh,umm,umm,uh

Hillary 08

His view comes from the black communities point of view. There is bitterness but only with this smaller percent of the public. It is still his anti-Semitic point of view that bugs me.

GK said: What did he say that was not true?
Well, GK, he says small town people cling to religion and guns because they're bitter about bad times.
That's clearly untrue, since they've been clinging to guns and religion when times are good, too.
It's part of the culture, in good times and in bad. So bad times can't be the cause of it.
So the question is, do the super delegates think Obama can win, now that he's offended rural America?

Its a shame that Hilliary and McCain have to try to twist what Barrack is trying to say! He is telling it like it is... Hilliary and McCain act like theres nothing wrong? Boy are they the ones outta touch... We finally have a man thats not affraid to say and see how America really is and Hilliary and McCain try to say something else and twist his words to their advantage.... Anyone that listens to Barrack speak knows that he is down to earth and in alot of ways is like us.... For people to twist words and disagree with what he's saying? Haven't a clue what we are going through!
As far as saying this to California?
He was saying that Other states don't have the luxurys that California has. That we are hurting and our lives are in turmoil... They have always been a higher level of needing for..... He was Not Putting Us Down! He was Sticking Up For Us..... Just wish people would see this in him!
He says what is in his heart, what he believes and how alot feel... yet others take this as a demeaning? If anything it should be praised, cause its about time we get someone in the White House that actually cares about us and Will Fight For Us!
I Believe in Barrack 110%!
Tell Them Like it is Barrack!

Obama's point is this:

Some people are bitter.
Some bitter people are religious.

That is a far cry from saying that all religious people are bitter. That Clinton and McCain are suggesting that says either that a) they lack such basic understanding of logic to be able to comprehend Obama's statements, or b) that they will say and do anything for a few more votes.

I am not looking forward to this November.

Anonymous wrote:

"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."

We have the constitutional right to vote for whomever we want. If we decide to vote for any particular candidate based on guns or religion or any other reason, that is OUR RIGHT, even if Obama thinks these reasons aren't tangible or practical and that we are stupid for basing our votes on those reasons.

Nobody has any right to tell another person what issues they should use in deciding who to vote for. But if that is what you think Obama is saying, then I would have to say that Obama is being even more condescending than I originally considered.

It's another great example of how chatterers and the analysts who think they matter will parse down to little words and slipups, and assume Obama is messing up, while the massive numbers of disengaged Americans starving for someone to boldly tell them the truth will take heart and surge to Obama.

"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." Y are you contradicting yourself...guns and religion are tangible issues to vote on just like economics. To say, "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"....belittles the importance of those issues and belittles certain people who find those issue more important to them or take a certain side on them.. It also means that people who are voting based on those issues do so out of emotion, frustration, and not out of informed opinions that just see the issue at hand work differently. "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..."The bottom line is that Obama's need to trace everything to Iraq and evil Republicans, even loosely related, is akin to Bush Jr ascribing everything to terrorists and the Clinton Administration. This was a case of him working off one point and folding everything into itself.

It's okay Barack, Michelle and Jeremiah. We hate you, too.

Well. It shows that everything about Obama being presented to us is fake. He had no black experience and did not ever live as a black man. He is a rich, Harvard-educated 'white man' in black skin. Brothers and sisters, look beyond his dark skin.

Lot of these posters are BITTER about Obama the half black/white man - who has the audacity to think he can be an American and run for President. You tell him the way it is in AMERICA. Go Ahead - GOLDEN OLDIE AND OTHERS. Show him what REAL old Fashioned American Bitterness is.

I like it how SOME POSTERS, say ONLY BLACK people are bitter. A lot of Americans are bitter and they have a RIGHT to be. Clintons refused to be bitter. They are in bed with NAFTA and have gotten their piece of the Columbian pie! They have 109 million reasons NOT to be bitter.

Latest on Obama's comment about rural America. He deeply regrets the comment if he offended someone. NO APOLOGY!!! Just regret. Sounds like his usual comment when he says something offensive.
Will this make print?

Latest on Obama's comment about rural America. He deeply regrets the comment if he offended someone. NO APOLOGY!!! Just regret. Sounds like his usual comment when he says something offensive.
Will this make print?

I was leaning against voting for Obama in the general election, but this sealed the deal for me. Not because the comment was "elitist," because all politicians are elitists at heart. What this comment really established was what I suspected about him all along - like many on the far left, he believes that anyone who is conservative is that way because they are either evil or deluded, and that any rational, enlightened person will always be a liberal. No one who believes this can truly create unity rather than division.

Well, Obama is proving that he is a typical Democrat, he hates America like all the rest of them!

I am sure the UN is just crossing their fingers hoping that Obama becomes president so he can be their little puppet!

Wake up America, this is a pattern! Michelle Obama says America is a mean country and that this is the first time she has been proud of America in her adult life and Barack's pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright spews hate towards America that Barack agrees with as proven by him continuing to sit in the pews and listen to this crap as he has for over 20 years. Now he decides to knock people who believe in gun rights and who think having faith is important! The only reason people think faith is important is because they are bitter? What an typical elitist liberal democrat scumbag!

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reverend-eric-lees-anti-semitism-a-personal-story-video/

Yes, there is bitterness all over...even in black colleges toward woman who support Obama and blacks.

Senator Obama was not trying to offend anyone. He was asked a question about the residents in PA. He was tried to help the person understand the concerns of citizens in PA and across the country.

Why do 80% of the American people feel the country is moving in the wrong direction?

Personally as a 62 year who has worked 30+ years and now having concerns about savings, pension, health care cost, a looming war over the country, and the constant bickering among Washingtonn politicians I admit that I am very, very FRUSTRATED; yet it is with my FAITH that I have HOPE for our country, our children, and grandchildren.

It is unfortunate that this statement is being used to further divide the electorate rather than bring the country.

However, FAITH is the one thing that no one can take from us.

Please pray for PEACE across America and in the world.

Posted by: Keith Lifetime Chicagoan and Southsider | April 12, 2008 4:05 PM

Hold up a mirror to your own posts.

Need a break from the Clinton Attack Machine.
Evolution of Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

John Mellencamp - Small Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eDkAG3R0h8

Go Barack Obama!

Wow! Those who are angry with Sen. Obama sure sound "bitter" to me.
Perhaps most of them weren't voting for him in the first place.
To those undecided voters, if you prefer another Republican administration you can expect all Anericans under the age of 30 to be paying for the Iraq war for the rest of their lives.
We have far more serious issues to deal with than some avoidable manufactured outrage feuled by the other candidates & the media.

What Obama said was simply the truth. He's not a slick politician enough to pretty it up. If you were offended, then it's because you choose to be. We get bitter when we are stripped of power. We do delve deeper into our faith out of a need to tap into a deeper resource. We draw comfort where we can. We sometimes blame and rage...it's all true.
Barack Obama wasn't being condescending at all; he was telling it like it is. He'll make a wonderful President. One we will be proud of. He'll make a difference in America, and in the world. I believe that with all my heart.