Political Punch

I am surprised with the amount of replies to this issue, I with the knowledge that if I vote for McCain I will be voting for Bush ideologies and philosophies, a vote for Hillary will to me mean the end of morality in politics, I do not want to see a woman who was so humilated by her husband stand with him. If Hillary can forgive Bill after such a humilation and attack on character what will she look over next? Employment, Healthcare, Taxes, Interest Rates, Social Security?

The only intelligent vote is for Obama we as the leader of the free world need to demonstrate that we are capable of intelligent rational thoughts and actions.

America - please lie down on Obama's couch . . .

I'm so sick of Sen. Obama's platitudes and ideological circumspection, his enlightening philosophy. Oprah and Dr. Phil can psychoanalyze us. I want someone who KNOWS how to DO the JOB. He has shown me nothing. His experience is lacking, and his character vague. He's VAGUE.

Whether his "bitter" gaffe even reflects truth is a matter of perspective. It's not just the "bitter" part, of course. It's the fact that he said this bitterness is why people cling to religion, guns, and their positions on undocumented workers and trade deals. I may not agree with everyone on those issues, but I certainly don't assume they're just bitter and ignorant, and I'm not even campaigning to be their president. THAT is what's wrong with what he said.

Hey, he can say this kind of stuff all day long if he likes, but not if he expects the bitter, ignorant working class, small town lunch bucket democrats to vote for him. I wonder if Obama thinks his clinging to religion is born from some type of bitterness, or was it for political gain?

But what's truly disturbing is that these comments, like those of Rev. Wright, seem to focus on the motives of Americans, and find us people of hate, ignorance, and pettiness. That surly exists, but does it exist at the level these remarks seem to indicate? Is this why Michelle Obama is finally proud of her country? Because she has a distorted view of her country?

Seems like Obama is trying to apply some psychological motives to a lot of Americans that don't ring true. I have my own views on religion, immigration, and gun control that are probably in line with Sen. Obama's views, but my views don't come from bitterness, and I take issue with his analysis of the small town America I come from.

We don't need a Psychologist in Chief. We need a president who has more than platitudes to right this ship.

@ To all the people here who did not understand the essence of his remarks:

Obama did not insult or look down on small town folks in anyway in his remarks. He did not even generalize small town folks in his remarks, he said "some". To be frank, If you are sincere to yourself, you will recognize that what he talked about is 100% true. The problem people have with it is that it is 100% true and nobody can deny that. He has shown courage as a politican. He is the only one who has come clean with voters up till now. I would rather be fouces on the issues than minor distractions like this.

How does it add up to you that HRC is agianst NAFTA/CAFTA but laughs when ask about the $800,000 her husband recieved in their bank accounts from the Columbian government.

Disclaimer: I am not an Obama supporter but rather an independent

Lets get real here for a minute!! Do you people deep down inside really believe that Hillary or John McCain will really make this country better? I served in the U.S. Army. McCain served his country and I applaud him for that. But this does not make me ready to be President of the United States. This war has been a “strategic blunder” from the beginning and John McCain is going to continue to make it blunder. The REAL reason that you people in Ohio and Pennsylvania lost your jobs is because of NAFTA. Hillary’s husband helped to bring this into existence.

The news media is keeping Americans who have been affected by this and other IMPORTANT issues on an emotional roller coaster with the Rev. Wright crap, Obama’s wife Michelle, and now these comments. You people had better wake up and realize you are being FOOLISH if you keep paying attention to this crap that has nothing to do with your current situation. Keep running off of your emotions and making emotional decisions instead of intelligent ones, and you are going to be in the same position you are in now, which is regret.

People regret now voting for Bush and they are paying for it in SO MANY WAYS!!! If you vote for McCain because you won’t vote for Obama in the general election that is an emotional, dumb, stupid, idiotic decision. You better pay attention to the issues and what will be best for your family long term. McCain is certainly not your answer. But vote for him because you don’t like Obama and you deserve whatever you get. You better REALLY think about your decision. Make and intelligent vote and not an emotional vote. Emotions come and go but these issues you will have to live with.

What exactly has Obama done for Illinois and their job creation that makes you think he can do it for PA? He already said jobs aren't coming back.

Pointing out the ill without any plan and a globalization insult to small town PA points out he is for NAFTA, like we always knew he was.

Any politician worth their salt knows not to mess with the big money of NAFTA.

This ruse that Obama is going to fix what those other politicians help to break might fly if he fixed Illinois and their economic outlook.

11% state tax, doesn't look like anything was fixed except how much the little guy has to pay for EVERYTHING!!!

Wake up! It's easy to say something is broke....but he doesn't have a plan to fix it. A five hundred dollar tax break for middle class and poor families is an insult....just like Bush insulted them with his three hundred version.

Geez....apply logic with every politician not just the ones you dislike. And please explain to me what you like about an 11% tax on the basics?

obama was right. i am bitter,angry,fed up.

Mr. Obama is starting to show his fundamental color. He wants to be different things to different people. In SF, he condescends (essentially belittles) the mid-western small town people and claims that he works for them.
This is not unlike Mr. Bush during 2000. And we were punished for electing him. One wonders what agenda Mr. Obama has for this country.
Cling on to religion: Mr. Obama was clinging on to an separatist church for 20 years to escape what?
Cling on to anti-trade: Did he not say that he was anti-NAFTA in Ohio to win votes?
Cling on to guns: Did he not say that Second Amendment applies to individual's right to own guns?
This man is a scam artist.

@Hope 1906

Some very astute observations about Hillary. However I'm not certain I agree with your conclusions about the others.

I do think Obama is more likable...more human than Hillary has ever been - I really think there is something mentally wrong with her. And now she's claiming to be pro-gun, anti-NAFTA which is about as credible as her claim that she dodged sniper bullets. I think lies demean the liar - you'd think she'd be embarrassed but she obviously isn't since she's still at it.

I grew up in one of the small Pennsylvania towns Senator Obama was talking about--and he is right. Since Bill Clinton's policies shipped jobs overseas, small towns have fallen on hard times--because there are no jobs. While politicians like Hillary and George W. Bush (her true soulmate) distract the American public with nonsense issues like this--they make millions of dollars while the middle class struggles. Hillary pretends she is from my part of the state--northeastern PA--but she isn't--her father left Scranton and moved to wealthy Park Ridge, Illinois where Hillary grew up--she did not grow up in Scranton--but she condescendingly pretends to be a working class Scranton girl because it works for her politically. Sadly, half of the American people fall for the head games politicans play with them--and believe in people like Bush/Cheney and Clinton/Clinton who care only for their own ambitions. Hillary like to divide people because that makes them weak--and she is such a weak, petty person, she feels stong only when others are weak. So she appeals to our fears and prejudices, just like Bush and Rove. Obama comes from a modest background and he has earned everything he has. He is not an elitist--he speaks for ordinary Americans of all economic classes, all races, all ethic groups, both genders. That's what frightens people who prefer to hold on to their predjuices--they don't understand that we will achieve more together than we will if we are divided. Hillary appeals to the smallness in people--she thrives on division and rancor. It is tragic that working class Americans who vote for Hillary will vote against their own best interests. She doesn't care about working people--she just wants to be the first woman president--the American people are just a tool she must operate to reach her goal. I just hope there are enough of us to keep her out of the White House.

I can't for the life of me understand the vile directed at President and Mrs. Clinton. What is it about the peace and prosperity of the Clinton administration (which is what the presidency is all about!) that people don't like ??

If you don't think there is an issue with what he said.

Then just replace small town PA with South Central Los Angeles, Compton, Watts, etc....and then have a white politician spew it.

"What do you think?"

Obama: "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."

I think he's a megalomaniac. A BORING megalomaniac.

HoosierSue writes:
"Of course he never dreamed that one of them would betray him by making his remarks about "them" public."

Pretty dumb if he thought that. Could the whistle-blower be the formerly-unrich Michelle Obama?

Edgar Cayce, exactly right. Obama was at a $2,300 a plate dinner addressing San Francisco elite liberals at a closed door event. Of course he never dreamed that one of them would betray him by making his remarks about "them" public.

If the Dems are foolish enough to nominate him, the Republicans have more than enough to bury him in a landslide win for McCain. Thank God Hillary Clinton is still in the race to serve as a viable nominee.

Go Hillary! or Go McCain! Whichever.

Question: Who's the biggest fool in America?
Answer: The next superdelegate to endorse Obama.

bitterangryandhopeful writes:
"I want to thank Senator Obama for speaking on behalf of those of us who have no voice- for those of us who crave change and hope that the American Dream may once again be possible."

Very touching, I guess. Not quite the plight of the black poultry worker, but not bad.

BUT note that Obama wasn't "speaking on behalf" of the "lower middle class", but bemoaning -- to a high-ticket audience in San Francisco -- the disinclination of some of the unrich to flock to his bandwagon, instead of to guns, god, and their own (rather than Obama's) class interest in general.

I am from a small town-approx. 1600 people live here.For the first time somebody has actually put into words the grief and anger that I have felt for years. Our family is average. My husband and I didn't go to college, not because we weren't intelligent enough but because life and kids happened. We have two small boys. I work in healthcare and battle the moral conflict, but I am there every day so that my family survives. My husband works construction more than two and half hours away Monday through Friday. We only see him on the weekends. There aren't jobs that he can work here close to home that would allow us to survive in this economy. I kiss him goodbye every week and have grown used to raising my kids alone until he is able to come home. This year will be a struggle- we are afraid with the cost of gas that we may have to limit the amount he can come home to twice a month. That is a decision we have to make in order to pay our mortgage and other monthly bills and still provide for our family. We roll up our sleeves everyday, we work hard and don't complain.. we take comfort in the small things that bring us joy: but we are not content with just getting by, we are not content knowing that our children may fall into this generational poverty because we spend every dime we have to fill our heating oil tank up and the kids have no college fund. Writing this I am crying- out of some sadness yes, also out of frustration towards the very government that is sworn to protect us. I was taught as a child that if you worked hard in life you could earn what you deserve. It doesn't work that way anymore- the rich get richer off of our sweat and tears and we the "lower middle class" have been ignored and told that we should be happy with what we have, as they spoonfeed us our rights and freedoms. I want to thank Senator Obama for speaking on behalf of those of us who have no voice- for those of us who crave change and hope that the American Dream may once again be possible.

SAM writes:
"I long ago concluded that Obama's "eloquence" is meaningless when you realize that the message is empty."

He isn't really "eloquent", just lectures for a long time, which misleads certain over-educated members of the press, confusing his schtick with their boys-only prep-school days, to market him as "eloquent".

Even Obama now claims that what he said was wrong. Still, the lemmings are convinced that what he said are right. Why the disconnect?

You people who say what he said was right. Do you cling to guns and religion?