Political Punch

I am from a small town that has suffered ups and downs with its economy based solely on the oil field, and, although I am not from Pennsylvania, I am very offended by these remarks from Obama. Our town would have many he considers to "cling" to faith. I don't know anyone who does so because they lost their job. If anything, it would be the other way around. A good many people here own guns. In a rural area, you need them. We get rabid coyotes, foxes, skunks, etc. Nobody here said they started liking guns when the bottom fell out of the oil field ten, twenty, and thirty years ago. And some people here hold on to prejudices. Agriculture and industry around here would not function without many of our friends from south of the border. The prejudices I see are slowly dying as these immigrants have made good lives for themselves and their families here and are contributing to the community.

My point is that when Obama speaks against small town Pennsylvania, he speaks about all of us. How can Obama hope to help the people he doesn't understand? How can any elitist liberals, although well intentioned, help people they look down on? If someone needs food and you give them a car, you are not really helping them.

I hope that something happens and Hillary gets the nomination. I'm Republican and I'll vote republican, but....I would like the other choice to be something I could live with in case my side doesn't win!

Cougar-Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen need to get together to do a concert.....

According to Obama, these are the generalized types of Americans: 1. typical white, 2. typical black and 3.typical bitter. Did Obama join Rev. Wright church because he was bitter or did he see it as an opportunity? Does he continue to call him his mentor and spiritual advisor, because he still is bitter? Obama is presenting himself as an arrogant and bitter black man who has use his faith and the black liberation theology to meet with his deepen distortion of basic American society. There are the very rich, rich , middle-class , poor and the very poor. The President should meet the needs of all and not just the few (very rich and rich).

No doubt about, Hillay will trip over her feet trying to use this situation as a reason to lie. She can't use this situation with a straight face. No only different between her and Obama, he accepted responabity for his words. She repeatedly lies to justify falsehood.

I am sorry but the truth hurts doesn't it.

He was responding to a question that was wondering were these rural communities not
voting for him because he was black.

but before go there let's get some facts

these were not elitest, even the blogger who broke the story has said that they were middle class and upper middle class supporters of which she is one of and has maxed the 2300 deal.

next to the guy who claim's 400k jobs during the Clinton administration

forgive me but Mc Job's aren't real jobs.

if you read the whole statement, not just two paragraph's the whole thing

he didn't say anything that wasn't true

but all things being equal, he probably should have said he was under sniper fire.

It does not matter what the Senator from Illinois says since all news networks will make excuses for him. Sadly, most Americans will follow suit and not truly think of the source. In my view, Pastor Wright had some influence on the Senator from Illinois over 20 years. Like I keep hearing on the streets from Black Americans, soon the rest will get what they deserve when Obama is our President.

Obama might want to check the figures before he blasts the Clinton Administration's record in Pennsylvania. From 1992 - 1999, Pennsylvania added 400,000+ new jobs and unemployment decreased from 7.2% to 4.6%. Of the last four Presidents, it was under Bill Clinton's administration that Pittsburg and Allentown Pennsylvania metro regions saw the fastest growth. Under the Clinton Administration, the number of people on welfare declined by over 300,000 people. In addition, the abortion rate declined as well.

CLINTON / EDWARDS 2008!

As a former Pennsylvanian I lost my job, filed bankruptcy, was foreclosed on, and had to appeal for my unemployment to finally get it 4 months after I initially filed.

To say I was bitter is an understatement to the magnitude of “When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans it sure was wet outside!” I’m just glad there’s a presidential candidate who is not afraid to tell it straight. To have someone like Clinton or McCain blowing smoke up my butt and tell me it’s a cloud with a silver lining just stokes fuel to my fire.

People cling to their guns partly in anger because of facts like the 2nd amendment is repeatedly threatened by people like them, cling to their religion and go to their churches to pray partly in anger because the cries to their government have repeatedly fallen of deaf ears. These are facts that grownups tell to other grown ups. I used my gun to put meat on the table while there was no income coming in, and prayed for work when I didn’t think there was any coming. I was angry about jobs going overseas, and illegal immigrants taking jobs from starving Americans. McCain and Clinton just don’t get it, and now she is so desperate to win, she sets this thing up with the blogger and tape recorder. Then McCain jumps right on the Clinton Sunshine bandwagon. It sickens me to see for opposing parties how much alike they can be!

People are pissed off, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard “The snipers shouldn’t have missed in Bosnia!” or “Can’t Cheney take Bush on a hunting trip sometime?!” or “The Zuni rocket hit the wrong plane on the Forrestal!” or “An American hating Black man won’t last a day in the White House!” There’s a lot of anger in America today, and job losses, record oil prices, record gas prices, a recession, and a stock market being supported by the US Government’s main bank is doing nothing but throwing gas on the fire.

On the positive side, I’ve heard more people say that at least there is one candidate who is willing to inspire while being realistic without flip-flopping. That man is Senator Obama. He has sparked hope, and hit the issues head on. That is what grown up Americans are looking for, a refreshing change from a realist not an elitist. So he had to explain it to “Latte sipping elitists” in a manner that they can fathom. Does that make him less of a candidate or more??? I say more!

I appreciate him keeping it real, and I hope he doesn’t cave in and apologize for anything he said. As one of the small town Americans that fit into his description, I say “Tell it like it is!”

OBAMA ‘08

so tired of hearing people say what obama really meant. the worm stuff isn't working any more. people are starting to listen to what obama really SAID. and he said people "cling" to guns and religion and antipathy toward people not like them and anti-trade and anti-immigration.... equating religion with racism, guns, anti-trade, and anti-immigration. religion is NOT the same as a political view such as anti-trade. and it is most definitely not the same as racism.

what his words tell us is what he actually thinks of us. and it's not good.

Sounds like a t-shirt to me:
Typical Bitter Person (clinging to gun)

The crowd in IN did not know what he said he never addressed what he said he did one of those this is what I said and left all he said out .

Richard; The working people of Pennsylvania probably don't have time to check out the far-left Huffington web-site.

They'll rely on friends/family and local columnists who - like many of us tonight - are stunned at Obama's arrogant, elitist comments.

This is the beginning of the end for Obama.

Anybody who thinks these comments are the end of Obama needs to dash over to Huffington Post where they have posted
video of Obama responding to the attacks made by his opponents on his comments. Speaking to a largely white working class town hall meeting in Terra Haute, Indiana, he repeated his analysis of voter bitterness in Pennsylvania. He said what his opponenets reactions and charges were.
He said he understood voters in Pennsylvania and Indiana. The crowd stood and cheered him.

I don't think this will sit well with anyone who is struggling to make ends meet or anyone who has empathy for those who are suffering to make ends meet. That includes Mellencamp and Edwards.

What a distasteful, arrogant thing to say. He thought he was speaking to a PRIVATE group. This wasn't suppose to be heard/known. He's busted. Now everyone knows how arrogant he is. He doesn't give 2 hoots about poor people....they're just bitter for no good reason. Ugh. The man makes me ill.

you don't cling to guns or religion or immigration--he's talking about politically--the republicans always push guns or religion or immigration one issue and the issue of the lost jobs never gets fixed because once the politician has your vote they don't fix anything--i feel bitter just thinking about it--i am prolife but i vote democratic because other than prolife the democratic party cares the most about the middle class and the poor--bush and mccain talk about patriotism and the war and abortion and people vote but the jobs just keep going to china and bush get reelected and take's this country to the worst foregn polity blunder in the history of this country and what do bush and mccain say hey where is you flag pin?

People are indeed bitter. Bitter that a man with an Ivy league education, who somehow was able to buy a house worth over a million dollars on a community organizer/college adjunct salary, and who follows a Marxist religion implies that the common people of PA are not intelligent enough to really see the cause for their bitterness. And, what's wrong with turning to religion in bad as well as good times? If he is the devoutly religious man he says he is, he should be lauding them for turning to God not deriding them. Like many people in the public eye, he has cultivated a brand for himself and believes that once people "buy" the brand that they'll follow him everywhere. If he is so "concerned" about these people in the small towns in Pennsylvania, why he hasn't told them what he thinks is the cause of their bitterness face to face? He is a two-face coward who uses his audiences according to his own political convenience.

Gion - 1 for English in Canada and 2 for French. Deal with your own country before dealing with ours.

Yes next week Obama will give a speech on poverty and small town life written by some skilled Harvard professor and the entire media will get mesmerized with the speech. Also all the super delegates will say this was the best speech they have heard in the last 300 years.

Good job Obama. Get some tonic.

PlainBrown1. Thanks. What a sane post.

I want to make sure I have this straight. The Clinton adminstration signed NAFTA, which took thousands of jobs away from American workers in the rustbelt - so that there are towns in PA where families are trying to live on $20,000 a year. Clinton took almost a million dollars from a Colombian firm so he can do another NAFTA deal, except this time with a country that murders union leaders. The Clintons are worth over $100 Million bucks and live in Westchester County. Obama was raised by a single mother, then by grandparents and went to school on scholarships. After college, he could have taken any job he wanted - but he didn't look at salaries, he looked for a way to make a difference. And people think HE is the elitist? Baloney. If the press expects me to buy this half-baked attempt to shift the attention away from Clinton, Penn and Nafta-Colombia, from the Clinton's offshore millions, and from Hillary's lies because a few badly worded sentences, they are crazy.

Hillary Clinton is starting to sound an awful lot like Ronald Reagan. And yes he won, but if I'm gonna vote for a Republican, it's not gonna be Hillary, it's gonna be John McCain.

JAKE TAPPER

You might want to check for a story in Obama's strategy of purging the superdelegate pool in CA....Could it be that he is removing middle aged white women to increase his chances?

Obama folks and Hillary folks unite to make Al Gore the 44th president of the US. What a victory it will be and finally no more Bush or his clones. Al Gore will make a fine president. Even though I belive that Hillary will make a great president, I will be very very pleased with Al Gore.Al Gore will be a true president of the 21 st century. What do you say Obama folks? Let us unite. Our true goal is to defeat GWB

Next week Americans will hear Mr. Obama deliver a major speech on Poverty and America. Stay tuned!

GWB makes me puke. JM makes me near puke, though I like the man personally.

Gore Gore Gore if no HRC. Let us all Obama and Hillary folks agree on a neutral candidate who can win.It is Gore time. Gore 2008

Independents for Gore 2008. I like it, I really like it. This may be Gore's best chance. Let us elect a pro environment president.

If no HRC let us independents and Democrats settle for Al Gore. Gore for 2008. No Obama please and of course no Pelosi.

Once again to all like minded independents like me and Democrats. We are all anti war, pro economy, anti mortgage mess and pro universal health care. We need to defeat GWB and JM. Obama is done. I for one will not vote for him nor will my family of 5. Lets settle on HRC or if there are several anti HRC Dems, rally around either Gore / Edwards or James Clyburn and say no to 4 more years of GWB. I can't, almost no to a vote for JM. But if you go BO, I am out and so will the majortiy of Americans. Why not Gore? He will do the right thing for America.I lke his very pro environment style. Gore will help us save our planet.

I'd really like to think that the DNC will step back now and reconsider its love affair with Obama - the untested, inexperienced candidate. But, I'm reminded of that old maxim "you dance with the one that brung ya".

Expect to see a few more 3rd tier super delegates coming out of the woodwork to support Obama in the coming days (kind of like falling on your sword). The idea being that even though we KNOW what we heard and know EXACTLY what Obama meant, the spin from the liberal media AND the DNC will be to TELL us that we're WRONG!

That's why tomorrow I'll be sending the DNC a copy of my change in party affiliation from Life long democrat to "independent". I no longer trust the DNC to be true to the ideals of the Democratic party that my grandparents and parents held dear.

Obama is a real nut case

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them," Obama said. "And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. 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."

Seems Obama is out of touch with reality and Pennslyvania.

You cling to your guns because your frustrated? LOL Frustrated hunters are you

You cling to your religion because you are frustrated? I thought my religion was more of a commitment and a conviction than a frustration.

Anit-immiantigrant sentiment? Illegal citizens, causing our politicans to make them legal for a vote. Causing our government to spend more to keep them. When they work for almost nothing keeping the wages of this country down.

Press #1 for english does not frustrate us, It pisses us off.

anti-trade - When our Senators and Congressman drive our buisness and industry out of the country. Import most products and do not buy American made. Realistic is not frustration Mr Obama

Poor Mr Obama is confused again maybe he is the frustrated one trying to shove his bull crap down our throats.

It's funny how BO equates religion and bitterness. Kinda reminds you of a certain 20 year mentor and spiritual advisor, huh?

TO THE MEDIA: Don't even try to spin these remarks. Look at the venue where they were delivered - an audience of upscale California supporters. Obama has revealed his essential elitist nature - he's arrogant, cynical and when we consider Michelle Obama's statements - most of us average americans will "get" exactly what he meant. Can you tell I'm furious that this inexperienced, arrogant man has almost succeeded in pulling the wool over our eyes?

This is a problem with Mr. Obama. He says different things to different people. And hopes that his utterances will be contained within the locality or group. For the large part, the press has helped him by not propagating what he says to certain ethnic and elite groups. I am surprised the press wants to mention this (and that too Huffington Post - which would rather destroy all the non-left-wing leaders and take control of USA, and Politico - a cleverly disguised biased publication).

And by the way, this mention of clinging to religion comes from a disciple of black separatist, mildly anti-American church.

I'm thinking that this could be Obama's Howard Dean moment of 2004. YEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!

Hillary: Americans aren't bitter, they're happy-go-lucky and things are just swell!
Shame on you Barack Obama

Once again, Obama cannot win the elction after making statements on "typical white people" and " small town America" and his connections to Wright.The Republicans will roast him and that includes the congress too. If the majority of Democrats don't want Hillary, it is ok with me though my personal opinion is that she will make a fantastic president. I am willing to cast the 5 independent votes im family for neutral candidates like Gore/Edwards or James Clyburn who will all put our country back on track and rescue us from the war, economic, housing and health care mess. None of my small town typical white independent Floridian votes go to Obama or for that matter Pelosi.

"He cares nothing for poor people"

How come then that he, after working for the Business International Corporation and the New York Public Interest Research Group, decided to become a conmmunity organizer? At a time, as we all know, when Hillary was on the board of Wallmart.

Your cynicim is part of a much greater cynicism in America, which is a result of a destructive GOP administration, and it is this cynicism that is one of the main targets of Obama's fight for America.

It is negative, destructive, and it is causing the decline of our great country that once was the HOPE of all good people in the whole world. That CAN be restored, and Obama created the wave of millions of Americans who will turn the tide of cynicism.

BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!

John Edwards got his own belly full of the Obama arrogance the day after John withdrew... John and Elizabeth didn't have to do anything. Barry Obama is his own worst endorsement.

great point, plainbrown1!!!

Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!

great point, plainbrown1!!!

Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!

Gion,
I concede nothing. You didn't provide me a valid source, other than your own writing.
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Obama supporters, OK folks, get ready to breathe thin air!
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It's amazing how our revenue-seeking news media has managed to sensationalize the reporting on this. In his own remarks, Obama clearly notes that he is only talking about "some" not all. Furthermore, his remarks are not even really pejorative. In fact what he is saying is that people's skepticism and resistance towards him is understandable. Somehow this has gotten warped and twisted into a slam against small-town America, and our short attention span, dim-witted media is buying the story, probably because it is the most juicy, regardless of whether it is actually true.

When you read the full context of his remarks, there's nothing particularly remarkable about them. Some of the words were perhaps not the best chosen, but in my view there was no ill intent indicated. I suppose if you read the remarks in an unreasonably sensitive, defensive, or partisan way, and parse every word in order to interpret them in a particularly negative way, it is then possible to read them as pejorative against small town America. But again, if you actually take time to understand the full context (the job of real reporters) there really wasn't much there.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason that folks in economically distressed small towns never seem to get any help from their government, is because politicians prefer to see them as all happy to be struggling hard and doing just fine.

Perhaps if our pols were a bit more honest and recognized out loud the anxiety, bitterness and even depression that strikes our fellow citizens when there is no work and no future they would be less prone to critique a characterization and more prone to lend some assistance.

Happy talk is just a way of saying "I don't feel your pain!"

TCG,
Yep, it's a good day in Hillary's house. I knew Obama would shoot himself in the foot, I just didn't know that he would take aim at Jethro and all Jethro's kinfolks, just before the Big Run Pennsylvania Hillbilly Spring Festival, using a sawed off shotgun when he did it.

Actually, I kind of like 42 misfiring on trade, on Bosnia apology, on other bumblings - it reinforces her independence, and annoys some women voters that rise in her favor as a result.
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Obama, I can hear a mighty speech a 'comin' (or maybe those are just chickens coming home to roost)
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Something tells me that Edwards would agree that rural Americans are bitter because their government has abandoned them.

I am sick and tired of political opportunists coming up with crap like this. And, ironically, the people that get taken the most by it are the ones you would think would know better. Now, is it denigrating to be bitter, when your government tells you one thing and does another, or, when your government is peeing on your head and is telling you it's raining? And, with all the shootings this country has experienced in schools and workplaces in recent times, isn't it only right to, at least, acknowledge the underlying causalities? I can only commend Obama for recognizing and emparthizing and having the courage to want to do something about it.

It's hard to say what Mr. Edwards would say, coming from his 17,000 ft house. My guess is he would still be saying - let's talk about health care, and how many Americans are going to lose health care if the American press continues to focus on issues that get a lot of hits on blogs, but don't amount to a hill of beans. Being uninsured when you have cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental illness matters. The Edwards know that. The press obviously haven't caught on yet.

And drawing from the posts, I'd be really interested in seeing the whole transcript. Sounds like it comes across from a real different angle.

The contrast couldn't have been greater these days...

Hillary is piling lie upon lie, and big Bill is assisting her to put another on top,

while Obama is telling some hard and uncomfortable truths about America.

Hillary's bank account is bristling with money big Bill as a lobbyist took from the Saudi and Colombian governments,

while Obama asks attention for the folks who have been betrayed by the American government, who hardly have a dime to spend and who feel bitter and let down.

What would Edwards say??

What he and Elizabeth already have said after Obama's visit to their home -"arrogant" and "condescending."

When Obama was a state legislator, see how understanding he was with those charged with drug offenses:

In an August 19, 2004 entry on Obama's website he bragged about being tough on drugs:
During 8 years in the state senate, Senator Obama has repeatedly voted for tougher penalties for drug offenders. [HB 3387, 5/13/03; P.A. 93-0546; SB 1793, 3/21/03; P.A. 93-0223; HB 2347, 5/6/99; P.A. 91-0336; HB 3170, 5/7/98; P.A. 90-0674; HB 1278, 5/14/99; P.A. 91-0403; SB 0105, 3/23/99; P.A. 91-0263; HB 2843, 5/20/03; P.A. 93-0596; 93rd GA, SB 2447, 3/25/04; P.A. 93-0884; SB 1578, 3/24/03; P.A. 93-0297; SB1028, 4/2/98; SB 1028, 5/19/98, SC HA1,4; P.A. 90-0775; HB 0070, 5/16/97; P.A. 90-0382; HB 2844, 5/13/03; P.A. 93-0340; HB 3073, 4/4/00; P.A. 91-0802; HB 0252, 5/7/99; P.A. 91-0366; HB 5652, 5/9/02; SB 1332, 2/24/00; P.A. 91-0899; HB 4245, 5/7/02; P.A. 92-0698; SB 0014, 5/20/97, SC HA1; P.A. 90-0397; SB 0003, 4/6/01; HB 2015, 5/9/97; P.A. 90-0164; SB 1011, 4/5/01; SB 1224, 3/24/98; HB 2030, 5/15/97; P.A. 90-0557]

Now consider the context. Over 90% people charged with crimes are indigent. So his answer is to lock those people up and create even higher mandatory sentences.

He also voted “present” for a bill that allowed trying children, age 15, as adults, subjecting them to adult prison. The vote on the juvenile-justice bill appears to be a case when Obama, who represented a racially mixed district on the South Side of Chicago, faced pressure. It also occurred about six months before he announced an ultimately unsuccessful campaign against a popular black congressman, Bobby L. Rush.

He cares nothing for poor people. If he did he would have been voaclly opposed to all this legislation. He would have been arguing for diversionary programs, and drug rehab as a sentencing alternative and drug court and not standing idly by watching children locked up in adult prisons.

Overwhelmingly these were poor people.

WCManager, if you're so smart, tell me how obamas comments differ from and/or are worse than mcCains:

" "Anti-immigrant passion also owes much to the disproportionate influence of a few small states in the nominating process. National polls show that, as an issue, immigration is far behind the Iraq war, terrorism, the economy, and health care as a concern to most Americans; a recent Pew poll shows that, nationally, only six per cent of voters offer immigration as the most important issue facing the country. But in Iowa and South Carolina, two of the three most important early states, it is a top concern for the Republicans who are most likely to vote.

"It's the influx of illegals into places where they've never seen a Hispanic influence before," McCain told me. "You probably see more emotion in Iowa than you do in Arizona on this issue. I was in a town in Iowa, and twenty years ago there were no Hispanics in the town. Then a meatpacking facility was opened up. Now twenty per cent of their population is Hispanic. There were senior citizens there who were--'concerned' is not the word. They see this as an assault on their culture, what they view as an impact on what have been their traditions in Iowa, in the small towns in Iowa. So you get questions like 'Why do I have to punch 1 for English?' 'Why can't they speak English?' It's become larger than just the fact that we need to enforce our borders.""

DL,
I'm sure we will see lots of apolog... excuse me, special speeches coming out of the elitist Obama in good time.
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Obama supporters, keep apologizing for Obama, get used to it!
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Warren5678,
You are my kind of Democrat! Let's do it, and I don't even know Clyburn!
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Clinton/Gore/Edwards/Clyburn '08
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I feel a very smart speech coming on from Obama...he will show all of this (and the two other candidates) how to truly care about the voters.

Don't address the voters without understanding of their lives and frustrations...address them with the truth...

much of societies woes in small town America ...with each other and crime ...have to do with jobs being lost and companies going overseas.

Only a really smart and genuine leader would address that... this is going to be Obama's next great speech mark my words.

If Hillary loses the nomination, will she:

1) Stay home and not vote?
2) Vote for Obama?
3) Protest vote for McCain?

The answer is obvious, I hope. She will pull the voting booth lever with Obama's name on it. Right?

When you reread these words aloud, they do not sound like something that should becoming out of the mouth of the Leader of The Free World...---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.

even more Obamas that dont exist - this supposed elitist unpatriotic Obama...

even though he's the only candidate with a crowd that rabidly chants "USA"

I would vote HRC/Gore/Edwards/Clyburn, but no Obama or Pelosi. Give me HRC or Gore/Edwards/Clyburn if you want the 5 independent "small town" "disenfrachized Florida votes" of my family.

Obama,
Eureka, I've got it! You can do a special speech on the struggle faced by those that who live a life of privilege, and the day to day challenges they face when dealing with the less fortunate. It must be so hard for you to have to experience such angst.
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Obama, let them eat cake!
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Why would edwards endorse Obama when he is talking about all the additional issues you have to face...that a community has to face when the economy goes down...

He is actually addressing things they should be...

That is why he should be President...these are those towns issues also...and those towns know it. They know they are frustrated and angry ...they know that their neighbors and friends are frustrated and angry...and they are adults...they know that life gets worse all around in communities who have lost their jobs to NAFTA and the like.

Discraceful…More hate from this elitist.

His wife hates us…he looks down on us. Probably learned it in church. Please Penn. save us from this man. We are counting on you.

Edwards may have made money by going up against big business, but he never forgot his roots, nor has Hillary forgotten her roots. Someone that has lived a life of privilege, due to good fortune, can never have an appreciation for the day to day struggle of the working class.

Obama sounds like a Republican to me. He looks down his nose at other people
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Obama, just what we need, a Harvard elite!
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I think Obama should stop talking and contest the rest of the elction by showing his face, smiling, and holding hands. The Democrats will still vote him in. LOL. 4 more years of GWB aka McCain. ugggggggggggh. If the Democrats think HRC is damaged, and they are serious in winning the election, they should consider either Gore or Edwards. I will vote for HRC or Gore or Edwards or the remarkable statesman James Clyburn, but no Obama.

by the way, while McCain attacks Obama over this, he forgets he has said the same thing:

"Anti-immigrant passion also owes much to the disproportionate influence of a few small states in the nominating process. National polls show that, as an issue, immigration is far behind the Iraq war, terrorism, the economy, and health care as a concern to most Americans; a recent Pew poll shows that, nationally, only six per cent of voters offer immigration as the most important issue facing the country. But in Iowa and South Carolina, two of the three most important early states, it is a top concern for the Republicans who are most likely to vote.

"It's the influx of illegals into places where they've never seen a Hispanic influence before," McCain told me. "You probably see more emotion in Iowa than you do in Arizona on this issue. I was in a town in Iowa, and twenty years ago there were no Hispanics in the town. Then a meatpacking facility was opened up. Now twenty per cent of their population is Hispanic. There were senior citizens there who were--'concerned' is not the word. They see this as an assault on their culture, what they view as an impact on what have been their traditions in Iowa, in the small towns in Iowa. So you get questions like 'Why do I have to punch 1 for English?' 'Why can't they speak English?' It's become larger than just the fact that we need to enforce our borders."

Okay...he's right. These small towns whose jobs have gone overseas and dwindled because of the economy are bitter and angry...and they need to be able to focus their frustrations at something.

That's what he's saying...this has been proven in study after study... when the economy goes down embitterness, racism and fear go up. Study after study have shown this...and it makes things doubly worse.

That is what he was saying and now they are going to turn this into "he doesn't care about small town folk"?

He is actually talking about their problems factually. Those issues have been related in studies for decades now.

...but I guess Clinton and McCain didn't read up about social statistics like that ...that have to do with all the ancilaay issues that come from a bad economy.

I don't know. Are you saying that you do? Or why should I care what they think?

Let's put words into everyone's mouth!

I think Hillary should vote for Obama!

How about that?

Read the whole transcript. Put it in proper context. Obama said nothing wrong. He will turn this into an opportunity to discuss the issues and concerns of small town America. This is not elitist or condescending in any way, it is just being spun that way for political reasons.

Simone, maybe there'd be enough Edwards voters' if all the mills would stop trapping them inside.

Hopefully Edwards will come out and indorse Clinton.

John Edwards? Really? I don't buy his crusader for the working-class persona. If these voters love 'non-elitists', like Edwards supposedly is, then why didn't he win anything?

I live in a small town, and yes we are bitter at our out of touch leaders in Washington, the persistent lack of jobs, the cost of gas and college tuition. We are bitter and frustrated about the number of our young people who have lost their lives in Bush's war in Iraq. Obama speaks the truth. Unfortunately, it is brave but unwise to speak of it in such a forthright fashion. Such directness and open thought is easy to twist and distort. Hillary and her Republican friends will try to make the most of it. Obama offers us hope. Hillary offers us nothing.

more "typical white people" like his "grandma". I think his elitist, biased, racist slip is showing. I can''t truly believ how this guy has got so far in a presidential bid. I also can't believ that I was going to vote for him as my next best choice.Since the Democrats are obviously going to nominate him and not Hillary, my independent "small town" "disenfranchised Florida vote" will go to John McCain who will be the next president of the US. If my strong anti-war, anti recession and pro universal health care vote is going to John McCain after holding my nose and covering my face as I don't want to be recognized in the polling booth, the Democrats bettr worry. They are not only going to lose a general election they should have won, but, very likely Congress will go red too.Ugggggghhhhh. I can't stand it. 100 more years of war. It is better than having Obama in the White House.

This is the reason Edward's has not endorsed him. In their meeting he was aloof. He thinks he is better than the average American.

haven't you all figured this out already? Mellencamp, Edwards, and all the small town folk in Penn, are "typical white people". that's ok to say that, of course, and it's not racist, because Obama says it is OK. But don't you dare say his middle name, or else you are a racist! LOL! You seriously want this joke of a man as President? Seriously?

This, really, is the stupid crap we're going to talk about? Good luck with that. Its easy for Obama to be teflon because this crap ain't sticky.

If Edwards uses his intelligence when reading the whole transcript, he'll endorse Obama for talking about and embracing the folks that feel betrayed by government.

Clinton's "working class people" are a Hollywood or Disney fantasy in comparison, as Edwards should now.

Life can be REALLY tough and mean out there, that's what Obama hinted at, for he's no joker but a guy who wants to tackle what has gone wrong in America for so many people who didn't have the luck to be on the right spot at the right time to start or fulfill a career (i.e. the luck HE had).

If people prefer clichés, yes, 'fighter' Hillary may be an option.

I'm sure Mr Edwards wouldn't find these comments from Obama surprising, which is why Edwards hasn't endorsed him.

They would read by the excerpts and look at the entire transcript and say he was really speaking to people who have been let down by people who do anything or say anything just get their vote and turn around have no domestic agenda or have their husband or chief strategist working on a trade deal that could take their job.

Mellencamp and Edwards, in Obama's world, are typical, bitter people.