- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Obama: 'Hope and Anger' Go Hand in Hand
Email
ShareApril 14, 2008 10:30 PM
ABC News' Eloise Harper and Sunlen Miller report: Barack Obama made a new argument in trying to quell the fire that his remarks over "bitter" Pennsylvania voters have drawn: that hope and anger go hand and hand.
Obama, who has run most of his candidacy under the message of hope, interwove that message with the message that has dusted up the controversy: that people are frustrated and have anger and bitterness because they feel the government is not listening to them.
"Sometimes hope and anger go hand and hand," he said today at the Philadelphia City Committee's Jefferson-Jackson dinner. "People really are angry, they really are fed up, some of them are bitter because Washington's forgotten them. And because it's not me that's out of touch, it's folks who think that folks are happy when they are out of a job and they have lost their pension and they don't have health care and their schools are under-funded."
In the comments at a San Francisco fundraiser that spurred the controversy, Obama also said that people "cling" to religion when they are bitter.
Today in Philadelphia he indicated that he is one of those people who turn to religion in hard times.
"And I go to church, just like you go to church," he said. "And sometimes we pray, ‘Lord, I hope that things will get better.’ There are a whole lot of people that are doing that now."
Obama spoke to a rowdy crowd for 25 minutes – there was a roar of ambient discussion going on while the Senator spoke but most people paid attention and some stood on chairs to see the Senator speak. By comparison, Senator Clinton, who spoke to the same group before Senator Obama, delivered her shortest campaign speech yet, speaking for less than 5 minutes.
Clinton delivered a super-speed version of her stump speech, hitting the topics of Iraq, college affordability, and health care in quick succinct successive form. Clinton spoke loudly to the crowd, as the audience members spoke over her. Campaign staffers explained that Clinton was warned by Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell to keep it short because the crowd was standing and drinking -- and it was not the time for the long speech.
The candidates did not meet backstage or on stage at the event. On Wednesday they will meet when they go head-to-head at the ABC News/Facebook debate in Philadelphia.
April 14, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (195)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Obama, to wealthy san fran donors, when he thought he was off the record:
"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 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."
Posted by: al | Apr 14, 2008 11:24:58 PM
al,
The raciest MF, Get the F outta here!!
Posted by: CC | Apr 14, 2008 11:25:56 PM
For those who wonder why he was discussing this at all, there's even more homework for you.
A first hand account from one of the "San Francisco elitists" who were in attendance. It explains why the subject came up and provides even more context to illuminate what Obama was really talking about.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-coleman/i-was-there-what-obama-re_b_96553.html
Posted by: JCinDE | Apr 14, 2008 11:28:14 PM
JCinDe. There you go again with them pesky facts. raf are you high? We have now a president who sat on his butt blinking like a deer in headlights when he was told about the 9/11 attacks. A president who joined the Air Guard in Texas to avoid going to Vietnam and now sends the National Guard to fight a foreign war. A vice president who flat out responded "so" when challenged that most Americans do not support the Iraq war. I wonder if the current administration has a fear of facts.
Posted by: Keith | Apr 14, 2008 11:29:10 PM
I am Bitter about Economy and War!!
I support OBAMA!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!
Posted by: RC | Apr 14, 2008 11:30:15 PM
@al: out of fairness you should include the "..." you left out. some may consider that useful context.
@raf: he is imperfect. i think his stumbling "uhhs" are because he is overthinking and because at time he is underinformed. on the other hand, after Bush, it seems that many Americans will overlook these types of things.
Posted by: MIguy | Apr 14, 2008 11:30:50 PM
Well folks its 11:30 pm here. I find myself asking which candidate best represents my next life choice. I choose Hillary, it's time for a shot and a beer. brb.
Posted by: Keith | Apr 14, 2008 11:32:21 PM
Obama is the unvetted candidate with a lot of surprises. He would be a terrible president, black, white, or orange. He would be known as the king of equivocation. can you say carter or dukakis? when will the dems wake up?
Posted by: al | Apr 14, 2008 11:32:44 PM
Sno-bama. Snob and snow job. And if you point that out, you are a racist! Nice! I have never felt such unity! Thanks, Obama! Snobama, whatever.
Posted by: al | Apr 14, 2008 11:34:39 PM
Crack Head,
You mean Hillary is going back to NY!!
Well she fought well. May be next time!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!
Posted by: RC | Apr 14, 2008 11:34:48 PM
Malcolm O is bitter because small-town Americans cling to God and guns, instead of his empty feel good slogans.
Posted by: USmarine0331 | Apr 14, 2008 11:36:44 PM
Losers? What polls you watchin'? 1st across the board among dem's and McCain not exactly hard for him to beat. McCain needs Hillary to rally his conservative who still aint real warm and fuzzy with him yet.
Posted by: Keith | Apr 14, 2008 11:37:13 PM
Which explanation is Obama on now? Six or seven explaining what he explained what he meant that none of us was supposed to hear in the first place.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Apr 14, 2008 11:37:53 PM
This is working out great. We should see that Pennsylvania voters move towards Obama, with continued tightening of the race. Obama is taking a potential negative and turning it once again into a huge positive. Rural voters in PN are candidly seeing how small Hillary is in her over-cooked responses and attacks. Hillary drinking whiskey with voters is political suicide. Did you see the picture of Hillary looking cross-eyed at her shot glass full of whiskey? She's probably never done something so silly and unpresidential. I'm reminded of the Dukakis photos that made him look like a bush-league panderer for votes. Small town folks in PN, Indiana, and NC are frustrated and bitter with their economic futures under the last several decades of poor presidential leadership, both democratic and republican. Jeff Toobin at CNN has it right- Hillary has embarassed herself, with her desperate attempts to attack Obama over his recent insightful comments. Keep rolling Obama!
Posted by: rco | Apr 14, 2008 11:38:06 PM
al,
Dems already woke up and Voted a large number for OBAMA, only you were sleeping!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!
Posted by: RC | Apr 14, 2008 11:38:20 PM
Preach on RCO preach on
Si se puede :)
Posted by: Keith | Apr 14, 2008 11:41:36 PM
Preach on RCO preach on
Si se puede :)
Posted by: Keith | Apr 14, 2008 11:41:44 PM
I'm sure that Al Gore appreciate being thrown under the bus by Hillary, when she said that he lost the 2000 election because voters thought he was elitist. Obama had it right when he responded that actually, he felt Al Gore won the 2000 election. Can't wait to see who Gore endorses! Have another drink HIllary- relax!
Posted by: rco | Apr 14, 2008 11:42:16 PM
rco - Toobin, a lawyer, hired by CNN to explain matters of law never worked politics until this year. Toobin is the same guy who couldn't even get the OJ Simpson story straight.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Apr 14, 2008 11:42:39 PM
So is Obama suggesting that hopeful people are also angry people?
Posted by: psychiatrist | Apr 14, 2008 11:43:40 PM
Post a comment
