Obama Reacts to ‘Bitter’ Controversy
ABC News’ Sunlen Miller Reports: During a speech Monday at the Associated Press’ annual luncheon, Sen. Barack Obama held firm to the sentiment of his now controversial "bitter" remarks, but for the first time said they "may have been a mistake."
Obama opened up with a joke before the press heavy crowd, "I kept a lot of you guys busy this weekend with the comments I made last week. Some of you might even be a little bitter about that."
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
At a private fundraiser last week the Illinois senator said economic problems had led voters in some small towns to become "bitter" and "cling to guns or religion" – remarks that have sparked controversy and intense rebukes from Obama’s opponents Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain.
Obama said he regrets the words he chose saying it may have been a mistake, “partly because the way that these remarks have been interpreted have offended some people and partly because they have served as one more distraction from the critical debate that we must have in this election season.”
The senator did not back away from the sentiment of the message yet again defending himself, “contrary to what my poor word choices may have implied or my opponents may have suggested, I’ve never believed that these traditions or peoples’ faith has anything to do with how much money they have. But I will never walk away from the larger point that I was trying to make and made in the past.”
Obama criticized McCain, who just hours before had stood on the same stage.
"Senator McCain and the Republicans in Washington are already looking ahead to the fall and have decided that they plan on using my comments to argue that I’m out of touch with what’s going on in the lives of working Americans," Obama said.
"I don’t blame them for this — that’s the nature of our political culture, and if I had to carry the banner for eight years of George Bush’s failures, I’d be looking for something else to talk about too.”
The first question asked of Obama during the question and answer session was if is possible for a Democrat to talk about guns, gods and immigration without getting in trouble.
"I actually think it’s possible and not only is it possible, but it’s necessary,” Obama responded.
The most intriguing question of the day, which made Obama furl his nose toward the questioner, was if he believes that Clinton should step aside in the nomination contest.
“I suspect that she will have a response for that tomorrow,” Obama quipped back, as his Democratic opponent is slated to appear before the group on Tuesday morning.
Obama then gave Clinton a backhanded compliment for staying in the race. “This has been a hard fought contest partly because Sen. Clinton has been a formidable candidate. You know there aren’t very many figure in American politics that can sustain eleven straight losses and hang into a race, and raise $35 million dollars and in that sense she’s unique.”
Obama said that comparatively, McCain being the presumed Republican nominee, has an advantage, while the Democrats battle it out.
“The fact that our contest is still going on means that John McCain comes in here, he’s feeling pretty good. You know, I suspect he’s getting more sleep than either Sen Clinton or myself are getting. And he can be a little more deliberate and pace himself and that probably explains the close in the polls,” Obama said of the national polls which show McCain’s numbers improving.
Obama said his frontrunner standing in the contest has allowed him to remain, in his eyes, more above the fray than Clinton – and said that her criticisms have made him tougher.
"I have tried to figure out how to show restraint and make sure that during this primary contest without damaging each other so badly that its hard for us to run in November. Obviously its a little easier for me to say that since I lead in delegates, in states, and in popular vote," Obama said. "Sen. Clinton may not feel that she can afford to be as constrained but I’m sure that Senator Clinton feels like she’s doing me a great favor because she’s been deploying most of the arguments that the Republican party will be using against me in November and so it’s toughening me up.”
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He’s still not admitting that he made a mistake. How arrogant.
At least the public understands. Almost 60% of Americans polled disagree with his contention that country folk can’t think for themselves.
Posted by: S | April 14, 2008, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
Funny, how Obama just acts like he’s the nominee… regardless of the glaring fact he hasn’t won a single large populous state except Illinois. Yeah, that’s a winning formula in the fall. He’s so arrogant. Ha.
Posted by: A reader in Georgia | April 14, 2008, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
If Obama is not being an elitist in SF, then he must just be social climbing throwing small town folks under the bus to get into the elite circle and their purses.
Posted by: Rita | April 14, 2008, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
His comments about Hillary certainly aren’t in sync with his speeches about bringing a NEW KIND OF POLITICS.
Posted by: catherine in nm | April 14, 2008, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
obama is a wordsmith; he knew exactly what he was telling folk in san francisco; he did not, however, know he was being recorded.
he got caught; now he is trying every whichaway to wiggle out of his words.
it is pathetic.
Posted by: ron | April 14, 2008, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
obama is a wordsmith; he knew exactly what he was telling folk in san francisco; he did not, however, know he was being recorded.
he got caught; now he is trying every whichaway to wiggle out of his words.
it is pathetic.
Posted by: ron | April 14, 2008, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
Obama is so full of himself it’s not funny!!! Elitist according to the dictionary, has nothing to do with how much money you earn. It is defined as-”the belief that some people or things are inherently superior to others and deserve preeminence, preferential treatment, or higher rewards because of their superiority.” Obama the Elitist!!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
The Obama campaign has given up the uniter or the ‘new politics’ angle. They cant support it anymore.
They are just going along with the ‘he is the inevitable nominee’ rhetoric now.
Obama is definitely a better politician than he was 3 months ago.
But he is also a FAR WORSE nominee than he was in mid febuary. He will continue to get worse as this goes on. His whole campaign relied on the fact he was squeeky clean and could appeal to everyone.
That is impossible now.
He is unelectable.
Posted by: tomdavie | April 14, 2008, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
Obama thinks it was funny when he was making fun of Annie Oakley and Hillary. I found it offensive and not far from being racist!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
Wait till the Chicago Sun-Times Bombshell is reported nationwide. I’ll give you a hint….it ain’t good for Obama. Hello Tony Resko!
Posted by: Kenny from CT. | April 14, 2008, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
You know there aren’t very many figure in American politics that can sustain eleven straight losses and hang into a race, and raise $35 million dollars and in that sense she’s unique.”
How utterly condesending of Obama.
Posted by: geevill | April 14, 2008, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
geevill-we’ll see how he hangs in there after he loses big in Pennsylvania!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
Kenny from CT.
Tell us more!!
Posted by: S | April 14, 2008, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OBAMA’S MODUS OPERANDUM. (MO)
WHENEVER YOU MAKE A mistake blame it on HILLARY CLINTON. IF IT DOES NOT WORK FOR OBAMA -HE WILL GET HIS MEDIA MOGULS TO DO IT.
THIS GUY IS A WHINING LITTLE BOY.
HILLARY CLINTON IS NOT OBAMA’S MOTHER.
OBAMA MADE A MISTAKE-HE SHOULD BE APOLOGIZING TO THE PEOPLE.
HILLARY SHOULD KNOW WHAT OBAMA MEANT???
EXCUSE ME??
ANYTIME HE MAKES A MISTAKE-HE TURNS INTO A BULLY
APOLOGIZE, OBAMA, APOLOGIZE FOR ONCE!!!
THE OVER-PRICED SHIP IS SINKING…
Posted by: TJ | April 14, 2008, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OBAMA’S MODUS OPERANDUM. (MO)
WHENEVER YOU MAKE A mistake blame it on HILLARY CLINTON. IF IT DOES NOT WORK FOR OBAMA -HE WILL GET HIS MEDIA MOGULS TO DO IT.
THIS GUY IS A WHINING LITTLE BOY.
HILLARY CLINTON IS NOT OBAMA’S MOTHER.
OBAMA MADE A MISTAKE-HE SHOULD BE APOLOGIZING TO THE PEOPLE.
HILLARY SHOULD KNOW WHAT OBAMA MEANT???
EXCUSE ME??
ANYTIME HE MAKES A MISTAKE-HE TURNS INTO A BULLY
APOLOGIZE, OBAMA, APOLOGIZE FOR ONCE!!!
THE OVER-PRICED SHIP IS SINKING…
Posted by: TJ | April 14, 2008, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
Yes Kenny-tell us more!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
Sure…everything Obama says is racist!
All black people are racist…..well, because they’re black!
Now the US K K K of A is much more understandable now, isn’t it?!
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
For those who say he manufactured those words for just the San francisco crowd you obviously have not seen the video of his Charlie Rose interview from 2004…where he said pretty much the same things about people turning to their religion and “guns” but didn’t use the word “cling” …which I think is a total created controversy from the people who wanted Clinton and the people who are afraid of a dem in the white house…and want Hillary against McCain in the GE… now that’s a no brainer… Americans don’t vote for candidates they don’t like… and they want a change candidate numero uno. McCain beats her on both. Obama beats him on both (even with Hillary and her supporters doing their best to try to trash him every other day lol)
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
LA in Indiana,
I firmly do not believe Obama is a rascist. I do think you are, though. I give Senator Obama the benefit of the doubt.
Instead, I think he’s an elitist, backed by wealthy liberals from the two coasts.
========================================
Obama, appealing to the bi-coastal elites!
========================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
If she gets the nomination from distorting his words, I will enjoy watching the republicans tear her down just as she has done Obama.
Apparently, there is no honor, no integrity, no honesty in politics. They forgot to tell Barack.
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
to S:
The polls I’ve seen the last day or two show MOST folks believe what he said to be fundamentally true – people are angry, bitter about how they are forgotten and only the special interests are taken care once the political season is over.
Where in the world did Senator Obama say, “people can’t think for themselves”?
Posted by: Larry Jines | April 14, 2008, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
WOW! Is everyone on this site a Republican troll, or have Hillary supporters gone over the brink? So much anger, so many distortions, such barely contained bigotry. You’d think Obama was winning or something!
Posted by: balthus | April 14, 2008, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
Only far left liberals ‘understand’ Obamas comments. His well placed bribes in the liberal media will help him out, but he is too damaged now.
You can only get so many nicks and cuts before you find yourself bleeding to death.
This flap that came right out of Obamas mouth justifed his church, his spiritual advisor and his wifes comments. Tying all of it to the fact Obama obviously agrees with it all.
He is unelectable.
If Kerry, Kennedy and Pelosi insist on shoving him down our throats as the nominee, we demand they resign when he gets wiped out in the general election.
Posted by: tomdavie | April 14, 2008, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
Obama thinks he’s been staying above the fray?
If the media were honest, we’d find out that TEAMOBAMA has in fact stepped up its attacks on Clinton ever since she won the Texas and Ohio primaries. There was speculation weeks ago that it would be Clinton that would resort to “unfair” (kneecapping) tactics – with the unfortunate reference to Tony Harding.
In fact, it’s been the Obama campaign that has stepped up its smears, posting vile comments and lies about her and President Clinton all over the web.
Even before Obama’s condescending remarks, Clinton had started to reverse her decline in the Pennsylvania polls. Whether it’s the common sense of voters who wonder why the so-called front runner needs to outspend his opponent 5 to 1 or admiration at her resilience, toughness and talent – Clinton is going to win big in Pennsylvania.
She’ll carry that momentum to the next primaries and if Democrats want to win in November, they’ll be hard pressed not to give her the nomination.
Posted by: morningside | April 14, 2008, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
LA in Indiana – Feeling a little BITTER?
So, why do you think all black people are racist???
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
Obama was at a secret San Francisco fundraiser at the home of highly devout Sunni Muslim Sohaib Abbasi when he made his now famous “bitter” comments. Obama was explaining to the BILLIONAIRE donors why they can’t buy him a win in PA! Obama has bullied and bought the superdelegate votes, and he has tried to bully Hillary out of this race..wouldn’t it be great to really know what Obama’s camp has been saying to Hillary behind the scenes? Hillary is tough for standing firm against this monstrous dirty Chicago political machine! What really did make John Lewis switch his superdelegate vote to Obama, anyone really believe that it was Obama’s empathy for small town America, his belief in MLK’s work? Why didn’t the DNC run Harold Ford Jr. instead?
Posted by: rs | April 14, 2008, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
i read a lot of the news on abc, the tv station that i work at being an affiliate. the majority of comments on articles that are related to obama really remind me of the tactics of bush sr. and jr when going up against the clintons in the early and late 90′s. very much using statements from “regular folks’ which in all reality are actually campaign aides on news sites, press conferences and so on to manipulate the media and american people. spin by brian springer is a good reference for this practice.
in any case, obamas statements ARE true. how many of us who live in the country are depressed and bitter about the economy? i know i am. prices of milk have been way down for years with little attempts to address it, as well as a lack of aid going to rural areas. ever been to upstate maine? northern NY? Southeast OH? these areas were all hard hit during the clinton and bush years, and obamas words of many people being bitter rings true with me.
Posted by: countryboy | April 14, 2008, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
dl – Obama made his remarks behind CLOSED doors to elite donors. The press was BARRED from this speech. Obama did not intend for his remarks to be made public. That is the problem. If his own words were not made public you darn will know Obama would not have said a single word, nor would Obama have to somehow claim he made a mistake. The only MISTAKE was someone there recorded Obama.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
His wife enforces the thought with her latest:
We live in isolation, and because of that isolation we fear one another.
Because Barack Obama is the only person in this race who understands that. That before we can work on the problems we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation.
Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual; uninvolved, uninformed.
Great, now they are uninformed and uninvolved.
Posted by: DGH | April 14, 2008, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
tomDavie
I love it… so Hillary and her supporters have pulled out every attack they can trying to make him “unelectble” and with every attack he shows he is still better off in the general than she is… her ceiling was low to begin with and now it actually is unelectable… My bet is even for the rerun in the Senate. Lots o’ dems will not vote for her when she runs now for her senate seat…and she wasn’t that strong of a candidate to begin with (heaven help her if Giuliani decides he wants to be a senator instead of a governor or a cabinet member).
If you think he is unelectable and his numbers in the national polls are still going up against her….what would she be.
The reason we have been losing ground to McCain is because of this long nasty tone set by the loser…and that would be Sen Clinton… the country doesn’ want that.
…once she is gone (and hopefully long gone…like out of the Senate gone) he will be a beacon again compared to McCain… between the war, the economy and G.W.’s left overs… Obama will be President.
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
Sure you do wcm, you’re a liar just like the clintons.
And I could care less whether you think I’m racist or not. Remeber, I don’t have the power to be racist, but people like you, do. That is the problem in this country and will always be the problem. That is why you are all so afraid of someone of color getting in the white house. We know it, we’ve seen all the racist comments since this election cycle started. You’re afraid people of color will turn around and treat you the same way we were (and in some cases, STILL are) treated. Most of you are so transparent in that aspect. And you have the nerve to call someone elitist. That would be elitist white privilege….and Barack doesn’t have enough, he only has half.
After watching the clintons, I now know they are truly racist, and you have been sounding just like them.
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
LA Indiana, so you are a little BITTER! Get over it, Obama’s going to lose-he did himself in!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
naw CD, not at all
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
not bitter CD
but I will feel real good watching hillary’s character get shredded. She will deserve it.
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
Dogsoldier
he said almost the same things on Charlie Rose 4 years ago.
but then he said in so many words…that we cling to those traditions in the face of trouble and loss. He also has said in the face of loss and downturn and FEAR we gravitate toward safety out of that fear.
It is the same thing…but because he said it behind closed doors in San Fran you all make it out like”oooh…look what he said behind closed doors… he is right every study shows in downturned economy’s (although I have had a few Hillary supporters claiming to be professors trying to say those studies don’t count because “Americans have opportunity…tell that to the people whose jobs were lost in PA…makes me want to say “who is the elitist) but many studies have shown ethnocentric anger and violence goes up when an economy goes down.
and I would hope that the other two multi-millionaires would understand that is what happens when people lose their jobs and opportunities.
Not that they ever lived in those communities or actively took part on the streets trying to fix those communities (something Obama has done…that is why this is such a crazy joke).
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
In a Pennsylvania political ad, 3 year-old Hillary Rodham, arms extended, toddles toward the home-movie camera. Hillary’s present-day voice-over explains, the Rodham family cottage, down by the lake, lacked indoor plumbing. It was hardship borne from the start. Yet, more telling events seem to fall by the wayside. Take twenty-seven year old Hillary’s first real job. The upshot: Jerry Zeifman fired Hillary for unethical practices during the Watergate Investigation. Why was Hillary fired? “Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in a recent interview. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”
“I have gone hunting. I am not a hunter. But I have gone hunting,” says Hillary. Perhaps equally amusing, how an elitist politician worth over $100 million-dollars, espouses small town family values. Not only does Mr. Zeifman’s account go to character, it goes to a lifelong pattern of lying and obfuscation. It took Zeifman twelve years to get his story aired. After Watergate, Zeifman could not recommend Hillary for any subsequent position of public or private trust, nor furnish her with a letter of recommendation. After that, Hillary Clinton’s employment record is one of strict nepotism, cronyism, and amnesia.
Although few suspected the lengths to which Hillary would go, a leopard never changes her spots. According to Mr. Zeifman, it’s not just Hillary’s dishonesty; that’s a fact not in dispute. More to the point is the overall time-span, in which she has behaved in a fraudulent manner. “The Clintons corrupted the soul of the Democratic Party.” -Henry Ruth, lead Watergate courtroom prosecutor. Again, Hillary Clinton is a bold-faced liar, who will stop at nothing. Should anyone doubt either Mr. Zeifman, or Mr. Ruth’s veracity regarding the Clintons, dispute this: http://theseedsof9-11.com
Posted by: Peggy McGilligan | April 14, 2008, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
TJ,
I know you are feeling emotional because your man Obama is up against the wall. But could you stop the shouting (all caps). Even though you are an Obama supporter, and I don’t take you seriously, you may be hurting the ears of the other Obama zombies.
=======================================
Obama, how elite is he?
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Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
Just released – new PA. Polling:
Clinton 57 % – —–Obama 37 %
YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
Posted by: morningside | April 14, 2008, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
the funniest moment so far was the Foxnews crew trying to get people “on the street” who were “angry” about Obama’s comments…and everyone they have gotten have been all for Obama…
love it.
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 4:52 pm 4:52 pm
Hey wasn’t there just a Compassion Forum last night-LA you’re showing true compassion:) You should be demonstrating positive reinforced words for Obama, not these negative hate bashing words towards people here and Hillary!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 4:52 pm 4:52 pm
lol dl leave it to Fake News
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:53 pm 4:53 pm
dl – Obama should have checked the folks for recording devices. What a MISTAKE.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
Peggy,
In rural America we recognize two forms of wealth. There’s carpetbagger wealth, that would be Obama. And there’s struck oil wealth, that would be the Clintons. The carpetbaggers are arrogant and as good as thieves. The struck oil folks are usually down home types that remember their family and friends.
========================================
Obama, is he a carpet bagger?
He ain’t a duck hunter, for sure!
========================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
sure CD, wait on ‘em. They’ll be right with you….
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
An empty “almost” apology is nothing more than damage control. He needs the support of the elitists so he does not want to offend them with his apology. He doesnt really need the support of rural America in PA because his goal (per his own campaign) is to get the vote majority in Philadelphia and the college areas. So his comments are all based on risk-reward analysis from his advisors. He is after all a politician running for office. The problem is, voters perceive what he said as offensive and the polls are confirming that. Clinton had already started recovering on the issues and he got caught pandering in a closed to the press event because someone recorded what he said. His wife’s comments further support their lack of faith in American voting intelligence.
Posted by: DCVoter | April 14, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
“Obama is an elitist!”
okay that is a comment from the bulti-millionaire took a job with washington lawyers tog et mey career ahead …married a guy whose plan was to go back and run quickly for Gov. of Arkansas and hasn’t been out of public power, influence and wealth for 25 years.
or it’s coming from the third generation affluence of the McCains…
but yet …lol… Obama is the elitist.
What the heck is an elitist then?! this is just crazy talk. Someone needs to put together a tape of all the black ties affairs and ball gowns and pearl-wearing moments…and huge homes and vacations all over the world of the two other candidates and put soem music to it…like some classical music or something…or better yet some Bruce Springsteen playing Born in the USA with the image of Hillary in her hat at inauguration and McCain and Cindy on one of their red carpet ball fundraisers.
just funny.
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 4:58 pm 4:58 pm
Morningside,
Usually we have Vanessa bringing us the polls and it’s always doom and gloom for Hillary. We haven’t heard any polls today from Vanessa, but I’m sure she’ll figure out a way to spin this as good news for Obama. She’s busy trying to hawk a bogus story on Gore and Carter, so maybe you don’t have to worry.
=======================================
Where is Vaness when Obama’s polls start crumblin?
=======================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 4:58 pm 4:58 pm
pretty obvious that the Obama fans are the ones that are bitter.
Posted by: Tuck | April 14, 2008, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
Today’s Survey USA poll from Indiana and an ARG poll from PA – both reveal Hillary leads in both the states by 16-20 points. This is before the ‘bitter’ gate. Well the eitist liberals will find thier latte ‘bitter’ in the fall….
Posted by: TalkSense | April 14, 2008, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
DL,
Let me help you out. Obama’s elite crowd:
a) lives on the Atlantic or Pacific Coast
b) around all white people
c) sometimes referred to as “upscale” Democrats,
d) drink lattes
e) blog on dailykos
f) send money to moveon.org
g) think they know what’s best for working class Democrats
h) look down their noses at the Clintons because the Clintons came from Arkansas.
I’m not talking that they do any one of these things, I mean they do all of these things.
========================================
Obama, move to the coast, join his elites, get a free latte!
========================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
Tony: thank you. I am going to repeat here:
Oh EL – lol. Obama does not have to scrutinize Clinton because the media are doing the work for him. Please, the man is apparently above any type of analysis. So much so – that his worshippers become enraged over a little heat. What: did you really expect he would cause the nation to fall down and honor and obey him, as his campaign suggested? This is what happens when college students control your message. “I, the Lord Obama, shall rid the USA of ‘politics as usual’ and usher in an Obama Generation of hope and change and civility. I will smite divisiveness in the world and cause a new era of cooperation. I the Lord Obama will reach across party lines and cause the Republicans who hate the Democrats to lay down their hatred and follow me.” LOL – sorry, he cannot even unite his own party, how can he unite the nation.
QUESTION FOR OBAMADROIDS: His campaign has said it will be “above” politics as usual and that he will unite Republicans and Democrats. Then why is he describing McCain as Bush III and distorting his message on Iraq? Why is he going around doing the “Annie Oakley” instead of trying to really figure out why ALL poor voters, except for African Americans, have given him the cold shoulder. Could it be that poor folks have pick candidates whom they believe will deliver something concrete – unlike college students and wealthy white people who want soaring oratory and impossible, vague promises?
http://votersusa.blogspot.com
Posted by: StanCH | April 14, 2008, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
dogsoldier
I agree he makes mistakes but I don’t think he was thinking he was going to say anything that could be misconstrued this badly…
That is his biggest weakness… I will admit he is not the typical pol who is good at making sure his words or actions aren’t open to mischaracterization.
He is not good at that… I admit. But I have said many times this guy is a good guy… who yes like the rest wants to be President…but I think above them all he is running less for HIM to be President and more for what he thinks he stands for.
It would be hard for me to think otherwise.
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Nancy Pelosi,
Did you find a little tad of poo in your latte over the weekend? My oh my, does it taste a little bitter?
========================================
Obama, serving up bitter lattes to the masses!
========================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 5:06 pm 5:06 pm
WestCoastMessenger: I heard that story about Carter and Gore. I’m wondering who is spreading that rumor. It can’t be true because if it were, that would be the end of the DNC.
Posted by: morningside | April 14, 2008, 5:08 pm 5:08 pm
West Coast Messenger
lol
I don’t think anyone looks down their noses at the Clintons for being from Arkansas… I kinda like Arkansas.
I think there are a lot of other attributes that they look down their noses at the Clintons for…
…I don’t know, mmm, lying to the American people might be up there… … just a guess. I agree the educated morons of this country do seem to be backing obama…those damn educated people… you can always tell a snob by their education…now that’s a great argument.
LOL
oh and I guess Babs, and the Blood Thomasons don’t live on the coasts…but at least she got down with the people and took a shot of Crown Royal…
Posted by: dl | April 14, 2008, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
Obama told us that “words matter”
Except for:
The divisive ridiculous words preached by Reverend Wright – which he didn’t hear
The condescending “bitter” clinging to religion” words he “deeply regrets” if anyone found offensive
Yes, he can…
Yes, he can make a complete fool of himself!
Yes, he can try to blame Hillary for the words he spoke
Yes, he can pretend he never heard Reverend Wright preach hate and divisiveness
Yes, he can forget the $250,000 he got from Rezko
Yes, he can lie and say the Kennedy’s were responsible for bringing his father to America
Yes, he can hand the republicans another big gift to use against him if he is the nominee
Hillary or NOBODY in 2008 – meaning this democrat sits out his first election since 1988.
Posted by: ch | April 14, 2008, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Obama told us that “words matter”
Except for:
The divisive ridiculous words preached by Reverend Wright – which he didn’t hear
The condescending “bitter” clinging to religion” words he “deeply regrets” if anyone found offensive
Yes, he can…
Yes, he can make a complete fool of himself!
Yes, he can try to blame Hillary for the words he spoke
Yes, he can pretend he never heard Reverend Wright preach hate and divisiveness
Yes, he can forget the $250,000 he got from Rezko
Yes, he can lie and say the Kennedy’s were responsible for bringing his father to America
Yes, he can hand the republicans another big gift to use against him if he is the nominee
Hillary or NOBODY in 2008 – meaning this democrat sits out his first election since 1988.
Posted by: ch | April 14, 2008, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
lol the racist remarks are starting to flow now….the good ole white folks down in Klantucky refer to Obama as “that boy”
Now who said white people were not racist?
Who said this wasn’t the US KKK of A?
lol y’all are pathetic.
Posted by: LA in Indiana | April 14, 2008, 5:18 pm 5:18 pm
The day of September 11, 30 minutes after viewing the destruction of the tower on the morning TV news, I was in a nearby church, not even my own church, sitting in an isolated area, my head bent down, I was crying in silence for all those who died in that terrorist act. I visited the same church three times that day, the same position and reflecting on what has just happened.
In my opinion Obama is not an elitist. What he said about religion, gun and migrants sounds just about what people think in my part of this United States.
This we do when we are distressed. When we feel danger, we want to protect our family, we pickup gun. When we lose our job, we blame someone, the President or some poor immigrant.
Those who are upset with Obama just want an excuse to tarnish the image of this great American.
Posted by: StMTraveler | April 14, 2008, 5:18 pm 5:18 pm
For the poster who needed help looking in the dictionary:
elitist n : someone who believes in rule by an elite group
Posted by: DCVoter | April 14, 2008, 5:20 pm 5:20 pm
StMTraveler – Great American? So what did Obama do to make him great? Please outline.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
LA in Indiana – Why not tell us in your own words what you consider to be racists? You know, so we’re talking about the same thing? Or what you’re talking about.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Morningside,
A dopey little website called scotsman.com came out with the story, and in the content of the story the writer stated that the content of the story could not be confirmed. Huffington Post picked this up, the ABC News, and then Fox News, I’m guessing because the press are starting to go brain dead, having picked up some type of virus from the Obama coolaid. At any rate, it seems to be a bogus non-story started by a blogger and will likely disappear by tomorrow.
I think Fox News is promoting it because they want to build a strong association between Obama, Gore, and Carter, they look at all three of them as losers.
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | April 14, 2008, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
DC-point taken, You didn’t find anything either that defined it as how much money you earned or what your net worth is, right? It’s more of a person’s superiority attitude or self righteousness, right?
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
John Baer: Decades of working-class neglect – now that’s insulting
By John Baer
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Political Columnist
SOME THOUGHTS on the latest diversion of Campaign ’08, a campaign apparently hell-bent on keeping the nation mired in its own stupidity.
As a native-born, small-town Pennsylvanian, a son of native-born, small-town Pennsylvania parents – one from the coal region, one from Lancaster County – let me assure you that the so-called offensive, condescending things Barack Obama said about the people I come from are basically right on target.
“Bitter” perhaps best describes my late mother, an angry Irish Catholic who absolutely clung to her religion.
Dad, also a journalist, wasn’t really bitter as far as I know, but he sure liked to hunt.
So, despite carping from Hillary Clinton and annoying yapping from her surrogates (really, it’s like turning on the lights at night in a puppy farm), I take no offense.
What’s offensive to me is suggesting that small-town, working-class, gun-toting and/or religious Pennsylvanians are somehow injured by a politician’s words.
Are you kidding me?
They’re injured all right, but the injury is long-term and from lots more than “just words.”
They’ve been injured from decades of neglect by political cultures in Washington and Harrisburg driven by special interests.
They’re injured by a system of isolated, insulated political leadership that protects itself and the status quo above all else.
They’ve been harmed by a lack of political guts to fix a health-care system that works against the poor and forces middle-class families to pay more for less, while at the same time giving politicians the best coverage taxpayer money can buy.
They’ve been taken for granted by political parties and candidates who stay in power by – and this was the apparent gist of Obama’s remarks – forcing attention and debate on issues tied to guns, religion and race (precisely because such issues resonate) rather than real problems such as health care and the economy.
They’ve been consistently made fools of by their own elected representatives who, year after year, pull fat salaries ($169,000 for every member of Congress; $150,000 in salary, perks and benefits for every state lawmaker) with automatic raises no matter how little gets done.
A new Associated Press poll shows Congress’ approval rating at 23 percent. And don’t even get me started on the Pennsylvania Legislature.
Insulting?
What’s insulting are the sizes of salaries and perks of politicians in a state where the median household income is $43,714.
What’s insulting is the ongoing failure of elected “leaders” to deal with long-term, working-class worries while insuring their own futures with hefty, over-rich pensions.
And, look, what Obama said, given a charged atmosphere close to a critical primary, was ill-advised – not because he’s wrong, but because it changes the discussion.
The 24-hour broadcast-news cycle will jabber on this for days – the irony being that Obama’s “words,” which had positioned him so well, now threaten to trip him up.
Another irony is that the candidate running to effect change where change is needed, and to offer hope to those without it, is suddenly tagged as somehow diminishing those he seeks to serve.
So the question is whether Obama effectively defuses this, as he did the controversy surrounding his former minister. And that remains to be seen.
Just don’t tell me that he insulted a state or, given his background, that he’s an out-of-touch elitist.
And I especially don’t want to hear such arguments from a candidate who spent decades in the bubble of a governor’s mansion, the White House and the U.S. Senate, and under the blanket of $109 million income during the last eight years.
Pennsylvanians might cling to religion and guns. I hope they don’t cling to stupidity.
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com.
For recent columns, go to
http://go.philly.com/baer.
Posted by: JAMIE | April 14, 2008, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
We, the Blue collars of PENN Totally and unequivocally agree with Senator Obama. Yes, We are bitter and angry that our jobs has been gone and none of these administration have helped us.
Bill Clinton Championed NAFTA. Hillary Clinton supported her Husband on that.
Mccain and George Bush only made it worse by tapping into unnecessary war and channelled much needed money into it.
Yes, we are bitter and angry and when no hope is forthcoming, WE start to PRAY AND START STEERING our energy and pass times into Games like Hunting. We hate hearing that illegal immigrants are getting our jobs.
Many of us turn to these not because we know of their existence for the first time but because we want GOD TO DELIVER US OUT FROM THESE HARDSHIPS.
Do HILLARY CLINTON AND JOHN MCCAIN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO NOT BE ABLE TO FEED ONES FAMILY?
How many times have I cried because I wonder how I can raise up my children? They made millions and John MCCain cannot even help Mortgage Forclosure VICTIMS With government Money, not his own money? Pls GIVE ME A BREAK.!
DO WE NEED A PRESIDENT THAT drinks BEER AND THEN WHISKEY at the same time? What message are we sending to our young children?
I don’t mean to demean her, but look at her face when not in make-up. Is it not all these drinkings that cause those?
I BET OUR BELOVED WOMEN BLOGGERS WILL AGREE WITH ME.
AMERICA WAKE UP! WE ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR OBAMA.
Yes those who are not going to vote for him won’t vote for him not because of HIS CANDID REMARK.
Posted by: Bob from Pensylvannia | April 14, 2008, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
I wish that the media would put the link up so that the public can listen to the entire speech in SF.
Here is the link, listen and you make up your mind if what he said was wrong. The media took a soundbite and took his what he said totally out of context
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mayhill-fowler/obama-exclusive-audio-on_b_96333.html
Posted by: monarnyc | April 14, 2008, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
Bob- you say “We, the Blue collars of PENN Totally and unequivocally agree with Senator Obama.” YOU KNOW ALL THE BLUE COLLAR WORKERS IN PENNSYLVANIA??? WOW, I’m impressed!!!
Posted by: CD | April 14, 2008, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
My, lots of bitter people on this thread. What’s your problem? Sore losers? Obama will be our next President. Oh, the truth must hurt for some of you. But don’t get bitter, because bitter is baaaaddddd.
Posted by: KATE | April 14, 2008, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
“It is to late … from the vantage point of far away this Canadian Geezer has observed over the past couple of weeks the appalling ability of Americans to destroy hope itself.
That we can see you are doomed in America brings no comfort … the treadmill of time is showing only an appearance of forward progress but the evident unwillingness to face life on “Adult” terms by so many of your citizens means a continuation of the quagmire of pain and sorrow for the world. I see no miracle forthcoming from Democrats to forestall the grief of your own making as a narcissistic candidate with wealth and ‘connections’ along with the collaboration of a self-serving media has beaten down the one candidate who showed a glimmer of true understanding of the need to tackle the greater issues of the day with hope and optimism.
Hope and optimism are not ‘shallow’ expressions … they are the deepest longings of the soul … and America has abandoned the soul of so many of its dispossessed by failure to address the realities of the need for full and equitable education, universal health care and meaningful employment for its citizenry…
Shame on you … you have squandered the treasure that could have easily provided the basic human essentials for your own citizenry on “The Wars” … and you continue to tolerate and even extoll the grossest forms of personal greed and acquisitiveness.
This Canadian feels deeply that the Democratic Party is in denial about the reality of coming global social and economic collapse and will in all likelihood allow a continuation of the “Republican” neo-con disaster.
No my dear neighbours the future of the world does not revolve around the decision of so-called “Super Delegates” of the Democratic Party but rather on the evolved consequence of American ignorance and self-centeredness that lets a third world mother and child starve or be riddled with shrapnel on the filthy streets of many villages where they continue to suffer… The brief flicker of such gruesome images continues to occasionally appear on digital screens across America … but they are just intrusions to the viewing of episodes of ‘American Idol’ or ‘Dancing with the Stars’ …
So the Democratic Party continues to stumble … bleeding by way of self-absorption until the tragic self-generated demise of ‘The Great Republic’…
Here in Canada we have followed the American primaries with considerable interest as the world is slowly slipping into a global catastrophe of economic collapse and bitter ongoing conflict and it comes as a rather shocking development to hear Ms. Clinton referring to Mr. Obama in a quite condescending manner as if he were being “Uppity” …
For a Caucasian person of wealth to make such an inference harkens back to a different time in American politics circa George Wallace et al …
Strangely no one has called her on this … is everyone asleep at the switch in the American Media?”
“Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.”
— Barrie O. Ward, Weldon Saskatchewan Canada
Posted by: Barrie O. Ward The Canadian Geezer | April 14, 2008, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
The biggest problem I have with Obama’s remarks is the venue. He was in the home of a wealthy supporter where he thought he was alone with a group of his most ardent (and elite?) supporters.
If he had spoken the words in a Pennsylvania town with the MSM present I would be o.k. with it. It seems that in unguarded moments both Obama and his wife have revealed more about themselves than they intended. He wasn’t talking “to” the people of PA; he was talking “about” them.
Posted by: JanetP | April 14, 2008, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
FINALLY… finally a Presidential candidate who’s not afraid to tell the truths about what lobbyist controlled Washington has done to the American working classes in the years of Clinton and the Bushes…
More fired UP, more ready to go than EVER! -
BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!
Posted by: rena | April 14, 2008, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
Bob from Pensylvannia – Let’s see, Bob, where to begin? OK. Bob, you are you. That is unless you became we. Now, you do realize PA actually exports more to Canada and Mexico then before NAFTA? Which means more jobs. Next, you do realize that almost all job losses were to China and India and other slave labor Asian nations, don’t you?
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
Eleven straight losses and stay in the race? Who is he kidding? If the same rules prevailed as in general elections, he would be losing right now. He cannot clinch the nomination without the support of the party officials, and so he sends he surrogates to put pressure for her to drop, while he is hiding behind them and playing nice. That’s dirty politics, there is nothing “changed” about that. Hillary should stay till the convention and call the bluffs. The last thing these country needs is a leftist elitist like Obama.
Posted by: LT | April 14, 2008, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
Barrie O. Ward The Canadian Geezer – You’re not doing so good with Quebec these days. When’s the next referendum?
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
Why Clinton and McCain will never win? Because they and their supporters are so angry it’s scary. They would say and do just about anything as you can see in these posts and ones on FOX. Nothing constructive, only focusing on sound bits. What a shame how ignorant so many Americans are. Obama is clearly the only one saying the truth and not afraid of the backlash.
Posted by: RP | April 14, 2008, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Obama BUSTED!
This is more about the arrogance of the Obama campaign than anything else. In the age of American Idol and the internet, a new generation is being conditioned to respond virally to You Tube videos, fancy talk, carefully selected suits and graphic fonts. But eventually Obama’s mask had to come off and underneath is none other than a slick, fancy talking, small minded, small time Chicago politician with lots of hidden personal and political agendas.
Posted by: Dr. Dave | April 14, 2008, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Why all the fuss about the “bitter” remark. He is correct. A lot of people are bitter. I am bitter as well as fed up with Washington. We elect them, they go to Washington and then become part of a political system that does not work.
Good for Obama
Posted by: Ed Logan | April 14, 2008, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
Dogsoldier please do not ‘troll’ …. you are overmatched by your name alone.
Posted by: Barrie O. Ward The Canadian Geezer | April 14, 2008, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
Disbarred attorney Bill Clinton could find the truth with both hands. Lied under oath. Hillary’s got that same character trait. Oh yeah, the corkscrew landing in Bosnia, ducking for cover, dodging bullets. Give her the Medal of Honor for being a war hero. Give me a break. Go back to Arkansas and delude the people back home with your fantasies.
Posted by: jacked | April 14, 2008, 5:53 pm 5:53 pm
Barrie O. Ward The Canadian Geezer – Thank you. Well, when is the next referendum?
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
jacked – Obama – “It’s time to set a hard date to signal a new mission in Iraq and to begin to bring our troops home. It’s time to ensure that we complete the change in mission and the drawdown of our forces, by the end of April 2008 – a date that is consistent with the date in my plan back in January.”
Obama last week: United States should transition to an “over-watch” force of between 60,000 and 80,000 troops by the end of 2010, according to an article Friday in the New York Sun.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
Obama is a farce.
Posted by: nocity | April 14, 2008, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
Obama is finally being outed for the elitist that he is. Michelle Obama is even worse. And, together, they will lose us the White House in a year that we should win. Hillary is our one true hope! I don’t expect, however, Obama-bots will see that in time and am preparing myself for 4 years of McCain (and preparing to vote for a Republican for the first time in my life).
Posted by: JonD | April 14, 2008, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
At least white people are finally waking up to Barack Obama’s hatred toward us. A hate-filled like that is not going to be president.
Posted by: Black Mon | April 14, 2008, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
People are “bitter” about losing jobs, the economy, higher prices for EVERYTHING, the dollar’s valuation, etc., etc., etc…. I think Obama’s comments were a little insensitive but do we really need a sensitive person in the white house to bow down to corporate interests and foreign governments. I appreciate that he came out and apologized for being insensitive but kept strong on the point he was trying to make.
Thanks Clintonians for trying to distort the truth and feeding the media. You are successfully weakening the party by not bowing out gracefully.
Posted by: Zac | April 14, 2008, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
Economics conditions caused people’ bitterness should not be blamed for what Sen. Obama had said. It should be blamed for under whose administration has passed a free trade? Who else has supported it? Has she Sen. Clinton supported it under her husband’s presidency? My response is absolutely yes.
What Sen. Obama had said was a matter of message that he wanted to express how people in small town have been negatively affected. It is true and factual. Why denied it? The economics conditions in those towns that have been existing for so long. Now she wants to make such as big deal with a word of bitterness.
When you had lost your job, were you happy or were you bitter? The only time if I had lost my job and I was not bitter, I had to be better off financially, having made $109 millions that was out of touch to most common folks, right? Why has she dramatized one word of bitterness like making a movie? it is quite rediculous .
Posted by: Christopher Xaphakdy | April 14, 2008, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
Obama was right about how bitter the electorate is. The responses to this article are a clear example.
Truth hurts – and most, INCLUDING the corporate media, are clinging to espousing hate by blasting what the good man said – like splashing holy water in a pit of seething serpents !! The truth is good for you !!
Independent Voter in Arizona for Obama
Posted by: teisho | April 14, 2008, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
The fact that you twist everything Obama says and make mountains out of molehills doesn’t prove your case that your are not a bunch of country bumpkins.
Posted by: Scott | April 14, 2008, 6:05 pm 6:05 pm
Zac – Too much democracy? Or not enough if you live in FL and MI? Heck, just give FL and MI to the republicans anyway. So, how many caucuses is Obama expected to win in the general?
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
Christopher Xaphakdy – Guess we’ll just have to see how this bitterness thing plays out when PA votes I suppose.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 6:08 pm 6:08 pm
Here we go again……Obama and his religious leader Jeremiah Wright, both of them part of the black supremacist movement who hates America and whites don’t have any understanding of the challenging times people are going through in rural America. They claim to be religious but have no compassion or love for other than blacks.
Shame on you Obama!
Posted by: Manolete | April 14, 2008, 6:08 pm 6:08 pm
countryboy you are very right. these people know he told the truth. who would not be pissed in a country who has turned their back on you in the last 20 years. Bill clinton costed you your jobs by working out nafta and yet he is a saint in your eyes. now his wife was for it and then against it and now is against it again till she gets your votes to keep her in the fight, then next month she will be telling everyone its the best thing for our country. Bill is working for columbia and is getting paid big bucks for it. they are using him so when Hillary wins then she will pass the trade thing for them. but Hillary followers are so blind by the clinton name they cant see this. i am very pissed at this last 10 years and bitter would be a understatement for my anger toward my fellow republicians. Everthing is promised to you smelling like a rose and you suck it up and belive the biggest liar we have had running for office in years. Just last week she was reary eyed and telling about her experience in bosnia with the sniper fire, haha what a joke. you guys want to jump a man for stating the truth and follow a liar. i would bet if hillary had said that coment you would have said yes she hit the nail on the head. be honest with youself stop acting like a bunch of spoiled brats who have sensitive feelings. you all are so fake like hillary. you go on and trash our best chance at beating Mcbush and watch him roll all over her when the big election comes. she is damaged goods likes to lie to much. I cant belive some of the things i read on the post from her followers. you have so much bitterness why dont you take it out on the person who has caused all this mess BUSH. I sit and wonder if you all are republicians like me and just get on here to trash Obama so hillary will beat him so them your canidate McBush will will over her. yes i am very bitter i struggle to make ends meet and i am sick and tired of washington lying to get my vote and then turning their back on me. I am very bitter that gas is going through the roof and our president has his head stuck in the hoe in the sand and doing nothing about it but sending out a little money relief to try and buy himself a good finish to his precidency. i am a hunter and have been all my life i am very religeous and i would say i wm more than either canidate running for office but i never felt the comment he said attacked my lifestyle or my right to bear guns. Hillary has filled your heads so full of hogwash you cant see the truth if it bit you in your butt. Get ready to spend 8 more years watching your wallet get smaller and everything else skyrocketing cause thats where its going. i am a white republician and i am bitter its time we take control of our country and stop letting the wealthy tell us how to vote. i am not going to vote for someone who has more money than god to run this country. wealty people only care for the rich. do you not see all the deals they get while the rest of us pay their way. Obama what you said is the truth and everybody knows it you can see the bitterness in the post. they just dont want to admit it.
Posted by: Very Bitter | April 14, 2008, 6:14 pm 6:14 pm
chistopher Xaphakdy: Sure working class people get frustrated when they lose their jobs and the become fearful about their own economic future, but they do not cling to religion or guns because they lose their jobs! They love God and hunting no matter if they are drawing a paycheck or not! They also do not start to resent others who are not like them because they lose their jobs. I think it is Mr. Obama who goes around pounding NAFTA and says that it is the reason people are losing their jobs then he has the audacity to say that working people harbor anti-trade sentiment because they lose their job. That sounds ironic to me! What is so distrubing is that this is coming from a black man who himself has been subjected to such sterotyping and bigtory that he is willing to engage in the very thing that he has condemened!
Posted by: russell | April 14, 2008, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
If working people had better jobs that paid more money they would just give more to the church and buy a few more hunting rifles! Our faith and love of outdoors is not related to our economic conditions!
Posted by: russell | April 14, 2008, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
“Ugh, bitter” Monica “Shhhhh, use the other door” Bill
Posted by: Matt | April 14, 2008, 6:23 pm 6:23 pm
All those words, and no “I’m sorry”.
Typical.
Posted by: EV | April 14, 2008, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
What we need is Colin Powell.
Obama is a joke. He is a divider. His friends are anti-american. His beliefs are elitist rubbish. The more we find out about him the more we see his rotten core.
Why do the dems do this to themselves every 4 years?
Posted by: reason | April 14, 2008, 6:26 pm 6:26 pm
I have a strong suspicion that the people who are so outraged by what Obama said are people who wouldn’t support him to begin with no matter what. So they enthusiastically pounce on anything he says that they can twist and spin as being offensive to the hard-working religious blue collar regular folks of Pennsylvania. I’m positive that Obama cares more for blue collar workers and their interests than does the party that typically identifies with rich corporations, wealthy shareholders, and tax dodgers.
Posted by: Jordan Veláazquez | April 14, 2008, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
As fun as it is to skew Obama at every turn, more information about that S.F. snippet has come out putting Obama’s words in their proper context;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-coleman/i-was-there-what-obama-re_b_96553.html
As always, there’s her side, his side, and the truth -
Posted by: rookie | April 14, 2008, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm
AP – In a major campaign blunder, Senator Barack Obama stated today that the sky is blue.
“This proves his elitist insensitivity,” reported correspondent Karl Rove “There were clouds over many parts of America today, including states the Democrats need to win in November. He completely ignored millions of Americans.”
From The Spoof
Posted by: Trillium | April 14, 2008, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm
reason, you said:
“What we need is Colin Powell.
Obama is a joke. He is a divider. His friends are anti-american. His beliefs are elitist rubbish. The more we find out about him the more we see his rotten core.
Why do the dems do this to themselves every 4 years?”
Funny you said that. Powell has all but endorsed Obama ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/17/wobama117.xml ).
Posted by: Gerald Shields | April 14, 2008, 6:35 pm 6:35 pm
Why is it that the only time I see a gleam in the eye of the Clinton campaign is when they smell blood? This is a last, desperate, pathetic “clinging” to a stupid gaffe in the midst of a frustrated campaign.
Your ecstasy at the smell of this supposed blood is not about your faked anti-elitism – if it were, you would be going after your own candidate not the guy with the single-mom upbringing who just paid off his student loan.
Posted by: TR | April 14, 2008, 6:37 pm 6:37 pm
TR – Didn’t you forget the goat thing? Or the grandmother who actually raised him and who Obama threw under the bus in an effort to save Wright?
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 6:40 pm 6:40 pm
When BHO is out of teleprompter and not having a well-written speech prepared by his marvelous speech writer, he’s showing off his true words !!!
The longer the fight, the more true colors he’s revealing !!!
God save America !!!
Posted by: Blue Collar Voter | April 14, 2008, 6:41 pm 6:41 pm
I like BHO.I’m not worried (or bitter, LOL). He can stand any attack on his own. If he can’t then he can’t be president.
If Hillary does not attack Republicans will. They’re almost indistinguishable now anyway.
It’s Hillary that’s sinking to new low everyday with evermore stupid lies.
Posted by: My America | April 14, 2008, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm
James RR, PA (Independent)- Well, Obama does bowl a mean game.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | April 14, 2008, 6:44 pm 6:44 pm
You guys focusing on this tripe deserve the crummy politicians you get.
Posted by: julie | April 14, 2008, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm
How is it Senator Obama makes the misstatement and it’s Senator Clinton’s fault? Ridiculous. She wouldn’t have anything to call him out on if he didn’t say it in the first place. Cause and effect, folks.
Posted by: LOM | April 14, 2008, 7:05 pm 7:05 pm
Cheers to you Hillary! What are you doing next Satuday Night? How about you and me a bottle of good whiskey and ride in my 74 Chevy SS? Hillay you are my kind of woman!
Hillary and Chevorlet #1 in the U.S.A.!
Posted by: russell | April 14, 2008, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
The more I learn about Obama, the more I dislike and distrust him. I believe that he is a Marxist who genuinely does not identify with his own country. I am concerned about the path he might lead us down. Why is it that ALL of his family/friends/advisors seem to hate America and/or have ties to extremists?
While I’m not in love with Hillary or McCain, I don’t doubt their patriotism. I’m fine with either of them winning. I just want no part of Barack Hussein.
Posted by: James | April 14, 2008, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm
Obama – Black is Wright
Obama attracts thugs and bullies to his campaign and personal life and does so with impunity.
If Obama where Caucasian, he would have been bulldozed by the media long ago.
Look at Obama’s affiliations:
- Senator Meeks who openly hates whites and gays and is listed prominently on Obama’s campaign website as a major Obama supporter and backer and is one of Obama;s super-delegate. Mr. Meeks has been integral in Obama success in politics.
- Mr. Ayers of the Weather Underground, a group that killed police and tried to bomb the US Capitol, served with Obama on the board of the leftist foundation called the Woods Fund.
- Robert Malley a close senior adviser to Obama who advocates negotiations with Hamas and providing international assistance to the terrorist group.
- Larry Sinclair alleges in 1999 Senator Obama’s arranged to meet him in a limousine, sold Senator Obama cocaine and then gave Senator Obama oral sex. Larry then claims that he and Obama went to a hotel and preformed oral sex again. Mr. Sinclair is testifying in court under oath that these allegations are true.
- Mr. Auchi is an Iraqi billionaire and major financial sponsor and closely connected to Obama’s rise to power.
While working with Saddam Hussein, Auchi made his fortune through the selling of arms in Iraq and the funneling off of money from the Oil for Food program.
- Mr. Rezko an Iraqi citizen and Obama’s and Auchi’s long time friend of 17 years and a major mob figure. Rezko is NOT known for his civic sense of duty and does not do favors without asking something in return. Coincidently the Chicago Times reported yesterday that Rezko was negotiating to purchase rehab buildings in Obama’s district.
- Mr. Wright a racist who hates America and whites (and Italians?). Mr. Wright has been Mr. Obama’s spiritual mentor for over 20 years. Before the media exposed Mr. Wright, he was Obama’s chief religious advisor on Obama’s campaign staff. Mr. Wright and Mr. Meeks are ideologically closer to Karl Marx and Black Nationalism, than to Christianity.
- Rashid Khalidi a fundraiser for Obama and is one of Obama’s close friends. Khalidis claim Israel as a “catastrophe”, and supports Palestinian terrorist groups.
- Mr. McPeaks is Obama’s military adviser and national campaign co-chairman who publicly states that American Jews are the “problem.” and “Christian Zionists were driving America’s policy in Iraq to benefit Israel.”
- Abongo “Roy” Obama is the older half brother to Senator Obama. Roy Obama is a militant Muslim activist in Kenya who according to a report from the Investor’s Business Daily has repeatedly urged his brother Senator Obama to embrace African heritage and supports implementation of Sharia law.
- Michelle Obama trumpets Obama as “the second coming of the messiah,” and also states that she “has NEVER been proud to be an American in her adult life”.
The list goes on…
How can Obama’s bad judgment to choose to affiliate with criminals and fanatics be justified? And with so many red flags in Obama’s past, present rhetoric, and future intentions how could we possibly justify electing him into the most powerful position of this country?
Are we so in love with the color black that we forget to see the man?
Posted by: Samuel Redson | April 14, 2008, 8:42 pm 8:42 pm
Wake up America! Obama just proved that he is just another politician not this great uniter or change savior. He got caught just telling what his audience wanted to hear in SF. This guy stands for nothing but a media DRIVEN democratic agenda. Just watch the Republicans use this against him later this year as well as his contraversial ties to Wright/Ayer. I’m not a fan of Clinton or McCain either but Obama is just a media manufactured wannabe president. This economy is in great turmoil and people want an unexperienced senator to save us?? Are you serious? Don’t tell me it is because he will become the Jackie Robinson of US presidents. Sure it may look better to people outside of America that a black man named Obama can be in control as well give hope to young black children that their dreams of becoming president actually can come true. I totally understand those feelings but America’s current bottomline is far more important then ever to need a strong leader then to elect someone just because of “change”. I have far more confidence in Clinton and McCain just on their experience and the fact that they actually stand for something even if you don’t agree with them on everything. Obama makes John Kerry look like a great candidate! lol
Posted by: CHITOWN | April 14, 2008, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
The race is not over until the convention when a nominee is selected. Math scenarios do not apply since they are all just supposition and projections. After 1982, the DNC altered the rules to ensure that delegates can change camps as well as superdelegates. In addition, there are 76 unpledged delegates that will likely be appointed by the state parties in this historic election. Multiple ballots will be required to give either candidate the “half” of all delegates needed to get the nomination. Since we dont know how many actual delegates until convention time and we dont know who will vote which way on which ballot event, all of the projections are simply that – guesses however educated or historically based they may be. We have already seen that this election does not follow statistical precedence. There are 10 more contests and unknown factors yet to be determined. The only way the race can be over before the convention is if one of the candidates withdraws which is not likely. On to the convention after all the states and territories participate!
Posted by: DCVoter | April 14, 2008, 9:26 pm 9:26 pm
Main stream media is out of touch with the America Voters yes we are bitter
MAIN STREAM MEDIA TALKING HEADS!! We are bitter, angry, mad, upset frustrated and pissed-off we are upset about the rising gas and food prices, the thousands of foreclosed homes across the country, being lied to about a war we should have not waged, yes we are bitter about that over 4000 precious american lives lost in a war we were lied about. the healthcare crisis, giving corporate greed, NAFTA(Thanks to the Clintons) I could go on and on yes MAINSTREAM MEDIA we are bitter, angry, mad upset and frustrated yes we are BITTER!!!!
Posted by: janet | April 14, 2008, 9:26 pm 9:26 pm
John Kerry -Swiss chesse on a Philly cheesesteak
Barack Oama – duck hunting with a six shooter.
Posted by: geevill | April 14, 2008, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
Gosh looks like we lost Emileanna after she got to read the link electronic intifada.net/ editorial-barack
Posted by: ruthmatters | April 14, 2008, 10:40 pm 10:40 pm
Hear we go again. Honest, hard working Americans should be as honest with themselves or they wouldn’t get their panties in a wad over a little comment. Focus on the issues and quit whining and twisting words so that you can cry about them. I would expect that the honest truth wouldn’t be so offensive. Maybe we just need another Republican to just feed us B.S. for another term while out country suffers. Grow up and don’t be such wussies. A man is defined by not his words, but by his actions.
Posted by: Eric | April 14, 2008, 11:44 pm 11:44 pm
guess Obama had to make up some answer to tell all of those wealthy people in San Francisco why small town Pennsylvanians were not falling at his feet to supporting him. He could have said they were “racists” but he put the same message in his more eloquent terms…antipathy..people who don’t look like them…I’m bitter about his words to describe the Heart of America, the very people who have supported him. Good thing he didn’t say that before Iowa ’cause we would have our nominee by now. Hillary/Edwards ’08
Posted by: mpwdc | April 14, 2008, 11:58 pm 11:58 pm
Why all over tv medias tonight kept showing Hillary sipped whiskey ?
They should be fair and show how Obama drank Chardonney, expensive wine at that private fundraiser with those multi billionaires.
The tv medias are so bias.
Posted by: crisis08 | April 15, 2008, 12:38 am 12:38 am
If voters truly are objective when viewing each candidate then they would sift through the mistakes they make in their words and see beyond rhetoric to find the truth. There ARE those who will never vote for Obama because he is black. They cling to any negatives they can find about him to use that and not race as their problem with him.
After listening to Hillary I have decided to vote against her. her experience and time in the WHite house have hardened her and for me she is no different than any other man that has recently been in the White House.
Experience does not necessarily make a good anything. We have evidence of that in politics, the corporate world. teaching, law enforcement, etc. That is not an argument.
We need a new direction and that scares some people who are afraid of change; those who would rather stay with the evil they know than take a chance on anything new.
I am sure that they are many behind the scenes working against Obama because of his color. Race has always been an issue in the USA.
Posted by: Flor | April 15, 2008, 12:43 am 12:43 am
Tonight, my local tv news reported some comments of small city in my state.
The small city with rich business owners, farmers.
They did not like Obama’s comments about bitterness, religion and guns.
These people live in that small city but they are nice,religious,rich and not bitter at all
Posted by: crisis08 | April 15, 2008, 12:56 am 12:56 am
You know what I’m bitter about? I’m bitter about the fact that the media just keeps giving this guy a free pass no matter how horrible the gaffe. The media goes out of its way to “explain” what Obama “really” meant. I think plenty of people in this country are smart enough to figure out what he meant without having it explained to us. I’m also bitter about the many, many lies Obama keeps telling, particularly about his relationship with Rezko and Auchi. If things go as they’ve been going, the latest testimony placing Obama and Rezko at Auchi’s party in 2004 will just slide into oblivion. The fact that Obama tried to tell everyone that his relationship with Rezko consisted of “only 5 billed hours on one of his [Rezko's] cases” and now months down the road, the story has changed so many times, it’s hard to keep track of all these lies. Forget the Larry Sinclair tidbit … Obama’s in bed with Rezko and Auchi. I could also mention the fact that Obama’s been on the board of directors of the Woods Fund, the organization formed by Ayers and Dohr [remember the Weather Underground?], but I suppose that won’t get any air time, either. Gosh, there’s so much that could be said, but who’s listening anyway? The Obama supporters have their fingers in their earr, screaming “I can’t hear you” and most Democrats who aren’t blog rats don’t know because the media isn’t doing their job by telling them. Yeah, I’m bitter … bitter about a liar named Obama getting a free pass from the media, instead of being held responsible for all his lies.
Posted by: SM White, Irvine, CA | April 15, 2008, 1:32 am 1:32 am
Why should Obama apologize for his insightfulness into the perceptions of the majority of Americans? It is true — we are bitter (discouraged) — yet hopeful. It is true that when so much is happening in a world without borders that we, Americans, cling “hold onto” {syntax} what is comfortable and what we have fought to earn our rights to: (1) the right to bear arms, (2) freedom to exercise whatever our religion (Christian, Islamic, Protestant, etc) and (3) the right to pursuit of happiness. These things leave us hope knowing that this what our country fought for during the revolution that created this country.
In a world without borders, special interest groups and big businesses have enabled the flight of jobs across borders in search of countries with lesser, if any, environmental, labor, or governmental laws. As a result of this flight, there is no longer a middle-class — only upper and lower classes. The CEOs and businesses of this country earn and keep most of the money — they are not the ones impacted by a war this country should not have entered into or its unfair free trade agreements — it is the lower and middle class that are impacted by this war and the free trade agreements. If free trade agreements were fair, people in China, India, Africa, Thailand — wherever, would be paid a decent wage, their country’s environment would not be devastated by businesses who are not concerned with the impact their businesses have on the environment and these countries governments would not feel compelled to allow these actions just to keep the businesses in their country for the sake of growth. If the agreements were fair and took these issues into consideration, big businesses could not take flight in the manner in which they do. At the very least, businesses who seek to move offshore should be required to contribute to a fund that creates a safety net for those who are impacted — education dollars in particular to ensure the retraining of those impacted by the loss of jobs.
This country no longer invests the way that it should in the education of its people to insure not only the welfare of the people, but the welfare of this country. If it had, even if our jobs moved to China, India, or any other country across borders, our people could move into other sectors of industry to earn a decent wage. Instead, our people are left without training or available funds (unless we borrow with interest) to receive training or a decent education — but yet must manage to live on considerably less and still maintain their homes, buy food, gasoline, and put their children through college. Given the current costs of these endeavors — children must work fulltime to attend college rather than focusing on their studies; we must sell our homes because of wage loss; we must search out Dollar Tree and discount stores to buy food and clothing; or, we must travel in carpools to save on gasoline.
Yes, we cling (embrace) our religion, hold onto guns (stand steady), and do feel discouraged (bitter) of our state. However, though we are not proud of the actions of our country and the perceptions of us in the world, we are still hopeful of change — change that we are hoping that Obama can bring once he wins the election. He should not allow people like Hillary and McCain play on the ignorance of the people to undermine his true message — he should drive it home, not apologize for Michelle’s or his statements — they are true and insightful — for EVERYONE affected by our current world drive toward a global economy.
Posted by: Betty Johnson | April 15, 2008, 9:45 am 9:45 am
Betty Johnson makes the point that Obama is right about his feelings and hers that what he said was correct. Even though he says he regrets he got caught saying what he did, that he really didn’t intend for his thoughts to be known outside that room in San Francisco.
Poor Hussein, everyone picks on him! He is not sorry for what he said, he is sorry he got caught…
This will come back to haunt him in the general election. I say this because most liberal like Betty agree with what he said. They back him 100% because he states what they know as true. What will come out in the general election is that true American believe in God, and believe in the Constitution.
Barack Hussein Obama will lose in a general election because Americans cannot be lectured to by an elitist Harvard liberal. John Kerry, Michael Dukakis, and of course the greatest of all the late Adlai Stevenson were all the elitist liberals like him, and how did they do in the national election?
Posted by: Ken Durbin | April 15, 2008, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
Janet P,
I agree with you.
The problem is all the media can not show the clip of him at the private fundraiser in SF with those multi billonaires when he gave that comments.
People only saw the clip Hillary drank whiskey in the bar but they don’t know what he was doing with those billionaires.
I am sure he had a very good times and had an excellent diner.
Posted by: crisis08 | April 15, 2008, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
W-thank you ‘America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. It is this hope that has sustained us through revolution and civil war, depression and world war, a struggle for civil and social rights and the brink of nuclear crisis. And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before.’
Posted by: G | May 7, 2008, 5:57 am 5:57 am
Thank you ‘G’…
W rocks indeed.
Posted by: Mdawg | May 7, 2008, 6:03 am 6:03 am