Obama: ‘Hope and Anger’ Go Hand in Hand

I am bitter. I have checked out the facts.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?cycle=2008
My vote is with Senator Obama.

Amazing how many different”excuses’ can one manhave to explain his words? Once words are uttered,without the speechmakers by your side and your tele-prompter in your face.. it’s tough to repair thecruel damage you have caused.
It amazes me to see the support he gets for having a racist pastor-mentor; a ffriend who is close to jail time and a pprofessor buddy who claims he “did not do enough” after bombing buildings in NY. These Obama followers are “under a very frightening spell”.

I am bitter. I have watched NAFTA devastate my state [OH]. I have watched the Clinton’s devolved to Rove-light. I’ve watch Hillary attempt to play the black vote against the Lationo vote.
I am also hopeful. Hopeful that the superdelegates will not be so elitist as to reverse the will of the voters. I am hopeful that Hillary will at some point decision to leave the field with some little shred of her dignity remaining.

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.”

The Clintons are so desperate that they will stoop to nothing in lying and deceiving the voters. Hillary tells lies causally. Her husband is no different. If that is not elitist, what is? He tells 7 lies in a 15 word statement, about Hillary’s Bosnia’s trip. What do they think of the voters? Do they think the voters are fool when without thinking they underestimate the intelligence of the hardworking voters in small town America? Are they so out of touch with the conditions of the small man that they think that small town America does not feel? Bill Clinton himself recently stated that the U.S. is in a deplorable state because of high gas, war in Iraq, foreclosure, and recession. Hillary says she needs to clean up. My question is, why does Hillary needs to clean up after Bush if people are not frustrated, bitter and angry? Being bitter, angry and frustrated does not mean they are not optimistic. Small Town Americans are proud. They are optimistic. And yes they are bitter, frustrated but optimistic. One is not exclusive of the other. People are human. They feel. They suffer when they cannot feed their kids, pay their bills, keep their homes, and have a job. They are bitter, frustrated and angry when their pregnant sister dies because she has no insurance. They are bitter, frustrated and angry when presidential campaigns owe them money after they have performed a service. They are bitter, frustrated and angry when political candidates patronize them with lies about Bosnian snipers. They are bitter angry and frustrated when their child in Iraq dies, a victim of a faceless enemies.
Yes, they are bitter angry and frustrated. They have all rights to their humanity. But instead of killing, fighting or doing crime, these hard working people cling to something they are familiar with. They cling to something that will never let them down; their traditions and hometown culture. Like people every where when you are in pain you cling to something. It can be negative things like drugs and crime or it can be positive things like family, religion, faith, church, hunting, and sports. I reiterate it’s optimism and pride that make small town people cling to their hunting instead of killing. It’s optimism pride and faith that makes them cling to their religion instead of delusion. But yes they are bitter, angry and frustrated; let’s not steal their feeling, from them. Clintons get out of your, 109 million bubble and get in touch, get real. As for you McCain, you get angry; bitter and frustrated and negatively attack colleagues and family. Small Town America choose the positive alternative faith, hunting and HOPE.

Read the entire transcript of what Obama said in SF and then make your decision. If you don’t, then you’re letting the Hillary Clinton and John McCain make your decision for you.
IN CONTEXT, Obama was explaining why small town voters often vote against their own economic interests. It’s because they feel it won’t make a difference because the politicians don’t do anything. Instead they vote on other issues they care about.
In no way, shape or form did Obama say that people become religious or militant or racist or bigoted because they are bitter. Read for yourself. Google is your friend.

JCinDe folks don’t want facts. They want talking points. Please stop cluttering the field with facts and relevant information.

Obama’s comments were disparaging.

Keith: Sorry I can’t help myself.
Context is not a new or alien concept. People should know better than to listen to two sentences parsed out of five paragraphs of discussion and think they can make informed judgments about it.
The context of his remarks are posted on his site. DON’T BE IGNORANT. GO READ IT.
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/04/11/transcript_of_obamas_remarks_a.php

As I observe this campaign over the last year. It’s getting clearer that Obama has a set of weaknesses that will not ultimately be admired in a president. First, he is indecisive. He would say he is thoughtful and that’s good, but I wonder if he has a fear of failure. He tends to be flip and over confident when a little humility would be authentic. Finally, he overestimates his abilities and experience. Americans don’t appreciate boasting when it’s not earned.

al,
The raciest MF, Get the F outta here!!

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.

@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.

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?

Crack Head,
You mean Hillary is going back to NY!!
Well she fought well. May be next time!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

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.

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!

Preach on RCO preach on
Si se puede :)

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!

So is Obama suggesting that hopeful people are also angry people?

rco – 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.

go Hillary Back to NY!!
Nice try, may be next time!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

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

right on rco!!! you tell em!
Si se puede :)

RC – Did you mention taking money from lobbyists? Yes, Obama does love sub prime money from the very lobbyists who throw Americans out on the street, Wright?
Obama has taken $1,180,103 from the top issuers of subprime loans. [cq.com]
Obama received $266,907 from Lehman. [Cq.com]
Obama received $5395 from GMAC. [Cq.com]
Obama received $150,850 from CS First Boston . [Cq.com]
Obama received $11,250 from Countrywide. [Cq.com]
Obama received $9052 from Washington Mutual. [Cq.com]
Obama received $161,850 from Citigroup. [Cq.com]
Obama received $4600 from CBASS. [Cq.com]
Obama received $170,050 from Morgan Stanley. [Cq.com]
Obama received $1150 from Centex. [Cq.com]
Obama received $351,900 from Goldman Sachs. [Cq.com]

At least the Browns pull off a hail mary every now and again.
Posted by: Keith
———————————
Hye Hillary won 2 ( then lost 1 in delegates) after loosing straight 13 states!!
go back To NY HILLARY!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

how about a link to substantiate and do you have Hill info to compareit to?

Rco – Wasn’t it Obama who blamed gun toting, church going, anti-immigrant, anti-trade small town bitter nuts for failing to support him? Now they’re also “angry” as well? Glad Obama said that and not Hillary.

Dogsoldier,
You think we are sleeping, out of 230+ millions you are talking about GMAC insurance..5300+ are you nuts..
LIST HOW MUCH Clintons received from Lobbyists if you dare, this website will not have enough space to fill them all up!!
1300000 of us OBAMA supporters are the base of his huge donation, last month alone 40+ millions! Sorry even Clinton with her own money and lobbyists money combined could not dare to match that!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

Danny, with all those “elite” million-billionaires in SF Obama doesn’t need more lobby money…he’s busy putting these people in his pocket. Wonder what they will want from him IF he ever gets to the White House???

“Hope and anger go hand in hand”??! What the hay is he talking about? What a load of BS. Love and hate walk together. Night and day bring the sun.
Is anybody buying this load of cr.. which he’s putting out in an incredibly desperate attenmpt to cover up the way he trashed average Americans “clinging” to their little pursuits. If people buy this, don’t blame anyone but yourselves later.

He didn’t take money from lobbist but he did take it from thier family members.you can give the max even in your children’s name you can loan the max to some one to donate as long as you don’t die and cheat them out of it.

If you have followed the news today, reports have surfaced on the major news outlets of quotes from big Bill Clinton when he ran for President, that sound remarkably similar to what Obama has said about small town voters. If it’s good enough for Bill- and you know how much you hillary lovers love Bill, and his wonderful 8 years as President. As a reminder, Bill was a newbie outsider who had no experience other than being the Governor of Arkansas. No one questioned Bill’s experience because- guess what?- he offered a platform of CHANGE and HOPE. The voters said ‘yes we can’ to Bill, and they will say ‘yes we can’ to Obama!

Let’s be fair. Hillary didn’t say what Obama said. She didn’t make him say what he said. He’s a grown up and knows what he said and is responsible for it. His words speak for thesmelves. It’s Obama who is constantly clairfying what he actually meant and spinning to try to make it sound ok. His words speak for themselves. His words are what have gotten him this far. They are his own doing both for good or bad.

RC – Took a moment to find reliable info. Here. In February 2008, according to a Campaign Finance Institute analysis of the latest official campaign receipts, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) raised 56 percent of his contributions in increments of $200 or less, while Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) raised 52 percent in similar amounts.

Obama never thought that Wright’s sermons would see the light of day. And he never thought that his analysis of working class voters in PA for a well-heeled San Fran fundraising crowd would see the light of day. We’re fortunate to get a look behind the mask. What we do with this knowledge is up to each of us.

I am bitter about economy and war!
But I support Obama!
Do Obama has to please everybody with all his words everyday? Cannot speak his mind and say what he thinks! Remember nobody other then President in N. Korea and former Iraq get 99% of the vote in Presidential election!!
If you want that kind of dummy President Vote for Clinton or McCain, but if you want an Honest President, give OBAMA a chance!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

Can you tell for your self that Pa is a no frills state thats what I love about it you know Bitching is second nature and so is crying about how broke you are thier are more college’s in the state I don’t know to many people who have not been to some college.We don’t cling to guns and we grew up going to church and god is an everyday think and so is dowing shots and shooting guns.

Obama! Yo Momma!
“hope and anger go together”????
Hitler also justified the two going hand in hand. Its all about “CHANGE”, making the world a better place.
This guy dosn’t have a clue!
We need to stick to the candidates with experience we can trust…….Hillary and McCain won’t start a revolution in the name of Anger and hope.

Apparently, it’s not a poor choice of word. The dude meant what he said and he got caught on tapes. There is only so much the dude can lie his way out this time. People are not that dumb as he thought they were. By April 22, the dude will eat his own words.

ObamaKnew,
Do you know Fair Play? You cannot change the rule of the game after you already played the game. FL & MI knew their votes will not count before they even voted! Why certain change of heart now, because your 5th Feb Super Tuesday did not work out good for you? Nice try but Rule is Rule, if you want to change it may be next time!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

Two problems with only checking the overall numbers with open secrets:
METHODOLOGY: The totals on these charts are calculated from PAC contributions and contributions from individuals giving more than $200, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. Individual contributions are generally categorized based on the donor’s occupation/employer, although individuals may be classified instead as ideological donors if they’ve given more than $200 to an ideological PAC.
Lobbyists contribute to candidates without using PAC’s to hide the money and as individual contributions. The are not flagged by the FEC. Most lobbyists are attorneys/lawyers. Obama and Clinton both have about the same campaign contributions from lawyers and law firms. Other industry and citizen lobbyists are also not necessarily associated with PAC’s. Did you know Obama has a PAC of his own that he used to filter 800K to superdelegates to buy the votes of 34 of them? Clinton only filtered 19K and she already had the support of the superdelegates who recieved monies for their legislative efforts. Did you know that Obama has many lobbyists working for him on his campaign and had to retract some things he said bad about lobbyists since he was caught using them?
Lobbyists are not all bad either. This is how things get done. Without them, disabled children, the elderly, breast cancer victims, etc. would not have a voice in our political process. Failure to work with lobbyists results in a failure to get the job done – much like Carter. It is important to understand the process in order to understand what those statistics on open secrets really tell us.

Don’t stress out people. A week from today, we will know if this dude can make any CHANGE or not and I think NOT. Let’s leave it up to folks in Penn sate. As far as the recent poll goes, this dude is toasted.

Obama will not shame America into voting for him. He can shame the Democrats, but it won’t work in the general.

Nicholas,
Keep trying, Hillary supports said the same before IOWA..this is nothing new to us after 80% of primary votes already counted!!By the way your Rep buddies will have not enough voters to support the YOUNG MCCAIN!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

Actually, when 30 percent of Hillary supporters vote for McCain, Obama will be going back to the Senate.
McCain is now leading Obama in a head to head poll. Why do you think that is? It’s Hillay voters! :)
Instead of Yes We Can…it should be OH YES THEY WILL!

The Republican voters will come out in November. Anyone who assumes that they won’t is just clearly not thinking.
Obama is losing the white middle income to lower income voters.
The Democrats never win when they lose that portion of the Democratic party.

Oh Great Spiritual Adviser Obama,
It’s yin and yang, it’s love and hate, it’s a nickel with two heads on both sides.
========================================
What it is is bitterness!
Obama, bitter, bitter, Oboma!
========================================

WCM – You still awake lad?

Dogsoldier – it is ET here in DC so 1:14 AM or so, I’d say that’s right about the time people start realizing Obama may have destroyed not just his own chance to win the nomination but also the possibility of Democrats winning the White House and a greater majority in Congress. Given the number of Obama surrogates who may be drowning their sorrows worrying about what to do instead of out supporting Obama in his time of peril, ’tis a sad time in DC for the lot of ‘em.

I see most of them all went to a pro-Obama site/thread or elsewhere to express their anger. But you can bet they will return with yet more copy and paste rhetoric. Some of the Obama supporters are ok though – we just disagree. The ones that are not hateful and immature are likely to support whomever the nominee is for the dems.

DCV – For the most part you are a kind and forgiving soul. Out here in oil country when you work with tobacco chewing, cursing, cattle eating for vegetable, spiting, rough necks, little fellows like Obama could pass for a woman.

I hear ya Dogsoldier – back in Texas they, the oil field workers, refer to themselves as roughnecks for a reason… they are proud of that nick! But I do truly believe that Clinton can and will represent the interests of all Americans as she always has. She has never forgotten her roots. Speaking of oil, I havent seen any talk among the politicians about the Brazil oil discovery… wonder if they are figuring that into the economic recovery plan in the interim for oil supply.

DCVoter ad Dog,
Two of your Romantic Hillary stories making me sleep!
Goodnight and sweet dream about Clintons in NYC after Aug!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!

DCV – I read the Brazil story. Gonna be years before that baby comes on line. I’ll be transfered up to the Canadian oil sands projects next week. We have two $10 billion plants up there shipping oil south to America.

Clinton (without Obama supporters) has the equivalent of 260+ electoral votes so far.
Obama (without Clinton supporters) has the equivalent of 150+ electoral votes so far.
Red states do not count for the dems.
Latest polls project Clinton wins PA by 20 points and IN by 16. That would add 32 electoral votes for Clinton’s total to surpass the 270 to win.
Latest polls project Obama wins NC by 20 points but NC is red so he would get 0 electoral votes for that state.
Clinton is clearly more electable in Nov against McCain.

It amazes me how quickly people forget. Of course hope and anger go together. Thats exactly what he was talking about in his speech on March 18th. When he said and I quote the anger is real and to wish it away without understanding it is to widen the gulf. Yes he was talking about race then but its the SAME principle. 81% of the country thinks that we are on the wrong track and you dont think there’s some angry people in there then you are living in a fantasy land as McCain and Hilary seem to be doing. These communities are devastated because of trade policies like nafta coupled with 10 billion dollars per month going to Iraq. I dont live in a small town and I’m angry so I’m sure there is anger in these economically devastated towns.
Carol

Good deal Dogsoldier. My point about the Brazil discovery is “projected reserves”. Most people outside the oil industry dont understand how that works in terms of the world’s oil supply like we do. (I dont work that industry anymore but some of the family still does.) As we both know, much of the stock market on oil is based on future reserves not actual.

DCVotes,
In the land of Blind, One eye man is a King!!
Hillary is losing in every category, now you trying to make your own chart to make you happy. That is a pathetic try!! LOL! Instead of rest of the Primaries, should Dems listen to your silly arguments? I do not think so! Tell it to Dog, he will love it! LOL!
OBAMA08! YES WE CAN!!

DCV – Correct. Actual and future are no man’s land for the uninitiated.

First there was Hope with Obama. Now, there’s just Anger.

Obama’s audacity of hope is hoping the voters wont learn the truth about his record… hoping no one sees the videos of Wright… hoping no one knows about his house… hoping no one knows about his earmarks to buy his wife the hospital VP slot with a doubling of her salary… hoping no one noticed he bought stock in a biotech then pushed through legislation to increase its value… hoping no one knows about his associations with people who support terrorism… hoping he can buy the votes to win the nom… hoping he can scare people with his surrogates threats of riots and upheaval based on race… hoping no one records what he says at private fundraisers… oops… hope is lost.

THIS OBAMA REMARKS IS NOT A BIG DEAL.
WHY??
BECAUSE IT IS THE TRUTH. ECONOMICS HAD BADLY AFFECTED PEOPLE’S LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY WHICH HAD LED US BITTER. OBAMA ALWAYS SAYS THE TRUTH SO SOME PEOPLE HATE HIM BECAUSE OF THAT. HILLARY AND MCCAINS ARE CRITICISING AND MISQUOTING HIM FOR NOTHING. AT THE END, TRUTH WILL PREVAIL . MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.

When the phone rings at the Oval Office at 0200H, will it be necessary for the Secret Service to put on first a teleprompter?

The primary race in PA is becoming a circus!
This process has deteriorated thanks to the Clinton’s. They know what “strings to pull” in the PA demographics and the voters there seem to be receptive to how they are being messaged by the Clinton campaign.
For the most part, we already understood that race would play a major role in your individual voting decision and that you were not seriously considering Barack in the first place. So why all this noise about why you’re not voting for him.
During your states fifteen minutes of fame, you have exhibited bittereness unlike we have not seen in the rest of the country.
You will clearly reject Barack when given the chance on 4/22. That is your privilege but after so many years of the Clinton’s and McCain being in Washington, I just don’t understand what you believe they will do for you once the campaigns leave your state and they get back to “comfortable” in Washington.
You cling to those who have sent your jobs across the seas or across the border? It’s hard to understand your lack of desire for change.
I’ll just be happy to see the campaigns move on out of PA.

Sounds like a Reverand Wright mentality. Anger, bitterness…….wonderful qualities to lead our country with.

I USED TO BE BITTER!
I USED TO BE HOPEFUL!
NOW, I’M SIMPLY CONVINCED THAT OUR COUNTRY WILL BE RESTORED AND OUR BEST DAYS ARE IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE “CHANGE HAPPENS”!
OBAMA/WEBB ’08

Face it there is no explaining this to a Hillary supporter.
I think the only people upset by this are those who are already in Clinton’s Camp, and some how they think showing self righteous indignation is going to sway someone else.
The problem is they have seen this before with the Republican attack machine, it worked and what did they get? One big disappointment.
Obama is still up by 10 points nationaly, and is still down by only 6 in PA. This is not what Hillary and her supporters want.
Well I guess she has nothing better to run on.

Clinton has lied about everything from NAFTA, S-Chip, Ireland, Bosnia to her helping NY’er get jobs when she actually has a net loss in Buffalo. She will lie about anything as she is a sociopath.
Wake up Clinton people. Her husband lost both houses of Congress and was impeached

No, it’s more about this: people will vote against their own economic interests since they don’t believe anything is going to change for the better economically. So Karl Rove and his buddies can put gay marriage on the agenda, or spout off about how ‘the Democrats want to take away your guns’ – and get people riled up to vote Republican. Then, W and company can give tax breaks to the top 1%, do nothing to help middle America or small towns, and get away with, literally, murder.

Are we hopefully bitter or bitterly hopeful?

Even Jesus had issues with the Pharasies.They wanted to kill religion with their tradition. This is abt Obama Vs Old tradition of Washington.

And BTW…This conversation DOES NOTHING to better the lives of Americans!
BUT…its Clinton old-style POLITICS!
Want four more years, Folks?

Notice how Hillary supporters, no matter what the article reads, are always in attack mode. “Go Back to Indonesia” he’s an “elitist” etc. Very similar to their “Democratic” candidate in that way. They can never say indisputably why their candidate is better. Hillary supporters step to the plate. Why is your candidate better? Or, are you not capable of doing it without personal attacks.
I support Barack Obama because he is not George Bush.
Barack has always publicly opposed stupid war in Iraq, that’s crippling our economy, and is committed to ending it.
He wants to provide tax cuts to working class and not the wealthiest (John McCain wants them to be permanent) that can afford to pay taxes.
I support Barack because he has a plan to encourage companies to keep jobs her in America. And stimulate job growth her in US.
I support him because he really does know the difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
The # 1 reason I support Obama over Clinton is because, unlike McCain and Clinton, I don’t have a short memory. I remember the embarrassment the Clinton administration caused the democratic party and the US. I remember sexual harassment claims, accusations of rape, Janet Reno, Ken Starr, White Water hearings, and rise of GOP New World Order. When it comes to electablility, these are all things McCain’s campaign will force us to deal with again.
Time for America to turn the page.

Reading through the comments it is clear that Hillary’s plan to brainwash people on how to think about a fellow Democrat is working to some extent.
Sad.
How many have actually listened to what Obama said and formed their own opinion? It’s a non-issue being over-used in the eleventh hour of a failing campaign.
Obama was talking about people VOTING based on guns and religion and gay marriage instead of issues that will help their everyday lives. He speculates that they do this because they are bitter and don’t believe anymore that the government can or will help them economically.
I have often wondered myself why people choose a candidate based on social issues when they are at risk for losing their JOBS and HOUSES. I guess Obama has thought a lot about this, too. Good for him.
So many people seem SO eager to find fault in everybody. Obama is not perfect, but he is smart and different and trying very hard to change a badly broken system and a hurting (bitter) country.
By the measure of politicians–Republican and Democrat–over history, Barack Obama is astonishingly honest and open-minded. Difficult for many to see or believe. We have become a country of cynics and it is sad.

I love how people let the media decide for them instead of reading about the actual candidates, or reading about was actually said. I hope and dream that America will wake up someday and think for themselves.

People can’t own their emotions of anger and bitterness because we are conditioned to ignore these feelings. The people in the clinton ad look angry and bitter to me. Most people who don’t take care of their physical appearance have some sort of repressed anger. These people are not even close to being on a path of enlightenment or self-actualization, as is Obama, so they take the statements negatively, instead of objectively, as I’m sure he intended. Obama views the world differently than these people, for sure – with more emotional maturity and the ability to self-evaluate, which these people clearly can’t do.

It amazing to me how racist people are in the country. Obama initial comments were in response to an audience members question about why white people in middle America were racist and wouldn’t vote for him. Obama’s response was that they were not racist, but that they were bitter due to economic strife and tended to cling to those things that were familiar to them. Anyone from a small town knows that guns and religion are a very BIG part of “small town” America. Obama did not make any nefarious comments about this lifestyle, but rather he used it as a way to explain this phenomenon that has been deeply rooted in small town communities that are predominately white.
Lastly, I believe that there will be a few people that will not vote for Obama based on these comments. However, they were not going to vote for him anyway. They will use the comments as an excuse not to vote for Obama, rather than reveal the real reason they won’t vote for him.

Yeah, people are bitter, but Obama has no real plan to deal with it. His rambling about health insurances is just ridiculous. He can try and copy the German (30% of the entire budget per year go into “social” stuff, usually supporting immigrants who don’t want to work and pointless integration measures) or Austrian (health insurances with a deficit of ~470 million USD) system. Good luck for it, it’ll fail, big time. Obama has no clue how the world works, that damn snob with his racist friends.
Obama will run America down. Just wait and see. In 2012 I’ll be telling you “Told you so”.

I cling to my bitterness and have hope for my anger.

Yes, if you criticise Obama you are a racist. If you’re religious and from a small towwn, its because you are bitter. and so on.
Obama is a corrupt man, a liar, and and a racist in his own right. If you are concerned about American racism, it is time to move forward, and that means ANYBODY but Obama.

Yes we’re angry at losing our jobs and homes, at losing our kids to a shameless war, at losing our Constitutional rights, at being stiffed by 30 years of politicians who have turned us against ourselves. Obama is not afraid to articulate that anger and his message of hope rings loud and clear because it rings through this fog of anger and hopelessness and signals CHANGE is possible.

RE: Bitter comments -Obama discussed the same valid point in 2004 at a sit down interview with Charlie Rose remarks. Bill Clinton has made these remarks,Hillary Clinton has made them too. There’s a book call “What’s the Matter with Kansas” that makes the exact same point. It’s not new but it’s a strategy the Republican openly admit to using quite successfully. People vote against their economic interest because they don’t think anything will get done anyway. Instead they turn to comfort/emotional/moral issues that they believe to be attainable. I know people who voted for George Bush in 2004 and were worse off than before the voted for him in 2000. I asked why and they voted for him if their life was getting worse and they told me either gay marriage or anit-abortion issues. People vote the way they want but it doesn’t make what Obama says untrue. You can call it controversial but it’s still true and he’s not the only one who knows it.

I agree w/u Sister, I’m bitter also but have not given up on HOPE. I realize also that some people do resort to violence but I cling to my faith.
My vote is OBAMA!

Hope someone can help with my dilemma.
I’ve found in my music collection, recordings by Steven Curtis Chapman and Dwight Yoakum (Hold on to God) in which they sing “cling to Jesus” and so forth. After I burned all their CD’s, I found several old hymns in my methodist hymnal in which we used to sing about “Clinging to the cross” and again, the popular “cling to Jesus” phrase. Is it okay for me to burn these old hymnals or would that be sacralegious?

@al, you are angry at the govt at large, so you are bitter at the politians, which makes you cling to things you know best, and finally, you have hope because a president like Obama is on horizon!
Hope that helps..

I am getting tired of Pennsylvanians against Obama still harping on the words bitter and frustrated. They try to pretend that they are not bigoted. Give me a break. I am 81 and a Pennsylvanian and I can assure you that bigotry is alive and kicking all over the state. There are usually two subjects worn out at every dinner, the price of gas and what if we get a black president? Oh, I forgot guns, everyone has several, cabinets filled with them because everyone hunts. There is a church on every corner, the people want God back n the schools, they refuse to believe they are descended from a monkey, and they hate the word liberal. Now, ask me he was being offensive. I think he was too polite. If we get Hilary, we will regret it forever and McCain is just the same old tired follow the course guy. We need Obama badly.

The statemtents are elitist because
1) Obama didn’t empathize with the people he was talking about. He showed himself to be very different from himself and drew a contrast that came across as him being better or them being dumb, backwards – while he was smarter than they are to help with their problems.
2) He singled out working white people and came across as a ‘saviour’ and pandered to the elite group he was speaking with.
No matter how Obama supporters slice is – he was busted. Talking to one group about another group. Or basically saying – “look ya’ll, I’m trying to help these poor stupid red necks to get votes and this is what i’m gonna tell them, i need ya’ll to back me”…..

I am Bitter about Economy and War!!
I support OBAMA!!
OBAMA08!! YES WE CAN!!
You people are terrifying! That’s exactly how Hitler came to power — from people voting out of bitterness and a desire to raze the entire government to build something new, more hopeful, better — most of all, DIFFERENT.
Anyone who could vote for that man is ignorant, desperate and yes, bitter.

“They don’t vote on economic issues because they don’t expect anybody’s going to help them,” Obama said
NO. King of all Liberals Obama. We do not want a handout. We take prid ein earning our own living. We do not respect those who are capable, but are too lazy to earn a living. If we find a wallet we will return it to the owner and refuse a reward (against our own economic interest). The Obamas only give 1% to charity because it is in their best economic interest.

Anyone who’s not frustrated, angry, and bitter hasn’t been paying attention. And btw, the Obamas gave 1% to charity because they were paying off their student loans. I vote for having a real person in the White House for a change.

It isn’t the “clinging” to guns and religion that is the biggest issue (although that’s bad in and of itself). It’s that he implied that all regular Americans are bigots and racists because we are too stupid to see things his way. Those that wish to downplay this story are not helping themselves. It’s a HUGE story!

Bill W.~
Encouraged is original thought; here is the place and now is the time…
Yes YOU Can!

Faith, hope, and charity go hand in hand not hope and anger as Obama would have us believe. This small town, happy, church going, Pennsylvania gun owner knows that anger and hatred go hand in hand. And he graduated from Harvard?

nocity~
Required of Empathy: simple Understanding.
All is well, so Bush says; Crooked McCain agrees.
Happy are these wise rich fools; bitter the ignored, now demanding.
Empathy & Understanding are Obama’s tools; lost in all your hazy breeze.

As a person with liberal humanitarian views of the world, conservative fiscal views on public funds, naturalist views on environment, and libertarian views regarding government interference in personal lives, I am a moderate Independent because no one party fits the bill.
I read an assertion today that at first I found stereotypical. The assertion was that liberals feel and conservatives think. While that may be true for the extreme liberals and conservatives, it is certainly not true for those like myself. I think extremists are the minority in this country but sometimes I wonder when I read the blog comments.
I will say that we can certainly apply the feel vs. think theory to the democratic candidates. In general, Obama appeals to the emotions of voters while Clinton appeals to the minds of voters. Each candidate tries to appeal to the other’s base as expected. So it is not surprising that where the candidates digress, Obama leans liberal in his voting record and Clinton leans conservative in her voting records.
What it seems to come down to is which of those we the voters find most important. If we like the one who appeals most to our emotions, we follow Obama. If we like the candidate with the greatest command of the issues, we follow Clinton. The polls completely support this assertion.
People talk about inspiration a lot in this campaign. While some find Obama inspirational, I find Clinton more inspirational because she speaks from the heart and not just words. (For the poster that said Obama doesnt use teleprompters you are mistaken. In fact, the experts have been critical of his faulty speeches and debate performances when he does not have them available.)
In any case, why do we need our President to inspire us? Do we hire the best mechanic, doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc. because they inspire us? I think most people hire the people we find most qualified for the money we can afford. If we were electing a class president, we might be looking for someone to inspire us to achieve our goals. But the role of the POTUS is nothing like a class president. In my view, we need a competent CEO/COO and CIC of the largest most complex organization in the world that is directly related to the security, stability, and welfare of the citizens of the USA. A class president does not impact any of these. An inspiring speaker alone is not qualified to be POTUS. The political climate of the world has changed placing the security of the nation among the top two issues we must realistically address. Economically, we have serious issues and we need a President with serious answers and a record of getting the job done for all Americans not just certain demographic sectors.
The voters in the democratic electorate hold different perspectives on what is most important in a candidate. This is a race for the nomination and we the voters should be considering all of the attributes of each candidate. Let’s allow the remaining voters to do just that and stop all the personal attacks based on misogynist and racists views.
What we see happening was engineered by the RNC via Karl Rove’s expert manipulation in his advice to Obama on how to beat Clinton and the RNC manipulation of the voters through the media pushing them to vote with their emotions prompting Identity splits. In that sense, the RNC is making the assertion a reality – in their view, liberals (democrats) are voting with their hearts and conservatives (repubicans) are voting with their heads.
Usually voters do vote with their hearts in the primary season and their heads in the election season. This is part of the reason democrats lose most general elections for President – they tend to select a nominee that is not competent to be POTUS.
Former President Bill Clinton has the ability to reach out and touch the voters but ran on a platform based on the issues and was successful because he had the experience and record of getting the job done. Senator Clinton also took the time to establish her own experience and record of getting things done. She reaches out to voters in a different way but still runs on a platform based on the issues. The polls continue to maintain the voters believe she is the most comptent on the issues. Unfortunately, half the democratic electorate thinks that emotional inspiration is more important which is exactly what the RNC wants. If you truly want change, the only way that can happen is by electing a democrat to the White House and more democrats into Congress. Falling victim to the RNC ploys will not make that happen. For all the voters who have not yet voted in the primary, please consider all of the attributes of the candidates and dont just vote based on emotions.

You know, he [Bush] wants to divide us over race. I’m from the South. I understand this. This quota deal they’re gonna pull in the next election is the same old scam they’ve been pulling on us for decade after decade after decade. When their economic policies fail, when the country’s coming apart rather than coming together, what do they do? They THESE ARE BILL CLINTON’S WORD’S IN 1992
find the most economically insecure white men and scare the living daylights out of them. They know if they can keep us looking at each other across a racial divide, if I can look at Bobby Rush and think, Bobby wants my job, my promotion, then neither of us can look at George Bush and say, ‘What happened to everybody’s job? What happened to everybody’s income? What … have … you … done … to … our … country?’”