According to The New York Times, "Obama, now on the defensive, calls 'bitter' words ill-chosen".
Politicians of all stripes appear to be fixated on delivering good news to voters and taxpayers who have been lulled to sleep or complacency by the near-total absence of real debate about the conditions driving them off the economic cliff. The drama of the Pennsylvania Democratic primary has struck the strongest nerve running through Americans dismay at the unraveling economy.
The candidacy of Barack Obama is asking Americans to pay attention. His campaign has been a search to find a new public language that rings true to Americans.
When Barack said, that voters bitter over their economic circumstances, "cling to guns or religion or antipathy who aren't like them", he was delivering the truth about one of the worst aspects of human nature: to embrace scapegoats when times are bad instead of change.
Now, instead of focusing on how bad this economy really is, Obama's opponents are pouncing on him.
One of the most common criticisms about Obama is the question of experience: what has he done, in his short career in the US Senate? The better question is how does he view the experience of government, since there is so much fault to find with the performance of Congress.
You don't get to the US Senate without understanding the costs of admission. But there is a big difference between embracing those costs or being able to compete while holding them at a certain distance.
Americans have been in the obsessive grip of the trivial, whether expressed through false religious fervor that betrays moral values, or enthusiasms of gladiators and the colosseum. These are signs of an empire in decline.
With bad economic news on the horizon-- much worse even than what has already afflicted blue collar workers in states like Pennsylvania-- America needs the language and meaning that Barack Obama brings to the 2008 presidential campaign.
He is right to say how Americans are distracted,--notwithstanding the platitudes, the posturing, and the vanities--, and he is right to go on the offensive.
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5 comments:
These candidates have too much coverage, they are bound to implode and say things that will be misconstrued.
The real issues need to be debated; the economy, the Iraqi war, health insurance costs, the loss of jobs, the unfair tax burden on the middle class, the special interests. If you want to find someone to vote for, don't get sidetracted, look at the real issues that mean the most to you and vote for that candidate.
The interesting thing is that the polls have not changed since Hillary tried to turn his words around. Could it be that the people in Pennsylvania remain focused on their plight and intend to hold the candidates feet to the fire for real economic help? Or will they be distracted before Tuesday?
It's not the "bitter" remark that's the problem. It's the "clinging" part. If Obama just stopped at "bitter," he would have been just fine. Many people are bitter about the economy and that statement by itself would go unnoticed. But Obama's belief that people (read Republicans and Independents) who practice their religion and who enjoy guns are "clinging" to those things only because they are "bitter" suggests an elitist attitude that will send the Democratic Party down in flames in November once again.
Let's hope the Republicans don't have that quote on videotape for their fall commercials which will make the defeat even worse than expected.
The sad thing about the race is that for Hillary it is just about gaming. The future of the world is at stake, everything we have is at stake, and this is what we get, cheap shots, guilt by association, outright admitted lies, distractions to items not at issue, race card playing, false accusations and any other gimmick to evade serious discussion of the issues.
For some reason I thought a great deal of her going into this race. Now after watching her in action, I have lost all respect for her. I thought she was a woman of principles. If the power means that much to her, she doesn't deserve it. She will do anything to win.
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