Now, we're here, we're queer, get...wait, no. That's the wrong phrase. Well, right now, I'm here and I'm 'bout to get in your face with some truth. Ready? If not, avert your eyes. I don't want to scar you for life with reality. I'll let you know when it's safe to put down your Bible.
Ok, so in the past week we've been hearing a lot about a certain comment by Barack Obama about middle America and small rural towns in Pennsylvania in particular. He said the following:
"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not."
"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Am I the only person that has no problem this this statement?
I understand the media has to talk about something but something isn't news because Hillary Clinton wants it to be news. In the past few weeks we've heard a public "gaffe" from each side - Obama with these comments and Clinton with the lie about when she landed in Kosovo in 1996.
The difference between the two, though, is that Obama's statement was true albeit un-PC and Clinton's lie really was a lie, not a "misspeak." Clinton's lie made her seem like more of a hardass than she is. And she'd made those claims multiple times before until some in the media finally called her out on it. Obama's recent statements are not only dead right for the vast majority of middle America but brutally honest. He's not mixing words. Now as soon as Clinton hears this and the media hears this they realize that our overprotected prudish hears can't handle it and therefore must cry out. Well, Clinton and Fox News cry out. Everyone else reported the cries and made things worse because they need something to fill the space before next Tuesday's primary. Shame on all of them.
It just boggles my mind that some people can be so stupid that they can hear Hillary and all these news outlets rip Obama on his comments by saying he's an "out-of-touch elitist" and a) find the first part to be true and b) find the second part to be a negative.
a) Barack is not out of touch with middle America. He and his wife grew up poor as dirt. Hell, he's from middle America. And even though some people may not want to hear it, almost everyone knows in their heart of hearts that what he said about middle Americans is undeniably true.
b) What's wrong with being an elitist? Did I miss something? Jon Stewart made a great point on The Daily Show Tuesday night in which he said, "I want someone running for president that knows he's better than me." We've had 7.5 years of a president that we know we could beat in a spelling bee let alone properly discuss nuclear arms treaties and global warming initiatives. Aren't we ready for a change?
It's really a shame that so many people in this country can be told something by the media and accept it as truth and not think for themselves. Instead of letting all these news outlets (and I don't consider Fox News a new outlet considering it's just hate and fear mongering 24/7) talk about something for 48 hours because they have to fill their programming blocks and having us
buy into it as fact, why don't we as Americans take a step back and realize that what Barack Obama said is painfully true. There was no level of dickitry involved. He was blunt, honest and even sounded a little sad about the plight of these people. Hell, he's right! They've had thousands of jobs taken away from them and shipped to China and India and who knows where else. You don't think they'd feel bitter about that?! If not, you're out of your goddamn mind!!What's the next part of that statement: "they cling to guns and religion and anti-immigrant sentiment." Are you going to tell me with a straight face that on average most people in these small rural towns in middle America don't have these traits? I mean, it's not Opposite Day or anything. They do own guns. Keep in mind, no one ever said it's a negative thing to own a gun. It's in the Bill of Rights. The negative connotation associated with that comment is that some people have less prudence when owning a gun than others. They do cling to religion. You probably already know my position on religion but if someone believes in X, Y, or Z that's fine...until they press those "teachings" on others or apply what their religion has taught them to how they interpret reality in ways that affect others (like politics). And the anti-immigrant sentiment. When your job has already been shipped over seas and then you see millions of Mexicans and other Latinos come into America and take jobs (that too many lazy white Americans think they're better than) I'm pretty sure you'd be anti-immigrant too.
So basically what I'm saying is: why are we getting on Obama's case for pointing out the obvious? It's apparently one of those things that everyone is thinking but no one says because they're afraid of offending someone. Hey, I got news for you, just because something is offensive doesn't make it any less true. And guess what, what Barack said wasn't meant to piss anyone off.
It was said with tact and it was said in plain English. There was nothing derogatory about it. He didn't namecall. He didn't make any snide comments. He called it like he's saw it. And guess what, he's right!This country, even with its liberal edges, is still way too conservative. Middle America is great. I've been to many place and will go to many more places in the coming weeks in middle America and I look forward to experiencing these places. There are some great things to do in these towns and some friendly people (and don't forget the great food!). But when it comes to serious matters like politics people crawl back into their conservative shells and find ways to get angry over something that they all know is true. They just don't want someone else pointing it out. And god forbid a black man points it out.
Wake up, America. Barack Obama is a brutally honest, in-touch-with-regular-folks, brilliant guy who "gets it." There's a reason the most recent national Gallup poll has him ahead of Hillary 51-40 and ahead of John McCain 46-44. There's a reason he's had just about 1.5 million individuals donors to his campaign with little to no money coming from corporations and none from lobbyists. Clinton and McCain get much of their funding from the people that are NOT in touch with regular Americans yet say Obama is the one that is the elitist. It's unfortunate for them that the scoreboard says regular Americans want someone better. They want an elite candidate. The status quo may have worked before (actually, it didn't) but now America wants someone who won't bullshit them...and can form a full sentence. That person is Barack Obama. And no matter what the news outlets say over the next week and even if Hillary wins Pennsylvania it doesn't change reality. She needs the comeback to end all comebacks - she's sitting where Mike Huckabee was about six weeks ago.
One more time, wake up, America. Take your chastity belts off and take your hands away from your ears. It's time for an unfiltered, unbiased, honest president to get this country out of the clusterf**k that it's in right now.
Barack Obama 2008 - Si se peude.
7 comments:
Alright friend, let's have an amiable debate. I like Obama, I'm with you when it comes to him, I caucused in his favor, and I will continue to support him.
I also agree with his statement.
But I think it was a foolish thing for him to say. And I say this with worry, not scorn.
It's not that it isn't true, it's that it insults people in middle america for what they believe and how they behave. You cannot criticize those things about a person without insulting them personally.
He did not say, "Their jobs have been lost and we need to get them bacl." He said, "Their jobs have been lost, and we need to get them back so they will stop foolishly clinging to religion and guns, which is silly and something they wouldn't do otherwise."
So while it may be true, he has JUDGED them in that statement instead of stating fact, and that was possibly a poor choice.
Lets not lose sight of the fact that the next President should have a bit more tact...not to say that our current or previous Presidents have been the epitome of tact, but we should strive higher than that. Obama has already been associated with several really inappropriate statements and he has also surrounded himself with persons who have made very politically incorrect statments (especially regarding race). Likewise on little assumption you make in your opinion is that the media backs Hillary. Just the opposite my friend...Obama has been given massive amounts of unquestioned and blind support by the media (with the exception of the conservative media...however even they back him over Hillary) and why might this be? Let's not forget that Hillary is a woman. I find this to be the elephant in the room that people occasionally acknowledge but mask with bullshit reasons so they don't look politically incorrent (once again take a look at the suffragist movement). Similarly, maybe instead of talking about how the simple people of America are brandishing guns and clinging to religion (which are fundamental rights provided through of cours the 1st and 2nd amendments of the Constitution as well as the free exercise clause), we should be concerned with promoting the jobs and economies in those areas and more importantly paying attention to the fact that the current Supreme court and legislatures (both federal and state) are chipping away at the rights of women. So thanks for the half-way-thought out opinion, but I ask you, what about writing on a topic that is worth defending?
Man, Obama's comments are insulting. He IS out of touch. His comments stemmed from an article he read in the New York Times about someone in my hometown in PA... a great town with hard-working people who are not bitter at all despite their lack of money. He misanalyzed what he read, because he doesn't know shit about the real small-town America (hence he plans on socializing this country, and spitting in the faces of people who actually want to work...but that's another topic). People cling to guns, they speak against immigration and trading.. wtf is he talking about? Doesn't even make sense!
And honestly, I am sick of him talking down to us, and trying to remind us how horrible America is and how sad we all are. He is certainly elitest. It kills me how people are falling for his scheme. I feel smart for not suporting him! He makes people feel bad so he looks as if he is some kind of saviour. I've never seen a more negative candidate in my life.
And clinging to religion? You don't cling to religion. As someone who values faith, Obama scares the hell out of me.
I dunno, Obama is currently making Hillary look like a very intelligent and worthy candidate.
You're absolutely right CPunch. Reacting to what other's on your post said: Yes, you can cling to religion when it becomes extremist and irrational. Same with guns. This country has been let down time after time, especially younger generations. Parents, government, religion, all have let us down through divorce, corrpution, and scandal/inappropriateness (which can go for the last 2, actually). Cling is a great word. You don't want to give up your blankey, but its dirty and infested with germs, but you refuse to see it. Those who defend guns and religion blindly need to at least acknowledge the germs and dirt, and defend/act against it, rather than ignore it. And yes, I want a president who will say the blunt thing, FUCK TACT. Don't patronize me with flowery language or complicated action items. Say its broke, apologize, and tell me how YOU are going to fix it or tell me how I can help fix it. I've been called socialist, isolationist, and even a rat bastard....but maybe that's what this country needs right now. This country needs to learn what every teenager learns in college.....Look out for yourself, cuz no one else will.
to anonymous:
really?!? Hillary looks better than Obama? He may have said something that could offend some people, but Hillary has flat out lied about so many things! Obama may offend you, but Hillary lies to you and then tells you she misspoke. She lies to you then when you catch her lies again. She'll also vote for something then say she's always been against it. I know you'll probably never read this, but honestly... come on...
i will respond to all of these comments and others not left within this blog before tuesday's primary.
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