Obama says some voters are angry, bitter

[Aardvark154]

There has been a long line wealthy, educationally elite
politicians that have been in the fore of the progressive movement.

FDR, JFK and Reagan have been perceived as elite yet played well to the middle class working voters.

Surely, the Bushes and their wealthy legacy have to be listed as elitists. I don't buy the argument that elitists are unacceptable, particularly in the
Democratic Party.

All of those mentioned have deliberately downplayed any claim to elite status, (and for that matter tried to keep quiet about being wealthy) indeed that only one you mention that truely was a member of an elite - was FDR and (whom you didn't mention) his cousin TR. Although JFK married into one.

 

[Aardvark154]

Yes, Teddy is one of my favorites.

How can you exclude Kennedy or the Bushes from
the elite class?

On second thought you're correct about the Bush family. Although once again both father (in particular) and son have played down patrician ancestry and indeed their Connecticut connection and played up being from Texas and being "men of the people."

The Kennedy and FitzGerald Families certainly aren't part of the Boston Brahmin Yankee elite although they have a ton of money. On that score through his mother Senator Kerry has far better connections.

 

[Fred Zed]

A recent poll indicated the statements had little effect
on likely PA voters.

Those most insensed by his comments were conservatives.
As though they were going to vote for him.

People have short memories and so far the polls suggest that Obama's statements have had very little impact on his popularity although it might be too early to tell. As of yesterday in the national polls he is ahead of Clinton by ~10%.
The main reason the issue continues to dominate the headlines is the Clintons keep bringing it up. The Clintons who btw are doing Maccain's dirty work for him. The Obama campaign never had high hopes about winning Pennsylvania and Democrats are apparently turned off by negative campaigning so infact this could backfire on Clinton also. It's what happens after Penn that matters
and by then some other issue will be dominating the headlines. Given Obama's humble background it is highly unlikely Americans will be easily persuaded that he is elitist :http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1516902320080415

New Polls http://www.politics1.com/
P2008 - DEMS. A few new primary polls ...
PENNSYLVANIA (American Research Group): Clinton - 57%, Obama - 37%.
PENNSYLVANIA (Susquehanna Polling and Research): Clinton - 40%, Obama - 37%.
INDIANA (SurveyUSA): Clinton - 55%, Obama - 39%.
NORTH CAROLINA (Public Policy Polling): Obama - 54%, Clinton - 34%.
In a sign that Obama's comments about embittered small town voters may not prove a significant gaffe, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D) -- a vocal Clinton supporter -- told MSNBC he doesn't believe the comments will mean anything more than "a few points on the fringe" in the upcoming primary. Further, Rendell said the comments won't cause problems for Obama in November, as he said Obama will carry Pennsylvania in November (but added he thought Clinton would carry Pennsylvania by a slightly larger margin in the general election).

 

[Aardvark154]

Harvard and Yale schooling isn't elitist?

Yes and no. Certainly fine and "elite" Universities and so in that sense graduates are part of an "elite," however, with the exception of Woodrow Wilson Americans' have tended to regard those with advanced degrees (except for professonal degrees) or academic backgrounds as being slightly untrustworthy and not "plain" enough.

 

[Aardvark154]

Given Obama's humble background it is highly unlikely Americans will be easily persuaded that he is elitist.

Fred it all depends on how one defines "humble." Some would say that having two parents both with advanced degrees (Mother PhD, Father A.M.) and himself holding a A.B. from Columbia and a J.D. from Harvard, is not a humble background and is by some standards "elitist." Now if rather by humble you mean that he's not the scion of well known family or didn't grow up with great wealth, then by those definitions I'd agree with you. Then again the Senator did not grow up in abject poverty either.

 

[frasier]

The word is appalled not uphauled, unless you meant something entirely different. Hard to imagine exactly how Jefferson and other founders would view us today, but I can't help feeling they would think us spoiled brats who had wasted the land.

Thanks I knew it didn't look right....but I couldn't figure out how to fix it.


Spoiled brats would be the right assesment...further he would be astonished by the power our goverment has.

 

[frasier]

I'm not concerned about the political elite, as
you so describe them because they either don't
exist or are ubiquitous.

There's a long list of political elite that have
served. For better or worse those in my
lifetime include: FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy,
LBJ, Nixon, Reagan, Bush and now the Clintons.

Obama has the potential to be in the same
class as the orators of the group: FDR,
Kennedy, Reagan and Bubba.

You win some, you lose some.

In order to get elected you have to have a
bit of Yankee elitism. The signators of the
Declaration of Independence were the elite
of their generation.

So, if not elite then what?

The problem is that we have peoplee pass laws on us that have absolutely zero effects on their own lives..kinda like "Taxation without representation"....our poiticians have the finest healthcare plans...the finest pension plans and are ussually financially well off.
Any propsed increase in fees and taxxes has no impact on their own lives....

Being a politician has become a careerpath rather then a calling...one way to get around this is to impose term limits.

 

[frasier]

In a certain instance, it is a birthright.

If what you say is true, then why bother
supporting any party or candidate?

There is no point in supporting either McCain..Obama or Clinton...they are all more of the same......but there is always hope.

In a way Obama is right but not how he figures it...I am bitter alright..I am bitter... that I have to drag my tired ass to work everyday.. I am bitter that I have to work 10 to 12 hours daily....only to have 40% of pay taken away so others can sit on their asses and live of the goverment..(my taxes)...yeah I am bitter......and the only "Change" I hear is the one coming out of our pockets....to support more lazy ass people.

 

[Aardvark154]

How does that apply to Bush and Clinton who have
degrees from Yale and Harvard.

I don't think it does. It isn’t having a degree that American's have been leery of, rather "academic life" with as I say the notable exception of President Wilson.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

Those most insensed by his comments were conservatives.
As though they were going to vote for him.

Exactly!

Take a look at those who are most concerned about Obama's comments here; OTB, Frasier, Aardvark. Was there even the slightest chance they were going to vote for him anyway? Too funny.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

Yes and no. Certainly fine and "elite" Universities and so in that sense graduates are part of an "elite," however, with the exception of Woodrow Wilson Americans' have tended to regard those with advanced degrees (except for professonal degrees) or academic backgrounds as being slightly untrustworthy and not "plain" enough.

Yeah. Who want's a POTUS who is educated?

According to you, the American voter handicaps the most qualified for the job. I'm not saying you're wrong in your assessment (the proof is in the pudding), I just find it amusing you seem to take pride in this fact.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

Given Obama's humble background it is highly unlikely Americans will be easily persuaded that he is elitist

Hopefully they will also wake up and realize Hillary didn't find Jesus (I didn't know he was lost) on a walk through the woods or take shootin' lessons from her grandaddy either.

After the Bosnia BS story, can anyone believe anything coming out of her mouth?

 

[Aardvark154]

Yeah. Who want's a POTUS who is educated?

According to you, the American voter handicaps the most qualified for the job. I'm not saying you're wrong in your assessment (the proof is in the pudding), I just find it amusing you seem to take pride in this fact.

Quite where you get the idea I take pride in the fact I’m not sure.* I’m merely stating that historically this has been the pattern.

I do think that this spat shows what a highly charged election cycle this is. I also find interesting in a stereotypically political way the "rally to the flag boys" attitude expressed by various FOBHO may of who have previously criticized the behaviour.

* that said holding an advanced degree doesn’t guarantee wisdom. I'm sure all of us know "educated idiots"

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

I do think that this spat shows what a highly charged election cycle this is. I also find interesting in a stereotypically political way the "rally to the flag boys" attitude expressed by various FOBHO may of who have previously criticized the behaviour.

Sorry. You lost me here?????????????????????

holding an advanced degree doesn’t guarantee wisdom. I'm sure all of us know "educated idiots"

Very true, I agree. All the same, a higher education shouldn't be a disqualifier either.

 

[onthebottom]

It certainly isn't.

Proof is in the fact you, Frasier, OTB and Lou Dobbs reached the same conclusion.

You're in good company.

The un-smug company in this case..... it always pains me to agree with Lou Dobbs but I guess he can't always be wrong....

OTB

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

The un-smug company in this case..... it always pains me to agree with Lou Dobbs but I guess he can't always be wrong....

OTB

LMAO! I honestly got a chuckle out of that one.

You see, elitists like me and Obama can sometimes get down in the muck and enjoy the low brow, unsophisticated humour of the common man.

 

[Aardvark154]

E.J. Dionne in his column mentions a number of pertinent points - this from someone who supports Obama: "Barak Oboma violated two elementary rules of political campaigning. A candidate should never play the role of a political scientist or sociologist analyzing a key electoral swing group from afar and should never dissect the motivations of less privileged people when talking to a group of privileged people. . . then there are those two Obama words that shook the campaign: "cling" and "bitter." Really dumb word choices. The second paragraph, far less empathetic than the first, makes Obama sound like the author of an undergraduate paper, not a candidate for president."

 

[frasier]

you can be an intellectual without being an elitist...just because you have a better education and you are richer then most doesn't mean you have to look down on them??

 

[LancsLad]

Alert, sensibilities may be offended

LMAO! I honestly got a chuckle out of that one.

You see, elitists like me and Obama can sometimes get down in the muck and enjoy the low brow, unsophisticated humour of the common man.

They have the "Muck" research centre in the Holland Marsh by the 400. Is there where you meat obama on the "down low"??????

 

[frasier]

John McCain and Barack Obama both appeared before the nation's newspaper editors yesterday. The putative Republican presidential nominee was given a box of doughnuts and a standing ovation. The likely Democratic nominee was likened to a terrorist.

At a luncheon for the editors hosted by the Associated Press, AP Chairman Dean Singleton quizzed Obama about whether he would send more troops to Afghanistan, where "Obama bin Laden is still at large?"

"I think that was Osama bin Laden," the candidate answered.

"If I did that, I'm so sorry!" Singleton said.

"This," Obama told the editors, is "part of the exercise that I've been going through over the last 15 months."

Bitter, are we?

Apparently he is bitter