"Guns and religion" comments threaten Obama's candidacy

Barack Obama today fought back against accusations of elitism following comments that "bitter" small-town Americans cling to "guns or religion."
Speaking at a rally for steelworkers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Democratic frontrunner accused rival Hillary Clinton of political opportunism in portraying him as "out of touch" and disdainful of middle America. And in a new ad for Pennsylvania that appeared designed to defuse the row, the state's popular Democratic senator, Bob Casey, explained to voters why he thought Obama was the candidate who could best tackle the concerns of working Americans.

The Clinton camp had pounced upon remarks by Mr Obama, made to a San Francisco audience on Friday, in which he had tried to explain his difficulties in wooing white, working class voters. Mr Obama made what some commentators are describing as his worst campaign blunder yet when he said: “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 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.”

Mrs Clinton is trailing Mr Obama in the delegate count and can now only win the nomination by persuading super-delegates - elected officials and senior Democrats who will have a free vote on the nominee in August - that she is the best candidate to beat Republican John McCain come November.
Yesterday, a reinvigorated Mrs Clinton sought to capitalise on her opponent's comments to do just that. She denounced the remarks as “demeaning”, “elitist” and “out of touch," while campaign aides mounted a full-scale offensive, distributing “I’m not bitter” stickers and wheeling out supporters to fan the flames on television and radio shows.

One poll today suggested that the strategy was taking effect. A survey by the American Research Group gave Mrs Clinton a 20 point lead over Mr Obama in Pennsylvania, which holds its crucial primary on April 22. However ARG polls can be inaccurate and another poll, by Philadelphia's Temple University, saw Mr Obama trailing by a more probably nine points.

Seeking to limit the damage, Mr Obama accused his opponent of mounting a cynical and dishonest attack.
“Now it may be that I chose my words badly. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. But when I hear my opponents, both of whom have spent decades in Washington, saying I’m out of touch, it’s time to cut through their rhetoric and look at the reality,” he said.

He mocked at her performance at a campaign stop in Indiana yesterday, when, in a clear attempt to boost her appeal among working-class voters, she downed a shot of whiskey and a beer.
“Around election time, the candidates can’t do enough for you. They’ll promise you anything, give you a long list of proposals and they’ll even come around, with TV crews in tow, to throw back a shot and a beer,” he said.

The pundits say...:

Instapundit:

"Barack Obama broke the first rule of Democratic presidential politics: never let on that you believe rural American voters are hicks straight out of Deliverance. . . . he could not have picked a worse time to reveal his contempt for average Americans."

Huffington Post:

"Barack Obama told it mostly correctly last week when he said that workers in many towns in America were angry and bitter. For coming closer to telling the unfiltered truth than most politicians, he was lambasted by his political opponents. That he put religious faith in the mix was admittedly an exaggeration and therefore an error. But it shouldn't draw attention from the facts and it is yet another example of how much surer his sense of what has happened to America is that the views of his opponents, Democrat or Republican."

Newsbusters:

"If media really are in the tank for Obama, and want to help him navigate this minefield he's created for himself, maybe they should look at some speeches Gov. Bill Clinton made in 1991 and 1992 that typically involved some form of the phrase "economically insecure white people."

"Although Clinton was typically talking about how, in his view, Republicans tried to use race to gin up votes amongst financially struggling Caucasians, the similarities would certainly be enough to deflect attention away from Obama, assuming this was the press's modus operandi."

The Daily Dish:

"The "bitter" spat is gold for Morris-Rove politics, which is why Clinton is exploiting it so baldly. It is exactly the kind of debate that has constructed American politics since Vietnam; it is exactly the kind of politics that Obama has been trying to transcend. Clinton will use anything at this point to destroy Obama's candidacy and message; but by adopting Rovism at its reddest, the Clintons do risk looking too obvious... At some point people will realize that the Clintons represent a continuation of the kind of politics that has made a serious engagement with this country's profound problems impossible. Or is acknowledging profound problems now unpatriotic?"

Comments

[Erid]

First, Obama's comments will not change the outcome of the race. Hillary was never going to lose PA. Neither will she win NC. By this time, it should be clear that there are "Hillary states" and "Obama states." (You can figure out your own definition of each.) There are simply not enough Hillary states left to make a difference.
Second, campaigns since the dawn of American democracy have used opponent mistakes as weapons. It is silly for the Daily Dish to characterize Hillary's use of Obama's statement as "Rovism at its reddist."

Go Super Mac- McCain 08!

[Erid]

First, Obama's comments will not change the outcome of the race. Hillary was never going to lose PA. Neither will she win NC. By this time, it should be clear that there are "Hillary states" and "Obama states." (You can figure out your own definition of each.) There are simply not enough Hillary states left to make a difference.
Second, campaigns since the dawn of American democracy have used opponent mistakes as weapons. It is silly for the Daily Dish to characterize Hillary's use of Obama's statement as "Rovism at its reddist."

Go Super Mac- McCain 08!

[Daphne Kenward]

Obama needs to speak with more clarity, and stop thinking Hillary is a lady, Hillary is no better than a market stall holder, and if he don't get a grip, this old dragon will use every trick in the book to try to win an election she does not deserve to win. If you need to writ a speach or have a speach writer. I do not think Gun Crimes in America is a good thing, Hillary does. And many of the people in America likes to own guns and like to kill people, so much so they have had more school yard shoot outs, than in Afganistan, you have to take care to understand not every one has your level of education, it is not eletist to have an education it should be a national requirement. Which is why all the jobs is going over seas to China & India, Religion is a good thing but I can't see where Guns & Religion has anything in common. If you live by the Gun you'll die by it. Culombine Masacre they were not using pencils, it was GUNS. They were not using the BIBLE, it was guns, get them off the streets. It's dangerious WMD, it kills people, what the hell is wrong with warning people of the dangers of, being racist and blaiming immigrants or migrants for being unemployed. Would Americans do the Jobs Migrants are doing? NO. So Obama is a brave man to raise this issue, we in the UK don't want guns on our streets, we want to live in safety, we want our kids to come home from school alive. I don't know about you YANKS. To me You are all CRAZY.

[Daphne Kenward]

The fact with Most Americans they like to live in a fantasy world, they like to pretend. They like the Hollwood fantasies, they like the idea of the wild west, cow boys & Indians they like guns, they like murders on their streets every day, they like the Rapes Drugs & Pimps & Prostitute, it is all a part of the American Dream. Till Obama can seperate fact from fiction & work out what sells don't dare to tell people their dream is a dead beat criminal ideology, most Americans are not mature enough mentally for that. They like the exitement of the Colombine masacres, the school yard masacres. the drive by shoot outs the serial killers, its all a part of these twisted mentally ill peoples excitements. How can you put it, the idea, that you think its a bad idea, raises questions. You are not being American enough. The average American do not even understand how the rest of the world see's them. What the rest of the world don't want is these ideas coming into their schools and their streets & their societies.

[Todd]

If no other, this story quoting Obama as lashing out against opponents who are trying to "politicize" his stupid and elitist statement against average Americans is the one that guarantees I will never support him. So, let's see, here is a rich, Harvard-educated lawyer who is a Washington-insider Senator just like his competitors who make a political speech to an uber-rich special interest group and then pretends to be mad because people are trying to "politicize" it? WOW! What part of being a typical insider politician does Barack Obama NOT understand? He is a stereotypical old-school politician who attacks his competitors with venom in his veins. To make it all worse, now he is blabbering about how he used the wrong choice of words ... imagine him as president and having to deal with Bin Laden but not being mature or experienced enough to choose the "right" words!

[Shawmut]

Barack Hussein Obama equates ownership of guns (the Second Amendment to the Constitution, and essential in safeguarding your rights, your loved ones and your nation), genuine religious faith (in contrast to the anti-white, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-American concept of "black liberation theology" to which he and his mistermed 'church' subscribe) and resentment of illegal aliens receiving benefits to which they are not entitled, with bitterness, mean-spiritedness and alienation. Those three qualities express rather perfectly the summation of him as a man. He was, although you have not reported it, addressing a party of multi-billionaires in San Francisco, a city which declared itself a 'sanctuary' city for illegal aliens and it was at a private party (fortunately recorded by an astute attendee) where he was clearing saying what he really thought of 'middle-class' America. Let's put it a bit more simply for the British readers: how do feel about having all your weapons taken from you, leaving you at the mercy of illegal and criminal aliens who are milking your infrastructures and services dry and who also hate and are determined to destroy the religious foundations of your country? Does that sound a mite familiar, as a description of what 'middle class' Britain is now facing?

[Chris]

There are things politicians say and do to get elected, and then there's the truth. Middle America is littered with anti-government militias and extremist churches. Fact. The people who support these organisations do so for a reason, and it is tackling that reason, whatever it may be, that Obama was talking about. That's the truth, and a pretty straight one it is too. The question for Clinton is does she deny these people exist, does she deny it's a problem and, if not, does she think it needs to be tackled?

[peter ellis]

I do not care what he says. He is clearly the man for the job and the fact that he is honest to speak his mind shows it. I sincerely hope that hillary clinton is not able to capitalise on this. she has enough skeletons in the closet and she is a brazen liar to boot. Obama did not misspeak.

P. Ellis

[C Hurley]

Obama has simply shown that he suffers the classic Democrat problem that you can't tell the electorate what they should consider important. If he'd rather a country where guns, religion and immigration weren't issues close to people's hearts, then maybe he should run for office in Switzerland?

[charles mcaleer]

Once again we see how Obama wriggles and squirms and tries to run away from his own words. Now, shucking and jiving an indulgent press who will forgive him everything is one thing, but I can't see a President Obama's counterparts in Russia, China, etc, etc giving him a 2nd, 3rd, 4th chance to explain what he meant.

[John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada]

Well, here is the sad and truly bitter story of American politics.

A thoughtful candidate reflects on an important social phenomenon, and the truth is he is largely correct, despite the distaste of many babyishly-sensitive Americans.

A thoughtless candidate comes along - telling us how she is Annie Oakley with her gun in the front pew of her church or how she gulps beer after work - and condemns the thoughtful remarks.

She sounds like one of the throwbacks who are fond of yelling "love it or leave it."

Hillary's remarks in general on a level with the obtuse bumper-sticker I used to see in the U.S.: "My Drop-out Can Beat Up Your Honor Student!"

Please tell me how you ever get progress this way? It's on the level of chimpanzees or packs of wild dogs.

It's simply an insane basis for voting for the leader of a great nation.

And the entire world knows what America needs more than anything is a new set of thoughtful and reflective leaders.

And, Hillary, that sure does not include you.

[Daphne Kenward]

Shawmut: Or what ever your real name is, it is illegal to have guns on our streets, so there is only one set of guns getting taken away, and it is the illegal guns we have on our streets. Thanks to Criminal Rap Music promoting crimes in our communities here in Britian, and you know what we really don't want it here thank you. Its a shame the Government in Britain has not got the backbone to ban the American Criminal Rap Music out of our Country, Keep it in America we don't want it here.

[anon]

Small-towm folks in PA voting for
Clinton are untutored masochists asking for 25 more years of joblessness.

[Andy E]

He did not misspeak, he spoke his mind at a Chablis- and- Brie party in San Fransisco. He is an elitist left winger, possibly well studied in marxist theory. We, the uneducated masses, may not have a Harvard degree but neanmoins we do understand spoken english. Obviously now the spin and the damage control is going to continue but the damage is done Mr Obama, you bared your sole once again.....!! We do not like what you show us: ultra left wing thinking based in materialistic history explanation, racism and elitism....How are you going to unite the country from that base???

[Laura]

It's funny really, all these Americans angry at Obama that its not up to him how they live their lives. That's how the rest of the world sees America - as condescending, interfering, with this arrogant, paternalistic "we know what's good for you attitude.

Oh and Shawmut, the majority of the British middle class is more concerned with the uneducated, fundamentalist and arrogant posturing of small town Americans and the damage that that is wreaking on the world than they are about, as you put it "having all your weapons taken from you, leaving you at the mercy of illegal and criminal aliens who are milking your infrastructures and services dry and who also hate and are determined to destroy the religious foundations of your country." Because a) we are not so crazy as to believe that the right to bear arms is worth the thousands of gun deaths you guys have every year, so have banned them, b) are not as racist and paranoid as you lot. c) we haven't been overtaken by the kind of religious fundamentalism which has clearly taken you very far from the Christian principles that Jesus taught. (I'm not myself religious but I know my Bible and really - illegal and criminal aliens? these are the less privileged people that Jesus fought and died for)

Frankly, half of the American right would be considered the lunatic fringe over here. Maybe you should visit, it might enlighten you.

[Matthew Sawtell]

Suffice to say folks - given some of the vemon spewed out over the last few months, around the world - this U.S. election has more than a few people puckering their sphicters. Suffice to say - this is just the prelims - the main event has yet to begin.

Matthew A. Sawtell - Chicago, IL - U.S.A.

[Dan C., Libertarian]

Obama is, for lack of a better description, an old-school scoialist. I.E. he is a collectivist, and ergo, believes in the Big Brother state as font of all that is good. He has stated openly his disdain for gun ownership by private individuals, proposing a ban on concealed-carry, among other things. He is on record as being just short of contemptuousof at least the Christian religion. His supporters seem to view him as some kind of savior.

The reason he isn't being clear is because empty rhetoric sells these days, but clear ideological positions are vulnerable to critique and rhetorical demolition, while Pollyanna-sounding utopian rubbish can't be argued with. Much like Hillary, what we really have in Obama is another condescending intellectual who "knows best" what's good for America, and reacts instinctively - as he did there - when his arrogance is bruised by disagreement and the absence of proper reverence of himself by others. Hillary is superior to him only as a wiser politician - much more skilled at hiding her condescention from voters.

Someday, maybe before it's too late, Americans will realize that seeking saviors and heroes to relieve them of their woes is the first step to avoiding being patronized and talked down to by sanctimonious power-grabbing politicians. But then, I digress. To wit: stay focused on the gaffes, because THEREIN lie the true feelings of our would-be leaders about us voters who would give them power.

[Micheal]

To Daphne Kenward,

Your posts are illiterate and smug. Why would you want to attack Americans as a general rule when you yourself cannot spell of use proper verbage? I am nearly certain that you know nothing of the personalities and sensibilities of 300,000,000 people, or what thoughts, dreams and duties make up there everyday lives. You should limit your comments to subjects you are familiar with or at least try to learn about your topic of discussion. You are no better than the elitist Obama, without the mental capacity to put together a sentence.

[Daphne Kenward]

One thing I can say about Obamas audiences, the people are more intune with realities. They are receptive and you can see they understand the message. With Hillary's audiences they are all over the place they are out of control, it all about making a noise, and they have no clue what they will be voting for, it's a different set, they are not properly dressed they seem like the kind of voters who have already given up, all they want out of life is their food stamps, that is why a lot of Republicans do not want Health care for all because some of this group would abuse the system. We have people like that here in the UK they have Kids will several different men they don't work they live on benefits. Its a shame so many have given up before taking a chance. And give hope a Chance & change for the future. How can you have change if people are still doing the same thing, these are the typical people who don't want re-training to get jobs, their factory closed down, so think what do you do next, re training for new jobs, trying to create your own business your own ideas can get you a job. I have been made Redundant three times and eventually you get back into work it is not the end of the line.

[George]

With regard to your debate on Guns and Religion.
Please make a note of these facts and you decide if Smallville America should not be angry.
This country was founded on the principles set out by our LORD God in Deuteronomy from the Bible.
Because of these truths America became the most Blessed Nation in the World. We feed the hungry, help the poor and thwart off Tyrany.
It is our right as seen by our Religious Forefathers to include in our Constitution a method of protecting ourselves from a Tyranical Government that would seek to deprive us of our rights to life, liberty and persuit of hapiness.

Now if we look at what we have in power at this time in His story we see exactly what we were warned about in Deuterinimy 28.
We are being enslaved, our jobs are taken, our money is controlled by a private corporation called the FED, our families are broken, our teachers are forbidden to teach that which is True and Righteous as this Country was founded upon.

So yes, we small people are bitter and angry that we have allowed this to be done to us and all have stood by eatching it happen as they clasp their hands together and put them into the stocks like sheep.

Wake up America!

The other Countries no longer respect us. In fact they think we are down right stupid slobs who will bend over for anyone.

[Kendal Hemphill]

It seems our esteemed friends from Great Britain and Canada know what is best for us. I guess that's what happens when you have all your rights taken away, and have to resort to socialized medicine. I'm wondering why Ms. Kenward thinks the criminals in Britain would calmly turn in their guns, when they already don't mind breaking the law.

I do appreciate the input these folks have offered. I just wish they would learn to spell. Asking them to learn to think would probably be too much.

[cinnora amann]

It never ceases to surprise me that no matter what Obama says, or does. People and the media will find a way to blame it on Hilary Clinton. His pastor is exposed. He gets tons of support for his speech adressing it. He makes insulting remarks about rural folks. The big news is what a witch Hilary is because she responded to it when asked about it by the media. He can do no wrong according to the sheep in this country.

[Misti]

Mr. Obama's comments enrage certain elements in our society because they are true, and when delusional people are faced with fact and truth, they spiral into dimensions of insanity and accusation. Obama is not an elitist- he has, as an enlightened, thinking individual, observed certain patterns in our politics. Those patterns include the general populous falling back on superstitious crutches and archaic amendments that the courts really should have better defined decades ago. As an American Southerner, I can vouch that his statements are completely accurate of a poor, rural people who haven't had a note-worthy raise in 25 years and think they have little else beyond religion and tradition to cling to. Britain, please don't lose your faith in us- millions of us are working, desperately hard, for a real change in November.
OBAMA '08

[clay]

Bama spoke the truth...do not underestimate the stupidity of Middle America! U want proof: They voted for Bush back to back because he was one of them. Now 8 years later they are asking why the US is on the wrong path....and oh yes I am elitist and proud of it. I rather a smug, conceited well read president than happy go lucky illiterate dude drinking beer and hunting ducks...

[Martin Bentley]

Obama broke the first rule of American politics. Don't tell them the truth. Bush and the Clintons rely on exploiting the American state of denial and telling Americans what they want to here. Despite being accused of being uplifting and positive Obama and his wife have an awful habit of telling Middle America some home truths they just don't like hearing. As Osama Bin Laden clearly demonstrated reality only really hits America when it explodes on them at home. There's hope but it's hard to kick the habit of generations.