BitterGate

I understand and respect SmootSmack's desire to keep the political discussion here semi-intelligent, but I think the following statement from BHO is discussion worthy. It's unbelievable to me that someone running for President would say:

"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," Obama said. "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"

As though working class people in Pennsylvania had no affinity for guns or religion until 25 years ago. This is going to be a problem for him.

im part of the mix that he is talking about. and i totally agree. have you ever been to Pittsburgh? or Steelton? or Coatesville? all are old steel towns with little or no jobs available. your damn right those people are bitter. i see this as a non issue

I think it was the "guns, religion, and anti-immigrant" part that 70 is talking about. The basic idea seems correct, but the execution is pretty f-ed up.

Yeah, I have no issue with the bitter part. It's the "bitter and clinging to guns and religion" that are offensive. You never want to paint anyone with that broad a stroke, especially when it concerns topics as fundamental to this country as religion and the right to bear arms. To do so against the state that will arguably have the largest say in whether or not he is chosen to represent his party in the upcoming election? This could be a colossal misstep.

The quote posted need context.

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Here's Obama's response to the controversy with some clarification. He's not really backing down from the bitter comment and I think he is absolutely right, you better believe people are bitter. To me, what he is really saying is that people start caring about minor issues in his view like guns, and gay marriage, etc instead of focusing on the real tough challenges that we face and bringing an end to the cycle of b.s. that goes on in Washington.


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is this a case of someone like Fox making a issue where there really isn't? i still see this as a non issue. and it is really funny to hear someone like a 72 year old John McCain saying someone else is out of touch. that man hasn't a clue on every day problems us real Americans face. now, show him a war, or conflict, and that's right up his alley

is this a case of someone like Fox making a issue where there really isn't? i still see this as a non issue. and it is really funny to hear someone like a 72 year old John McCain saying someone else is out of touch. that man hasn't a clue on every day problems us real Americans face. now, show him a war, or conflict, and that's right up his alley

Gotta love that quote, can I put that as my sig? It just goes to show that too many people consider the war an issue that they don't really face, simply because it doesn't happen in their own back yard.

The war is the #1 issue we all face. Plain and simple.

McCain understands the issues, and to some extent Hillary and Obama do too, but he's the only one of the three who has his priorities in the right order and has solutions that won't hurt us in the long run.

Gotta love that quote, can I put that as my sig? It just goes to show that too many people consider the war an issue that they don't really face, simply because it doesn't happen in their own back yard.

The war is the #1 issue we all face. Plain and simple.

McCain understands the issues, and to some extent Hillary and Obama do too, but he's the only one of the three who has his priorities in the right order and has solutions that won't hurt us in the long run.


Is it that so? Well if you're not keeping the economy strong and the economy is not your strong point how do you keep the war going? Borrow some more money from China? I hear they have 1.5 trillion saved up.

As they say, it's the economy stupid, always!

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Sagging economy, war, and tax cuts...that's very rich.

More goodies...he really knows his shit doesn't he?

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He's right in one sense, and so off base in another that it's almost comical.

He has essentially said that guns, religion and gay marriage are unimportant issues to people. They're "clinging" to them because they're really just upset about the economy. How anyone can't see the absurdity of that is beyond me. Those issues are HUGE to tens of millions of people - it's not even debatable.

It's so arrogantly dismissive of issues that are of foundational importance to millions of Americans that I'm willing to just give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to a verbal flub.