Obama's first big gaffe
Sunday, April 13th, 2008 - 3:04pm
As usual, it was a reasonably legitimate comment that was just a little too complex and a little too far from mainstream politics to go over without offending people.
What he said:
Quote:
And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are going to 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.
What he meant:
Quote:
Frustrated people tend to focus on specific issues that they can feel strongly about.
What people heard:
Quote:
Small-town workers are gun-crazy religious fanatics!
And of course Clinton was eager to pounce, trotting out her new favorite word, "elitist" and reminding everyone how much she loves guns and God and how she doesn't think they're hicks at all.
NOTE: This is not a doodle bug.
I respect that he continued defending his position rather than completely retracting it. Shows where the real 'straight talk express' is in this campaign.
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I was thinking it was his statement that he would cut NASA and Scientific funding and give the money for federal preschool.
But the bitter thing got some folks tweaked too I guess.
"Also, I have four legs and am covered in wool. Baa!" *Legion* reveals his inner furry.
Video of a random Pennsylvania old man in a diner asked by Fox News if people are feeling bitter. According to this guy, a McCain supporter, the answer is "yes."
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He's on the offensive now.
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And all the while McCain keep gaining ground. This election should be a turkey shoot for the Democrats, and they're going to screw it up again.
Or rather, Hillary Clinton is.
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baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
If you read Obama's words, there's nothing disagreeable there, really. The media and the opponents are latching onto the sole "bitter" word.
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Yesterday he talked about it.
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Wouldn't be the first time.
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Seems like the only error he made was using the word 'cling' though that didn't hinder my understanding of his statement. His follow-up was worded much better.
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There's no mistake. The general media and opposing politicians are just waiting with drool dripping from their fangs to latch on to anything he says.
Honestly, it's a little heart breaking to see Obama talking about ideas that aren't news to anyone watching the TV. Bitter people manifest their hatred into single ideals that they can be against? DUH!
But just the attempt to bring it up so that we can actually work on the problems, that everybody is already very familiar with, garners this raw backlash.
It's disgusting. These politicians that are supposed to represent us have made it a perverse habit to react before the people of the nation. It's disgusting.
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It's just been a long time since there's been a public figure willing to talk to the American people as adults. Give it time.
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QFT.
I hope you're right about the "give it time" thing.
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baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
I understand the proclamations that Obama is a witch. Black man, very smart, can dress himself, etc. Obviously he is some kind of Chimera to be dealt with by cannon fire.
What is disgusting to me is that Hilary has got to agree with him. Just because I don't agree with Clinton, doesn't mean I think she's an idiot. So I'm sure she knew what Obama meant, and it just using the wording to get a one up in the polls.
This means that she cares more about winning the election, than any truly relevant issue to the countries physical, fiscal, and psychological wellbeing. Instead of inspiring and thinking, she'd rather win the election with an argument over semantics.
That's what is disgusting to me. That's why she doesn't deserve to be president.
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Yeah, that's pretty much her M.O.
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I'm thankful that I can participate in a forum that is intelligent enough to sort this media created controversy. There is a total disconnect from what Obama said, to what the media, led by Clinton and spurred along by the republicans, is reporting he meant. This is actually kind of a scry moment in the campaign, as Clinton can count on the republicans to help stoke this fire. This is exactly what the republicans were looking for, and Clinton, has taken the bait.
This, of course, is exactly what Thomas Frank wrote about in his book What's the Matter with Kansas. Despite fiscal policies that hurt blue collar workers and rural communities, republicans use social issues to scare these communities. Obama is just explaining why it works, which is the failure of both republicans AND democrats to solve the economic issues facing these communities. If fiscal issues are off the table, then social issues rule the day.
So here is a candidate that is trying to bring fiscal issues back to the table, by taking them head on. Instead of debates about his ideas, we get to debate whether he was insulting citizens by calling them bitter. Of course, they are bitter because this is exactly what happens every time someone tries to have a meaningful debate.
Hillary Clinton just a lost a ton of my respect. McCain had already lost it when he decided to play the part of Bush Jr., instead of maintaining his dignity.
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That sums up what's known in political circles as "Clintonism."
Somewhat tangential, but vaguely amusing:
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baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
I suppose it's nice that Clinton is doing so much to tarnish Obama now. It would be such a shame when McCain eats Obama for lunch in the general if Obama supporters had no one to scapegoat and actually had to accept that however great a president he might be, Obama makes a lousy candidate. Not that Clinton would fair much better.
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Funny, as I have begun to wonder what on earth makes McCain a viable candidate. We'll see how the election goes, but the debates will be truly embarrassing for McCain. He hasn't shown as ability to think straight with notecards in hand. I can't imagine letting the poor guy out on his own in a debate. Will they let Lieberman stand behind him and whisper answers?
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Only if he can get them to promise not to photograph him from behind.
4DSwiss, are you going to give any reasons why Obama is a lousy candidate, or just going to leave that as an exercise for the reader?
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The thing is, his debate performance isn't going to matter. He'll be adequate, just like he was in the Republican ones. The problem is that he's got so much mind-share, rightfully or not (mostly not), as being a war hero, a patriot, and an integrity-filled, independent maverick. No amount of painting him as a washed-up old bat, or trying to recall the Keating 5 is going to change that. Too much of the mainstream media is happy to play along with this perception. Just like they're happy enough to play along with the narrative of Obama as an elitist with scary, radical friends and with Clinton as a manipulative hag.
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I'm not sure I buy that, otherwise he would have beaten the snot out of Bush in the primaries eight years ago. There was a time he was an "independent maverick", but he sold that out years ago. I don't think people see him that way anymore. I used to respect McCain, and could have seen myself voting for him at one point.
I also think his war hero status would play better if we were not bogged down in a war most of America views has pointless and tragic, while his plan for Iraq is more of the same. He should be surging so far ahead at this point, but is really not. He gets bumps right now. Polls indicating Obama and Clinton supporters voting McCain or abstaining are more of the moment. once the general election finally gets here, I just don't see anybody winning with a plan of four more years of GWB, which is essentially his platform.
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Not among a large group of voters, but both candidates will win or lose at the margins. It probably won't be a landslide any more than Gore/Bush or Bush/Kerry was. The media narrative can change quite quickly, as Obama knows. A movement of 2-3% of the electorate in a couple of states can determine the outcome. So it's not a done deal.
Republican primary voters are not representative of the electorate as a whole (and thank goodness for that). And the machinery that sunk McCain in 2000 will be supporting him this time.
And this, here, is exactly why this particular gaffe by Obama is so damaging. It hurts him in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio. Three large states that will be closely contested in the general. It probably hurts in Northern Florida, too, as well as Colorado, which I've heard Obama supporters say he puts into play.
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It's pretty well documented that the media, for the most part, just passes over criticism against McCain. Yes the links are all from the same aggregate but that is cause they are an easy source for video.
Link 1
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Link 7
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"Also, I have four legs and am covered in wool. Baa!" *Legion* reveals his inner furry.
That was worded oddly, I'm sorry. I meant it was heartbreaking to watch someone bring something up in public that everybody already feels, and then get slammed for it.
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You're assuming that McCain has no statements between now and the election that hurt him in those states.
The longer Hillary stays in the race, the less scrutiny there is on McCain. That is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, he gets very little exposure. On the other hand, he gets away with a whole lot.
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