Obama 'Small Town Comments' Draw Fire, Support

News Type: Event — Seeded on Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:20 PM EDT

Article Source: The Huffington Post

politics, barack-obama, hillary-clinton, 2008-election, democratic-primaries, pennslyania

Sen. Hillary Clinton drew sharp disagreements with Sen. Barack Obama late Friday for comments he made suggesting that job loss and economic woes had compelled people in Pennsylvania to bitterness, "guns or religion or antipathy, or anti-immigrant sentiment."

"Pennsylvanians," she declared, "don't need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them, who works hard for your futures, your jobs, your families."

The line was cutting and drew applause from the crowd. And it demonstrates that the Clinton campaign feels it has a political winner if not an issue that could dominate the news cycle for several days.

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8.8

{"commentId":1682185,"authorDomain":"lisaed"}

lisaed

"Grover Norquist: 'That sentence will lose him the election... He just announced to rural America: I don't like you.' Grover Norquist, the anti-tax activist who leads an influential weekly meeting of conservatives, went as far as to argue that Obama's line would cost Democrats the White House"

{"commentId":1682185,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"lisaed"}

4 votes

#1 - Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:22 PM EDT

{"commentId":1683889,"authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

epiphany sorbet

Lisa,

He just told rural America that it's not ok for them to have grievances right after he gave a big speech saying why it's ok for African Americans to have grievances.

It's what they call an "unforced error" in sports.

{"commentId":1683889,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

5 votes

#1.1 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:27 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684052,"authorDomain":"lisaed"}

lisaed

Epi - and it seems Obama is standing by his "bitter" remarks and trying to deflect away from them by criticizing Hillary and McCain for having the "audacity" to call him elitist and out of touch. Does Obama ever apologize for anything? I would think he owes the people of PA an apology, no? I won't hold my breath.

{"commentId":1684052,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"lisaed"}

4 votes

#1.2 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:07 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684061,"authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

epiphany sorbet

lisa @ 1.2

Someone put up a video of Obama trying to 'splain it to the folks in Indiana. He is at his hemming and hawingest best.

I can hardly wait for the debates - if they actually decide to get a moderator/panel who will do something besides ask him if he needs a pillow. (That presumes that he can squelch Hillary for the nom.)

{"commentId":1684061,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

5 votes

#1.3 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:11 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684093,"authorDomain":"lisaed"}

lisaed

Epi - yes, I just saw an article about that hemming and hawing on the front page here ---but I dunno if I would call this him at his best.....and instead of apologizing he says something to the effect "I didn't say it as well as I could have.....but everyone knows what I said is true".....hmmmmm.....I have a very deep faith and I believe in 2nd amendment rights but I am fortunate---I am not bitter and thank God am not economically challenged.....so how does Obama explain away my faith and support for gun ownership, eh? And of course - when pushed up against the wall - Obama's answer is typical liberal elitist - GOVERNMENT IS THE ANSWER - IT IS YOUR GOVERNMENT THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM:

Obama: "And so they pray and they count on each other and they count on their families. You know this in your own lives, and what we need is a government that is actually paying attention. Government that is fighting for working people day in and day out making sure that we are trying to allow them to live out the American dream."

{"commentId":1684093,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"lisaed"}

4 votes

#1.4 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:20 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684098,"authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

jfxgillis

Epiph & lisa:

Here's why you're being a little premature in your chortling (although I'd be chortling myself if I were you).

Don't let him take a couple of days to ponder this and write a nuanced and serious response. Because he will do so. And it will kill.

I was just thinking as I read the transcipt of his remarks a little while ago that I don't even care if he loses now.

{"commentId":1684098,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

3 votes

#1.5 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:21 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684101,"authorDomain":"fastnet"}

Greg888

Humility doesn't appear to be his strong suit and I can't think for the life of me what his strong suit actually is. I agree, any debate will be a real pleasure to watch.

{"commentId":1684101,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"fastnet"}

2 votes

#1.6 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:24 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684112,"authorDomain":"lisaed"}

lisaed

Jack - I'm not really chortling.....I'm angry. He has been angering me for a long time now right....he doesn't bring out the best in me to be sure. I am sure you are right - he'll go off and write one of his super duper speeches about grievances in small town America - something he apparently really knows nothing about. But it won't be excerpts from that forthcoming super duper speech that McCain will use in his TV ads.....

{"commentId":1684112,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"lisaed"}

4 votes

#1.7 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684403,"authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

epiphany sorbet

lisa @ 1.7

Oh, he may write one of his super duper speeches and the media may once again tell us that he has "totally recovered" from the gaffe, but then, we know better.

The Rev. Wright stuff is still rumbling around. Obama supporters and the media can pretend that all is well if they like, but the polls show the drop from each of the previous flubs. Drip, drip, drip.

And, the longer he pretends to address "issues" by actually talking about something else, the more these incidents will harm him. When Rev. Wright and Obama's membership at that church were the issues, Obama pretended it was all about race in America.

Now that he has shown his liberal elitism about "small town people" - in his opinion, they deal with their "bitterness" with Guns God and Racism, he is pretending that it is all about the economy.

He's the one who labeled these people as "bitter". He's the one who said that they adjust via guns god and racism. But, somehow in his retelling/recasting, it will be Bill Clinton's and George Bush's economic policies that made him say it.

Only a true believer could imagine that those slighted by the original comment would buy into another patented off-topic Obama speech.

{"commentId":1684403,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

2 votes

#1.8 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:56 PM EDT

{"commentId":1683924,"authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

jfxgillis

lisa:

Well, actually, I'd been kinda wondering where Greenpagan was yesterday. Looks like he got a job writing for Obama.

{"commentId":1683924,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

3 votes

#2 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:36 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684046,"authorDomain":"lisaed"}

lisaed

Jack - killfile had that seed that John Cleese offered to write for Barack Obama.....maybe now is a good time for him to get started?

{"commentId":1684046,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"lisaed"}

4 votes

#2.1 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:06 PM EDT

{"commentId":1683999,"authorDomain":"fastnet"}

Greg888

I never believed that Greenspan would be backward in offering opinions once he left the Fed's top job. Uncle Ben Bernanke must be getting a bit miffed with his continued pronouncements on the state of the economy.

Maybe Greenspan is plain wrong - incredible as it may seem, he has been wrong before.

The remark made by Obama hasn't won him too many friends in PA. I was talking with a buddy of mine up in King of Prussia this morning and he is just so pissed with the arrogance of this guy. Hey it's personal in PA now!!

{"commentId":1683999,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"fastnet"}

2 votes

#3 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:55 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684035,"authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

epiphany sorbet

greg @ 3

I think you misunderstood jfx.

He said greenpagan our little resident socialist.

{"commentId":1684035,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684076,"authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

jfxgillis

Epiph:

"Socialist Libertarian wino," actually.

{"commentId":1684076,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:15 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684086,"authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

epiphany sorbet

Jack @ 3.2

I'm sure gp will be ever so grateful for the correction.

You're not here, right? You're working. So I must be imagining your participation.

{"commentId":1684086,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

3 votes

#3.3 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:18 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684113,"authorDomain":"fastnet"}

Greg888

I'm the master of my own befuddlement as is obvious to all. Where are my glasses!

{"commentId":1684113,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"fastnet"}

#4 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684177,"authorDomain":"lisaed"}

lisaed

"Shares My Values" ----Obama is going to have a very tough time trying to make that case to voters on that attribute from here on out.

{"commentId":1684177,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"lisaed"}

3 votes

#5 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:52 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684206,"authorDomain":"fastnet"}

Greg888

The folks of Indiana and Pennsylvania share a fair amount of common pasture in many respects. I'm looking forward to being Stateside again just in time to watch the fun.

I note that Obama's remarks were made in Cali. Speaks volumes about playing to the peanut gallery.

{"commentId":1684206,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"fastnet"}

2 votes

#6 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":1684417,"authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

epiphany sorbet

Greg @ 6

And, his comments were made at a fundraiser on Billionaires Row. Just one millionaire talking to some billionaires about those pesky white folks who won't vote for Obama.

{"commentId":1684417,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"epiphany-sorbet"}

3 votes

#6.1 - Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":1685962,"authorDomain":"fastnet"}

Greg888

Haha!! Breaks my heart to hear it.

I wonder if Ann C is still calling on conservatives to vote Dimocrat? The longer this cake fight goes on the slim chance of McCain making the final cut gets better every day.

{"commentId":1685962,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"fastnet"}

#7 - Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:39 AM EDT

{"commentId":1705139,"authorDomain":"OneNeutrino"}

OneNeutrino

"And it demonstrates that the Clinton campaign feels it has a political winner if not an issue that could dominate the news cycle for several days."

My God, I HATE THE MEDIA. Oh.. a hot new news topic to follow and encourage instead of planning for Americas future!

{"commentId":1705139,"threadId":"248887","contentId":"1425684","authorDomain":"OneNeutrino"}

#8 - Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:44 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"248887","isPrivate":false}

LISAED

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Obama 'Small Town Comments' Draw Fire, Support

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