Obama on Small-Town Pennsylvania...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Obama has never lived in the real America.  Therefore, his inability to connect with real Americans is unsurprising.

Here's the important question?  Has Obama ever lived in or visited "New America"?

Which - Iraq or Afghanistan?

Are you familiar with the poster known as bandit?

[opebo]

Obama has never lived in the real America.  Therefore, his inability to connect with real Americans is unsurprising.

Has Bush or McCain, or for that matter Hillary, lived in the 'real america'.  No.  Poverty is usually a sign that one will not ever run for president.

[J. J.]

I think this shows a fundamental disconnect with this segment of the community.

[tik 🪀✨]

Obama has never lived in the real America.  Therefore, his inability to connect with real Americans is unsurprising.

Here's the important question?  Has Obama ever lived in or visited "New America"?

Which - Iraq or Afghanistan?

Are you familiar with the poster known as bandit?

Ah, I did not realise he was referencing something from Atlas history. Now I feel stupider than usual.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Maybe it wouldn't look quite so bad if he didn't talk about them as though they are an essentially inferior branch of humanity to be talked about in the way that you might talk about, I don't know, hefted sheep.

Welcome to today's Democrat Party.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Obama has never lived in the real America.  Therefore, his inability to connect with real Americans is unsurprising.

Where exactly is this "real america"?

The blue colored counties on the results map.  We city folk are just a bunch of transplanted Europeans I suppose. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Maybe it wouldn't look quite so bad if he didn't talk about them as though they are an essentially inferior branch of humanity to be talked about in the way that you might talk about, I don't know, hefted sheep.

Welcome to today's Democrat Party.

A lot of Americans will do and believe anything they are told.  This is the country where every election comes down to whether or not they would have a beer with the guy and if you did enough photo-ops out hunting.  What did I see in 2004?  A bunch of rednecks at the RNC waving flip-flops around like a bunch of idiots.  They are sheep. 

[specific_name]

Those remarks are very condescending...geez. If he keeps talking like this he'll be done in no time. Even if what he's saying is true, you just can't phrase it that way.

[TheresNoMoney]

He's speaking the truth! Refreshing to hear.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

A lot of Americans will do and believe anything they are told.  This is the country where every election comes down to whether or not they would have a beer with the guy and if you did enough photo-ops out hunting.  What did I see in 2004?  A bunch of rednecks at the RNC waving flip-flops around like a bunch of idiots.  They are sheep. 

'tis better than the wolves at the DNC.

[Ban my account ffs!]

It's not free trade, it's masked human rights abuse.

I agree wholeheartedly with Obama here.. and this is coming from someone who grew up and currently lives in a "small" town.

[Ban my account ffs!]

A lot of Americans will do and believe anything they are told.  This is the country where every election comes down to whether or not they would have a beer with the guy and if you did enough photo-ops out hunting.  What did I see in 2004?  A bunch of rednecks at the RNC waving flip-flops around like a bunch of idiots.  They are sheep. 

'tis better than the wolves at the DNC.

Says one of the biggest gop party hacks on the forum...

Stop sniffing the paint-laced koolaid and then we'll talk.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

The blue colored counties on the results map.  We city folk are just a bunch of transplanted Europeans I suppose. 

And we non-coastal folk are just a bunch of uneducated poor hicks according to Obama I suppose.

[Democratic Hawk]

Essentially correct but an extremely dumb thing to say.  He should apologize.

Either that or clarify exactly what he meant because I'm sure it's not truly vindicative of any elitist liberal speak, on the part of Obama, that his critics suggest. It will be spun that way no doubt

The bottom-line is, however, that Obama should be trying to connect with small-town America, especially their socio-economic concerns, but comments along these lines don't exactly do him, or them, any justice ; especially, given where these comments were made (San Francisco) and to whom (wealthy donors)

Dave

[Storebought]

Obama has never lived in the real America.  Therefore, his inability to connect with real Americans is unsurprising.

Has Bush or McCain, or for that matter Hillary, lived in the 'real america'.  No.  Poverty is usually a sign that one will not ever run for president.

Let's consider the class into which 20th century presidents have been born:

McKinley -- Midwestern yokel

T Roosevelt -- Knickerbocker

Taft -- political aristocracy

Wilson -- Southern lawyer/preacher class

Harding -- Midwestern small-town professional class

Coolidge -- Yankee hillbilly

Hoover -- Midwestern small-town merchant class

F Roosevelt -- Knickerbocker

Truman -- "All-American" yokel

Eisenhower -- Plains small-town professional class

Kennedy -- 2nd generation nouveau riches

Johnson -- Southern hillbilly

Nixon -- Western yokel

(Ford -- Midwestern middle class)

Carter -- Southern small-town merchant class

Reagan -- Midwestern small-town working class

H W Bush -- political aristocracy

Clinton -- Southern small-town working class

W Bush -- political aristocracy

About half of our president came from decidedly small town, middle class circumstances. If this were the primary consideration for the presidency, Hillary Clinton should be a shoo-in.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

This thread is very predictable. How dare he point out that there are wedge issues. Anyways, here's the full quote.

Updated, found more quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How dare Obama say that Pennsylvanians aren't racist?

[Ban my account ffs!]

The blue colored counties on the results map.  We city folk are just a bunch of transplanted Europeans I suppose. 

And we non-coastal folk are just a bunch of uneducated poor hicks according to Obama I suppose.

Nope.. just the Republicans. 

Quit trying to play victim.

Nothing pisses me off more than a snide Republican trying to pretend that the world is out to get him.  Go shout obscenities at some gays or something.. or go kick a homeless woman.

Oh wait.. you don't have the balls to do it face to face, so you just do it in the voting booth.

[Alcon]

Oh, come on.

[Democratic Hawk]

This thread is very predictable. How dare he point out that there are wedge issues. Anyways, here's the full quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Unfortunately, much of the media won't focus on what Obama said in its entirety, they'll just zoom in on this:

"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."

Now in much of small-town America, I'd guess it doesn't sound too good at all. Such comments, in the absence of the full context, could easily be taken the wrong way given the fact that it will be spun in such a way to convince small-town voters that Obama is just another out of touch liberal elitist.

Those who seek public office need to be careful what they say given that perception can be the "be all and end all" in politics; and spin can all too easily enhance and sustain it, whether it is favorable or unfavorable

Dave

[Torie]

These gross generalizations with a dash of armchair psychobabble, are pretty annoying. Maybe these folks like guns because western PA is abundant with hunting areas, and it is still a major form of recreation. And maybe it is less resentment than less exposure to PC politics. And maybe the folks there are as diverse in their motivations, as well - yep - you guessed it -  the folks in San Francisco!  And maybe Obama is well, yep you guessed it again, a social snob - yes snob. That is my psychobabble thought for the day. Hey, two can play this game you know. Cheer.

[Torie]

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One of the charms of this place, is that there are just so many blessed with the gift of understated expression.

[exopolitician]

CNN is hailing it a controversy...an "explosion" of comments made from Obama. They even have a poll on loudobbs.com asking: "Do you believe Senator Barack Obama's comments reveal his elitist attitude towards every hardworking American?"

MSNBC had one story on it and then they talked about what election night numbers might be...agreeing a Hillary win of about 6-8 points or "moderate" single digits and one of them said Obama would win Philly 60-40 and that he needs to focus of Montgomery[sp?] County.

I havnt watched much of Fox News so I dunno what they are saying. And Glenn Beck is interviewing Jon Voight for some reason so nothing going on there.

[Keystone Phil]

agreeing a Hillary win of about 6-8 points or "moderate" single digits and one of them said Obama would win Philly 60-40 and that he needs to focus of Montgomery[sp?] County.

Seems right to me though he'll probably do a bit better in Philly.

[Democratic Hawk]

CNN is hailing it a controversy...an "explosion" of comments made from Obama. They even have a poll on loudobbs.com asking: "Do you believe Senator Barack Obama's comments reveal his elitist attitude towards every hardworking American?"

Obviously, paid scat attention to what Obama said in its entirety. But that's the media, sensationalism is what drives them

Dave

[exopolitician]

CNN is hailing it a controversy...an "explosion" of comments made from Obama. They even have a poll on loudobbs.com asking: "Do you believe Senator Barack Obama's comments reveal his elitist attitude towards every hardworking American?"

Obviously, paid scat attention to what Obama said in its entirety. But that's the media, sensationalism is what drives them

Dave

That one poll on loud dobbs website:

Yes: 47%
No: 53%