Obama Strategist: Don't Worry, Dems Usually Lose White Working Class

During an interview with NPR, Obama's top strategist David Axelrod played down his candidate's loss in Pennsylvania.

"The white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years," Axelrod said. "This is not new that Democratic candidates don't rely solely on those votes."

He also said winning Pennsylvania was "an almost impossible task" and "a home game" for Clinton. "It hasn't changed the fundamentals of the race."

During a CNN Radio interview, however, Obama himself acknowledged that his campaign needed to work harder to win that demographic:

Obama argued that his campaign had laid the groundwork for the fall in a large swing state that the eventual Democratic nominee will need to win.

"Overall we feel good about the work that we did," he said on CNN Radio.

Obama conceded, however, that he still must do a better job reaching out and attracting blue collar, older voters. He said that Clinton's argument that she has more experience "might have more traction" with those voters.

Comments

[Sparklez]

James Carville is even taking up for Obama

I smell a joint ticket

[WoodyCPM]

Not in a million years.

[LiamR]

If eight years of George W. Bush haven't pissed you off completely, haven't hammered away at your standard of living, haven't painted your future with the bleakest of colors, well then you just might be a McCain voter. Whether someone is white, male, blue collar, or whatever doesn't mean squat if that person is boneheaded enough to pull the lever for another four years of Bush policies.

Democrats need to quit worrying about what this group or that group thinks. We have common sense, compassion, and justice on our side. If we lose because we're trying to save our country that would be tragic. But even more tragic would be a Democratic Party trying to play to the lowest common denominator - in which case we wouldn't be fooling anyone, think Dukasis in a tank.

Build a strong platform, be authentic, be unafraid, and for God's sake stop underestimating white, blue collar workers! People are drawn to truth; trust the process.

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

Please bring us Obama McGovern

Sincerly
The GOP
and
Rush Voter; 021217162871

[ssmit98]

You are singing a totally different tune than Mccain campaign manager. Today on countown, Keith Olbermann exploited a 30 paragraphed statement from Rick Davis, the lobbyist, praising Hillary and her win. They are salivating over a fight with Hillary....

[EyeballKid]

We already have many thanks for Gerald Ford Chucklenuts McCain.

[nellie]

Good luck with that latest piece of silliness. Can you say "grasping at straws"?

[ejay579]

Rush Voter,

Did you commit election fraud when you voted? Is Rush going to post your bail when we hunt you down? Of course he is. He is going to raise the funds by selling some of his privatge stash.

[Softnsweet]

LiamR

True!

[ladyv]

ITA.

For God's sake, Hillary bled half her support away in Pennsylvania, of all states. Other than her home state, there was not another state that was so heavily expected to go in her favor. In a month, she bled half her support. HALF. A month in which she swaggered around drinking boilermakers and talking about shooting animals, and a month in which she tried desperately to paint the least elite of the three elites currently in the running as elitist beyond belief and as a terrorist who wants to enslave the white race. I'm not sure how one can simultaneously be a latte-swilling sushi-eating effete and ineffective ultra-liberal pantywaist *AND* a terrifying left-wing radical who wants to enslave white people, but I'm sure it made sense in Hillary's situation room.

[ObamaEdwards]

Now is the time for John Edwards to endorse Obama, and get this thing rolling. If Obama and Edwards really care for all of us and the nation as much as they say, then this is the way to go. They need to reach an understanding--ASAP.

[majseventh]

Elizabeth Edwards is going to campaign with Hillary.

[ladyv]

The Edwards are not endorsing.

Gore will endorse Obama before the Edwards will endorse, and there's practically no way Gore's going to publicly endorse Obama, even though he's done so privately.

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

then you wonder why, Democrats lose elections?

[chronic]

Because many whites vote for the white supremacist party, "The Republicans".

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

Typical Liberal speak... Deal with it. reminder, the Dems are the party of race, gender, class, sex... Republicans dont care who you are as long as your a American!

Black Republican from the Reagan Era!

[cballen]

With his state's critical primary in two short weeks, Democratic Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh -- a strong Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter -- has been leaning on the State's freshman House members to stay on the sidelines rather than endorse Sen. Barack Obama. Obama is hoping to win the outspoken support of Reps. Brad Ellsworth, Baron Hill and Joe Donnolly. He campaigned for them during their 2006 Democratic sweep, and their districts sprawl across the southern half and central heartland of Indiana -- they favor Clinton. Even a good showing in those districts could be enough for Obama to take the state, given his strength in Indianapolis and the largely African American north near Chicago. In an interview today, Bayh said he has appealed to Ellsworth, Hill and Donnolly to stay out of the race until their voters have spoken. Clinton will take all three of their districts, he said. Already, according to three House sources, one member has defied that appeal. Newly elected Rep. Andre Carson of Indianapolis had been in Bayh's sights before he broke for Obama. The effect of any endorsement -- his included -- "really is pretty marginal," Bayh said. But with 25 percent of Indiana's Democratic voters in Chicago's media market, Clinton is going to have to run up her margins downstate. "My advice to you is to follow the voters of your district," Bayh said he has been telling them. He has not overtly asked them not to endorse, but, he added, his advice

[cballen]

HYPOCRISY!

[MrGiggles]

Just like those glorious 1990's. The Clintons win and every other Democrat loses.

[JayJ1130]

Bayh has a lot of nerve. He should have waited until after the primary to endorse too then.

[cballen]

...playing us for fools. period.

[michaelbiggs]

Mr. Obama is almost as bitter as his wife. One would think he was the descendant of slaves or perhaps grew up in the South during segregation. That would explain his distrust and dislike for whites.

But on the other hand his disgust of the working class shows his true elitist background in Hawaii, Indonesia, and at Harvard.

[EvoMan]

Yeah, being raised by a single mom and having to take food stamps breeds elitism. Good call.

[EyeballKid]

The blogosphere is saturated with posters who have no idea what their talking about.

[ssmit98]

Hey michaelbiggs do you think his disgust of the working class is as bad as this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/16/hillary-clinton-on-workin_n_97017.html

or this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/13/bill-clinton-flashback-al_n_96433.html

or this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exsmFDYyK4U

You my friend, are an idiot :)

[Softnsweet]

michaelbiggs

This is the first time you class learned the word elitist. You are running it in the ground. Please google the word, you are not using it correctly.

[Bertha40869]

Do you have ANY idea how hard it is in America for a biracial person? I have a biracial niece, and even at 4 years old, she is having a hard time with the reception people give her. She's too white to be black, and too black to be white.

Unless you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes, shut up.

[starrianna]

That is nice:

Obama: Let's throw white working class people under the bus.

Obama: I'm a sore loser, so we're going to give up on white working class people.

Obama: I go to church for 20 years where white people are not welcome.

This is "change"?

[linquistic]

First off the church is a branch of a predominantly white denomination. Secondly, there were several white individuals who attended the church.

[Sparklez]

The denomination itself is practically white

Oh yeah

U do kow that the Clinton's got their spiritual advice regarding their marriage from him

Lol

Thats why they never said anything

and Obama is too nice of a person to say it. He is really trying to play nice.

I wish Wright would say it himself. But then again, he just needs to shut up


My classmate is from Chicago and she said everyone goes to Trinity. They help the community and provide outreach programs and everything

[McFlipFlop]

Honesty is not one of Clinton's qualities, and I guess not one of her supporters' either.

"Obama himself acknowledged that his campaign needed to work harder to win that demographic."

And there are white people in Obama's church.

[CatLadyforObama]

The reverend who replaced Rev. Wright is white.

[AnnieinOR]

if anybody throws people under the bus, it's the Clintons She laughs while Bill collected 800K that Clinton took from Colombia and now more jobs will be sent to Colombia. Jobs are leaving at an alarming rate to foreign countries. Factory workers and cannery workers have lost jobs to the east, Canada and Mexico.... but let's not blame the Clintons who were for free trade as is proven in the WH records and Bill's association with the same foreign countries who paid for his library.

but none of this is Hillary's fault, she claims her experience via Bill's presidency - then she is responsible for all we have lost because of their GREED

not to mention all the insignificant states, the insignificant endorsers, the blacks, the volvo driving latte sipping educated yuppies, the blacks, Dean, Pelosi, Richardson or anyone who dares to stand up for Obama.

She's a user and abuser and her own state paper of record says she is divisive and mean and vacuous - but if it makes you feel better, go ahead and lie to yourself - it's not going to make it true.

[dutchess2]

Shame shame shame...

the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a decorated Marine during the Vietnam war. He speaks 4 languages and has 4 degrees.... He built his church from 87 members to 8000, a membership that is predominently black because that's the neighbohood, but there are yellow, red, white and brown
congregants too. He is highly respected among pastors of different denominations that have worked with him in Chicago, and he is held in esteem among heads of churches across the US.

What you know of him is limited to a few snippets - mere seconds - taken out of context of 30 years of sermons..

The only people for whom that has any benefit are the racist bigots that could have themselves
another lynching of a black man.

[chronic]

EXACTLY!!

[majseventh]

It was more than mere snippets and seconds.
A lot more than that.
He is not held in esteem by everyone.

[ProgressiveBum]

Thank you for setting the record straight. I have listened to Rev. Wright's sermons, and in context I could not find anything factually wrong with his comments. This truly is a non-issue for anybody who listens to the sermon, not just to 5 second soundbites.
Btw, I'm a 45-year-old atheist white guy, that HRC dismissed as the latte-sipping crowd.

[Ddorsey]

Hillary hasn't done the same to Black voters? How will she win them in November? Blacks are the most reliable democratic constituency, showing up at 75-90% every year for democrats. I think that's a bigger issue.

[Sparklez]

Thank you

Im telling you, blacks will NOT come out

Dude on CNN just said he was on the Michael Baisden show and AA callers were saying how disgusted they were with the Clintons

[MartinEdwinAndersen]

Hillary wins exactly nine more delegates than Obama in Pennsylvania--her ballyhooed "turning tide" washing out the very same low road she hugs to try to win the nomination.

So the Clintons, in their arrogance and sense of entitlement, sell out the Democratic party's prospects in November for the equivalent of 30 pieces of silver.

[Pammy1151]

There are still 3 more out there and are in PHila area. Obama will probably get those. From one of the areas they had trouble with machines.

[Sparklez]

What is up with Guam?

[Pammy1151]

I think it is like Puerto Rico as an American Terrority they only get to vote in the primary and NOT in the general. Why I have no clue!!

[bungle]

cuzz there not a state..

[ssmit98]

What do you mean?

[Sparklez]

Like its significance

Havent heard too much about it and its on Saturday i think

[ssmit98]

Chuck Todd said today that the real battle ground is in NC not IN because this is a state that is "tailor-made" for Obama and if Hillary can win NC that is when the race will turn in her favor.

[Sparklez]

Tailor made like Pennsylvania

But they arent trying to downplay it

and she can forget North Carolina. I hope he blows her out

But Indiana, she has a chance so i have been told. So i dont know what Chuck Todd is talking about

[ssmit98]

I think he is saying that Obama went into a state that was "tailor-made" for Clinton and closed the gap down to 9 percent, and he is saying that if Hillary can do this too with NC or in fact win it, then and only then will it start to raise questions in Superdelegates heads.

But who knows....

[Pammy1151]

David Letterman just said Hillary was so happy at the victory celebration last night that she let Bill bring a date. I love it and it is probably true!!!!

[starrianna]

What the hell does that have to do with her being a better President than B.O.?

[ssmit98]

It's funny! Duh....

[Pammy1151]

It doesn't but maybe you need to lighten up a little. Hey hey I am an Obamabot myself.

[AnnieinOR]

she would not be a better president - for one thing she lies like GWB - she's pro-war like GWB, she wants to obliterate Iran.... no, I doubt she'd be a better president than John McSame

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

The media is asking the wrong question when they ask Senator Obama's supporters if they will support Senator Clinton if she is the nominee. What they should be asking is will Senator Obama's supporters support Senator Clinton if it is perceived that the nomination was stolen from Senator Obama and given to Senator Clinton. I guarantee you that number will be a lot different. They will support Senator Clinton if she wins it fair and square, but if it is perceived that it was stolen from Senator Obama and he should have won, they will not support Senator Clinton. The media always gets it wrong or all voices do not matter!

[Sparklez]

I agree

Becuase i for one, will not

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

It makes at least two of us

[Azzers]

Which is why the Democrats have lost every election since Clinton. If you can't have everything you want, you either don't vote or vote contrary to your best interest.

Hypothetically, lets say Clinton is on the ticket. Are your politics better served by 4 years of a moderate democrat or 4 years of a moderate republican? I would say a majority of the readers would say the latter, but it seems like every election if we don't pick the most liberal canidate, the base won't vote.

Well... I'll tell you, go ahead and stick to that and enjoy a Supreme Court that is packed with conservatives because people were unwilling to compromise.

[Sparklez]

Just have to see how it plays out

If she gets it fair and square, then id vote for her. But it doesnt seem that way

Let me get my pennies together in the event i have to fly to Denver and protest the convention

The best bet now, is to put them both on the ticket to solve the problem with Obama as the president and her as the VP

I can bet the Supers will tell them just that.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

No, we're not asking for everything that we want, we're asking for once for things to be fair. We're tired of being taken for granted!

[plafayette]

I think you are missing her point. She is saying, and I agree that the Clinton Machine and the entire media core is playing a very dangerous game with the minorities who have always supported them. It will be a big mistake to believe AA will support the Democratic party after spitting in their faces. Harlem had 0 votes for Obama? THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS A FARCE. A LIE! Two weeks ago the entire media circus claimed that Hillary would have to win each contest by 65% now last night 10% is considered significant. A REAL VICTORY! This is pure bullshyt. Just come right out and say that......no matter what Sen. Obama does, this country (ruling powers that be) will not let him become President of this United States. The super delegates will stand aside and let every possible scenerio play out to give Hillary the opportunity to render Sen. Obama un-electable. The talking heads are paid to make sure that the mud she slings lands squarely in his face...then help her by slyly playing up every Obama "gaff" 24/7 while pretending that it is news Americans really want to hear. The media has taught me and the rest of the world how deeply racist this country is...and believe me the whole world is watching. Ask ABC... to quote Keith Olbermann to HRC during his rebuke: "True or false, we SEE IT!" All this BS is making us totally sick!

[Missmn]

Hillary's voting record puts her into the Republican column. She is not a progressive or even a liberal. Why would I think that her choices for Supreme Court would be any better than McCain's? Because she calls herself a Democrat? I don't think so.

[mikekev58]

John McCain is NOT a moderate Republican, by a long stretch. Please, check his record. That the Limbaugh wing of the party blew their tops as he approached the nomination is no indication of the depth of his commitment to Republican far right conservatism.

In a contest between McCain and either Democratic candidate, it should be a no brainer for any Democrat and for many anti-war, pro-choice, social-justice-minded independents and Republicans.

[S1m0n]

Very astute nitpick.

[JMorgan]

For weeks the Clintons have been hammering away, talking about Michigan and Florida in terms of "when", not "if". Yesterday's win in Pennsylvania gave HRC the first beachhead she could point to and say, "With Michigan's and Florida's popular votes (which, of course, will get counted), I've got more popular votes". It's brazen, but nobody smacked her down, or the notion that Michigan and Florida delegates won't be seated.

The Clintons are doing this one inch at a time. At some point in the very near future, it becomes an avalanche and Axelrod (and Obama) aren't going to know what hit them. All of the talk will be about how "She's a fighter!" and "Look how she came from behind, another 'Come Back Kid'", and "That's the kind of fortitude and stick-to-it-iveness we need fighting for us in the White House".

Only that's not who she is, and that's not who she's going to be fighting for if she wins.

[nomobull]

KEITH DID

[ejay579]

I have yet to hear anyone concede the point on Michigan. Florida alone will not give the Drama Queen more popular votes. The scenario I envision is Florida being accepted when it is a moot point and an accomodation being made with Michigan. Clinton can hammer away all she wants about Florida and Michigan, it is not getting her anywhere. Axelrod is a cool cat. He knows that if the Drama Queen were ahead in elected delegates and popular votes Barak would be gone. He would not be receiving the special treatment Drama Queen is receiving. The issue is not whether Florida and Michigan are settled but when they are settled. Timing is everything.

[CynthiaCr]

"That's the kind of fortitude and stick-to-it-iveness we need fighting for us in the White House"

Fighting in the White House? Uhmm, at 3AM maybe?
Diplomacy, exquisite diplomacy, ought be the prerequisite there to answer any phones, (any time).

Better the Senate during business hours. Hillary sure has the requisite experience in wheeling, dealing & arm-twisting. Her particular talents, along with her phenomenal capacity of focusing on minutiae, could at the very least, spare us taxpayers another bridge to nowhere. If we were hiring someone for the job though, I'd want to make very very certain they could read the Titles on any bills, like say: AUTHORIZATION TO USE FORCE...

[JMorgan]

The media hates the Clintons. They want to love the Obama that they've been promised - An inspirational new kind of leader. He started out showing a little leg of that. Then the Clintons let loose their inner jackals, and no kind of inspirational leader showed up to beat the Clintons back. There's a small window of time for Obama to get himself together, find that inspirational guy (if he's got it in him), and the media will rise up and cover him. But the media isn't going to put its own neck on the chopping block for an "also ran" when it may have to deal with the Clintons again in the White House for another 4-8 years.

If Axelrod is relying at this point on enough superdelegates sticking with Obama to give him the nomination because Obama got more delegates through the elections and caucuses, he's living in a fool's paradise.

With yesterday's win in Pennsylvania, the Clintons' rolled out the battering ram and delivered the first blow to the idea of Obama as the presumptive nominee. By letting the seating of the Michigan and Florida delegates not be decided until the convention, that gave the Clintons a beachhead (one of several) to shoot for.

[Bertha40869]

No the media is terrified of the Clintons. She has made so many blunders and has gotten a free pass on a multitude of issues, most notably

"Screw em" comment
Mark Penn
Bill's $800,000 and Columbia
Triangulation of Obama
Richard Scaiffe
Tax returns

Trust me, the media is more focused on trying to knock down Obama than Clinton. She claims she has been vetted to keep people off of her tree trunk arse, and to keep people from focusing on how nothing has changed with her and her hubby. I'll bet you one thing: the Republicans are scrambling to find dirt on and exploit Obama because they have all the ammunition they need for Hillary.

[army193]

It's all about the Heading...It's got to be a gotcha moment most people never read the full article just the heading then pretend it to be a fact.

[Sparklez]

Was listening to CNN today and they said Obama spent more than her but his dollar had more value and substance. I forgot how they did the calculation. Like his is 77 cents on the dollar or something like that

[BitterInPA]

Some polls had Clinton ahead 14-20%, so he narrowed the gap. He was never going to win PA, bittergate or not. I think it came down to organizing. Note that Obama won several counties in the south central part of the state.

[majseventh]

It came down to money. He bought the votes. Even so, he can't close a big state.
Not one big state. 10 % is a big big win.

[SouthFloridaDem]

Yes, somehow the talking heads don't give him any credit for what he did accomplish in PA.

[mortrefuge]

I think I have the answer! Obama needs to go on 60 minutes with Michelle and answer all of the questions. Ala Bill Clinton and Hillary with the Gennifer Flowers mess.

Wright: As much as I love the man there are some things he's said that are totally outrageous and I totally reject. But you still can't take a 30 second soundbite to demonize a whole man's life and his church. This is a good Christian man who's been preaching the gospel and doing good works his whole life.

Ayers: You cannot blame something another man did 40 years ago on Obama. This is a man who has paid the price and reformed his life and is an upstanding citizen of Chicago. He works with Mayor Daley, for God's sake! Barack is supposed to have spent his whole adult life trying to avoid him?

Resko: Well that was just a bad mistake.

Bittergate: Barack mispoke and has apologized for mis speaking. But he has spent his entire adult life trying to make life better for working people. With housing, jobs, better wages. He worked in the poorest communities for nothing because he understands what it's like to be poor.

[ssmit98]

Can someone make a Hillary list, or would there not be enough room on this page?

[ssmit98]

Rezko: Obama admitted that it was a "bone-headed move"

Bittergate: Obama said it was a "mangled" statement and even Bill Clinton agreed with him http://youtube.com/watch?v=GYaJHAnmjtkk)

Ayers: you hit the nail on the head

Rev. Wright: Obama denounced the comments Wright said and he made an incredible speech about race, but obviously he can't satisfy everyone

I think that Americans sometime forget that the presidential candidates are still human and make mistakes. Yes, Hillary supporters, even Hillary has made mistakes....

[Sparklez]

Honey, it will drag onto this page and the ones that follow

[Sparklez]

But u know what

Hillary has ties to good ole Rezko too

and has gotten some bread from him too

But our candidate will not air that out. Respect

[sedonakaren]

Hillary and Bill also have indirect ties to Ayers!

[heal57]

I think an important point to make regarding the 9% split between Obama and Clinton in Pennsylvania is that Independents were not allowed to vote, and Obama gets the Independents. It was frustrating for me in my state [Arizona] not to be able to vote for Obama during the primary here. My husband is a registered Democrat so he voted for Obama, but you just get the Democratic base in the states that don't allow Independents to vote inn the primary. Obama has more support than we think.

Independents for Obama '08

[hank48188]

Obama was getting the Independents when they thought he was a "Tiger Woods" type, now he seems more like louis farrakhan, Obama is done.

[ssmit98]

When did he stop getting independents? And when has Hillary every carried the majority of them?

[AnnieinOR]

that's a pretty stupid remark - but I suppose it's to be expected from a dumb sheet like you

[ejay579]

Let me guess: you are white; you have less than a college education; and you make less than $50k a year. 'fess up, how right am I. By the way, I meet only two of these criteria, you guess the two.

[BitterInPA]

I know so many people who are registered as independent, because they tend to vote either party. I live in a county that will never elect a Democrat for important state or federal seats. The best way to have an impact is to be registered Republican so you can vote for the least offensive wingnut during the primary. Another important thing to remember is the nomination is usually a done deal well before PA. This year was finally different. I switched back to Democrat (like many others) so I could vote for Obama.

The amazing thing is Lancaster County voted 55/45 for Obama. My hope has been restored.

[SouthFloridaDem]

You're kidding -- Lancaster did? Wow, I didn't see that map yet (been traveling today).

[S1m0n]

"...is that Independents were not allowed to vote, and Obama gets the Independents..."

And perhaps more importantly, it is independants who determine the winner in presidential elections.