New McCainiac Rothschild Weighs In On "Rednecks"

After coming out as a Democrat for John McCain earlier in the day, Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild made her first slip as a surrogate during a CNN appearance on Wednesday. In deflecting a question about whether or not she was bitter over Clinton's loss in the primary, the new McCain surrogate pivoted to a discussion of Barack Obama's notorious "bitter" remarks, but added a twist of her own -- describing the small-town voters Obama was talking about as "rednecks."

"Barack Obama went and called the people who have guns and cling to their religion bitter. The people out who are the rednecks or whatever are bitter," Rothschild told CNN's Campbell Brown. "If bitter is the easiest way for you to rationalize that, I truly with all my heart believe that John McCain will be a great president, then call me bitter. But it doesn't really advance the dialogue, Campbell, sorry."

What also may not advance the dialogue for McCain's campaign is the too-casual (and potentially insulting) use of slang to describe small-town voters. Though Obama was tagged for seeming to slight the beliefs of the citizens he was talking about, he was never accused of condescending to the level of using the phrase "rednecks" to describe them.

It could also be that Rothschild was clumsily trying to paraphrase Obama's old remarks. But that explanation is also problematic, since Obama never used the word in the first place.

Requests for a response from an Obama rep went unreturned. But if the multi-millionaire Rothschild becomes a frequent surrogate for McCain -- and should she continue to argue that Obama is unforgivably elitist in his own tone -- slips of this nature will likely not go unremarked upon for long.

Comments

[Busterdawg]

More uncreative spin from the HuffPo.

This is a Grade B Rovian tactic. She was obviously implying that Obama considered those people "rednecks", not calling them rednecks herself. But... throw it against the wall and let's see what sticks.

[bluestatelib]

Are you serious? Obama never called people "rednecks"; nor did he imply that they were. There's a wide gap between calling people "bitter" (accurately in my opinion) and referring to them using a racial slur. But then, you know that.

[Busterdawg]

Totally implied they were... go listen to the God, guns and "they lash out at people who aren't like them" comment.

[NickOLess]

So if Obama used the phrase "poor urban blacks" she'd interpret that as the N-word? Nice try. See if THAT sticks. Of course, none of these "average Americans" would be allowed to join this toffee-nosed twit's country club anyway.

[FirstShirt]

Republicans are a big tent party. We have DNC members, democratic senators, Trump and even the testimonial of the democratic VP that McCain is more qualified to be president than Obama.

[ManOutOfTime]

Wow! Donald Trump? That IS a big tent. I'm sure the GOP has the support of EVERY shade of white celebrity billionaire who puts his own pocketbook ahead of national interest.
Warren Buffet supports Obama. Warren Buffet is far more savvy and successful than Trump.
And I'm pretty sure Joe Biden is for Obama, too, despite the difference in "qualifications."
Not sure what any of that has to do with Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild.

[Evinsmom]

WOW Trump...how many times has he filed bancruptcy? He would fit right into a McCain administration!

[IntExec]

I saw the interview.... he made it very clear that he is a close friend of McCain ... and listed that as is primary reason. In any case, who cares?

[IslandGyal]

ROTFLMAO@ are there any rednecks insulted by the Lady?

[Luckie]

At the end of the day just a lot less wiser ...and a lot more bitter!

[freshnotbitter]

Madame Rotchild,

It is as American as apple pie to support the politician you believe is most likely to take corrupt bribes from your crowd. That's fine. That person would be Hillary then McCain in that order.

We all understand. There is no reason for tortuous explanations or ugly lies about the democratic candidate.

If your candidate wins you can set about selling out your fellow citizens regardless of their neck color but don't get your hopes too high. Obama is going to win.

[Speakupper]

Hmmm, which tiara do you wear under the bus?

[markkraft]

You can't buy our candidate, Lady... and we won't let you buy this election!

Here's another $50 more from me to the Obama campaign, in her honor! Anyone else out there up for another donation?! We've got to make up for the millions that this rich elitist is going to dump into the race. Consider it an investment in making sure that her kind of money can't buy democracy in the future!

http://www.barackobama.com

[FirstShirt]

Right, if you aren't in Hollywood you just aren't.

[BMS]

I really don't know where to begin on this one.

Let's see - today Lady Fancy Pants Gazillionaire de Megabucks and Donald Trump endorsed McCain. I don't know about you, but I can't quite picture these two shopping at Wal-Mart with all those Wal-Mart moms McCain is hoping to pick up. Are these people supposed to represent McCain's connection to us common working folks? I'd love it if McCain's campaign sent Lady Megabucks down here to my neighborhood Wal-Mart in North Carolina. I could introduce her to some of those "rednecks" she referred to so fondly and they can explain to her why they're voting for OBAMA.

[FirstShirt]

Trump and Rothchild were Hillary supporters. Lieberman is still a democratic.

See a trend?

You don't have to switch party loyalty to vote for McCain. Republicans vote for democrats all the time if the politics are right.

McCain/Palin 08

[TheNuff]

Unstable/Unable '08!

[zoozey]

Beautiful! I love it when someone in her 12mm pearls and her botoxed face, with LADY before her multi-billionaire name comes out and stutters around that she really must defect from the Dems now because Obama was elitist to the "rednecks" (her word). This is just almost like a satire election. You can't even MAKE this stuff up!

If these nincompoops take the White House THIS time, I am done. I'll just have to chalk it up to the numbers: since the 80's, the Religious Right has re-produced so much faster than others, home-schooled, or sent their spawn to Evangelical private schools, and now their little soldiers are old enough to vote; and we just can't beat the numbers anymore. God help us. Really.

[FirstShirt]

"Beautiful! I love it when someone in her 12mm pearls and her botoxed face, with LADY before her multi-billionaire name comes out and stutters around "

Apparently it didn't bother democrats when she was on the DNC Platform committee. Wonder why?

[TheNuff]

Good riddance. Keep her.

[mlv1055]

I love it.

It's "Trolls on Parade" everywhere we look lately. Easy to understand, really. Things are much too dreary on the right-wing websites these days.

I'm not sure what Lady Hoitey-Toitey de Foo-Foo has to do with the Obama borg, but I can't think about it now. It's time to light the candles on my Obama shrine!

[FirstShirt]

"It's time to light the candles on my Obama shrine!"

I would do that. That would be consistent with his opinion of himself.

[genseric13]

A Democrat not afraid of the Obama borg. Many dems will vote Republican out of fear of this cult being built around Obama.

[Bettysdad]

Keep dreaming.

Most of us are not terrified little wusses.

[pmarie]

Did I hear the word cult? Is that sort of like the term Messiah that keeps flying around when referencing Obama? Oh my.

Lady Hoitey-Toitey de Foo-Foo's new party & VP candidate takes the CAKE on the word "cult" given the throngs of wailing pentecostals, healings knocking people down to the floor, cell phone annointings & young "soldiers" being trained for the End of Days so all the "believing Christians can take refuge in Wasilla then take over the world. Even the Assembly of God separated themselves from these finatics.

[08POL]

No...only you will!

Obama is a great and smart politician, There is no Obama cult. People are just fed up with traditional BS which has now run its course.

[FirstShirt]

"Obama is a great and smart politician, "

You are right. He is a self serving politician who has been running for President since before he was in the Senate. No experience but that doesn't bother the token seekers of the democratic party. The party of Carter, Dukakis, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, Edwards and now Obama. Such a list of luminaries. You should be proud.

[MoeJava]

Here's another rich person who is slumming, trying to equate thermselves with the struggling worker class. Sorry - it aint working .....

[FirstShirt]

Was she slumming when she was on the DNC or isn't that possible among the democratic elite?

[rowzeer]

At least Obama didn't call people rednecks....he said they were bitter and that's the truth...we're all bitter....bitter about the Republicans destroying this country, the war, the corruption, the illegal wiretapping, the privatization where Blackwater and Halliburton bring more home than our troops. O said in hard times people cling to religion....that's true too when someone close to me was dying I too prayed after a long absence in prayer. Religion is a support that some of us turn to, because it was deeply ingrained in us as children and it gives comfort.

[genseric13]

They cling to their guns and religion and when Obama was a few years younger, he clinged to his drugs and religion.

[CoOpEdAmerica]

It must be getting pretty crowded under that bus. What's a Lady to do?

[MsCanadian]

Who is this bimbo, and what does she have to do with the presidential campaign?

[Bettysdad]

She's a major fundraiser for Hillary.

Can't you tell?

[FirstShirt]

She was a member of the Democratic National Committee and on the Platform Committee for the democratic convention.