"What Barack Obama's remarks last night in San Francisco reveal," Mayhill Fowler asserts on the Huffington Post, "is his self-confidence--to the point of cockiness--right now."
I have close friends who attended the Obama donor event in Pacific Heights where Fowler claims she became so upset about his remarks. My friends, an interracial couple who are professors at two public universities in California, assured me that they did not hear any of the "cocky" tone that Fowler claims made her so "uncomfortable." The event was held for like-minded people who want to see Obama succeed. From her writings and her whirlwind media tour slamming Obama, Mayhill Fowler clearly does not share this sentiment. That's fair, but she shouldn't pretend to be an "Obama supporter."
Her charges of "cockiness" on the part of Senator Obama have had their desired effect. She has garnered publicity and has been given a free ride on this non-issue. She appeared on the Lou Dobbs show, and CNN and other news outlets are flogging her false and vituperative sentiments about Obama. Predictably, the Republican Party and the John McCain campaign seized upon Fowler's distortions and used them as talking points. And of course Hillary Clinton, needing some good news after Mark Penn ignominiously resigned when his ties to Columbian lobbying money were revealed, is milking Fowler's smears for all they're worth, (which isn't much).
Mayhill Fowler apparently took away a totally different feeling from the event than anyone else in the room and her spin on Obama's statements to what he thought was a sympathetic audience (save Ms. Fowler) is a sorry distortion. Fowler posed as a "citizen reporter," but she didn't seek responses from others who attended the event, nor did she check her own subjective and uniformly negative biases at the door.
"Even the Obama Campaign, I suppose, can never have too much money," Fowler sniffs. This is a curious dig coming from someone who claims to be sensitive and made to feel "uncomfortable" by the mere suggestion that some people in America after eight years of miserable misrule might be a tad "bitter."
Fowler writes: "The fact that so many middle class Californians are giving $2300 to Obama shows both the depth of prosperity in the state and the allure of the scent of victory." I guess Fowler believes the California economy has been just humming along during the Bush years? Maybe Fowler should do some of her "citizen reporting" and inform the governor and the state legislature, which are currently dealing with a $14 billion budget deficit and contemplating cutting $5 billion from education, about "the depth of prosperity" of the state. Fowler is the one who is out of touch with the plight of average working people, not Obama as she claims.
She even goes over Obama's use of the English language with the eye of a schoolmarm: "Note Obama's delicate sentence constructions. Never a gender pronoun--a he or a she--anywhere." I suppose she considers this kind of thing "political analysis."
According to her bio on the Huffington Post, Mayhill Fowler is a middle-aged Southern belle "born and bred in Tennessee" who moved to Houston, and later became a California resident.
But Mayhill Fowler does succeed in bringing up a powerful point relating to race relations in America: How must the first African American presidential candidate to make it this far behave? How much "confidence" in his own abilities can he show before people like Fowler label him "cocky?" And what are Fowler' credentials to make this kind of judgment? Do her white Southern roots allow her to really see a black candidate? Or is Obama to her Ralph Ellison's "invisible man?"
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Look at all of her post. She has never been a Barack supporter. She is Hillary's troll if not John McCain's.
Mayhill Fowler is an "ardent supporter of Barack Obama" like George Bush is an ardent supporter of the Bill of Rights.
In an article published today on Marccooper.com entitled: Inside the Obama-Guns-God-Bitterness Storm Marc Cooper, editorial coordinator of HuffPost"s OffTheBus project stated that he feels privileged to have given the final approval of the Fowler blog at the center of the controversy surrounding Sen. Obama. He bragged about the 5000 reader comments on the Mayhill Fowler blog and the tremendous amount of press coverage given her so-called psuedo-journalistic post.
Marc Cooper lavished praise and accolades on Fowler and described her as a "highly-educated sophisticated intellectual and ardent supporter of Senator Obama."
The post did not include include the slightest hint of remorse over the potential damage caused to Sen. Obama's personal reputation or political campaign. I don't know for sure, but I believe there must be some law against slander and interference in a U.S. presidential campaign.
I am willing to donate money and I am vowing to join with anyone who would like to start a petition or letter writing campaign or whatever as an expression of outrage over this horrendous act.
Please contact me at: almeh-99856@mypacks.net if you are interested in joining me.
ammeh. Tried you e-mail. Doesn't work. My name @yahoo.
Well ok, I guess my abbreviated post of this link didn't pass muster (yet?)
For an alternative view of this matter please see this article:
http://www.correntewire.com/kill_the_messenger
Fowler's article was awful just from a 'writing' standpoint.... AWFUL. On CNN she basically called us "an ignorant electorate" in PA, not just "quaker staters" as her article described us. She generalized entire states, without having a damn clue what she was talking about. Boy the irony, huh?
Obama was speaking to these contributors in SF, about the need for those better off to understand the economic situation of those less fortunate, and the need for sacrifice ... he was NOT pandering, but the opposite.
Fowler's totally deficient perspective or economic conditions, cultural issues, and race in America is not unique, but it should be noted.
The Howard Dean "woooo" strategy isn't working on Obama or his supporters, it is just making him stronger, and the party weaker...
Got a bad taste in my mouth for Ms. Fowler. A stinky smell about her. Possibly a journalistic troll. Please Ms. Fowler..........you being from the South and all, a Belle and all........... Maybe your definition of "cocky" is a little bit skewed???
I do believe she might have really meant "uppity."
I've pointed out elsewhere and I'll do it again: Mayhill Fowler is such a poor reporter that she buried her lead in the sixth paragraph of her story. She used the first five paragraphs talking about patriotism and didn't bring up the controversial Obama quote until near the end. If not for an alert HuffPost headline writer, this story would have disappeared quietly into the archives as do most blog posts.
As an Obama supporter, I'm disappointed so much is made of this and words like "elitist" are being thrown around about the one guy in the race who is anything but that. As a former journalism student, I'm disappointed Mayhill Fowler gets labeled as a reporter.
agreed.... her writing of that article was pretty awful. I would expect that from an 8th grader on too much caffeine. She can't write, and she is very ignorant about almost every issue she raised. What is so ironic, is that her article offended me, and her CNN interview was also offensive. Obama offended only those who are already insane, prejudice, or Hillary supporters already.
Fowler tried to comment on PA voters on Lou Dobbs, and almost swallowed her tongue when she caught herself calling us in PA, stupid voters. More than anything, I blame the progressive populace for becoming benign 'dem voters', hoping that 'leader' of one party will save us from the 'other' party. Only a retarded citizenry falls for a 2-party system, but in the USA, people who don't see that the dem. party sold out progressives 30 yrs ago, or that the Clintons helped finish the deal in the 90's simply don't know their history. This type of ignorance will hopefully help Hillary to destroy the party enough to illuminate this for the naive among us.
Now he's to elitist. He wasn't black enough. He doesn't have enough experience. Hasn't been in congress long enough. Hasn't paid his dues. Only made a speech. Jesse Jackson won here to. It's just a fairy tale. And on, an on, an on, it's not going to end. If you can't beat him on the issues than find anything that will stick. I remember the kitchen sink comment.
So I guess it boils down to an Elitist or a Liar. Guess who I'm voting for.
If you are in love with Obama, you would not have necessarily heard the "cockiness". If you are on the fence, you would.
were you there? did you hear it?
mayhill is a clinton toe sucker. Read her previous posts
Just like other attempts to bring Barack down, this isn't going to work. He is scheduled to give a speech to the AP today, and mark my words, he will knock it out of the park again and Hillary will suffer the consequences of having the gall to label Barack Obama as an elitist. And McCain too, he owns 8 homes and is married to a Beer fortune. If they really want to fight Barack on that, they are just plain crazy. It is just one more tactic that is going to backfire on her. It's a new game in this election, Barack isn't John Kerry or Al Gore, both of which were easy to paint as elitest. It's like they keep teeing Barack up for the long ball. If Jeremiah Wright didn't bring him down, will this. I don't think so.
As most latte drinking far left wackos think , if you don't support their messiah then something must be wrong with YOU. Obama is very intelligent and he could have phrased his logic very differently. Instead obama thought it was off the record and he could let his guard down. So people who don't support him are racist, anti -immigrant(not illegal immigrant), gun toting Jesus freaks. The problem is the media would have swept this one under the rug like the rest of the controversial things the obamas have said. I haven't heard any reporting that michelle obama said America is mean. No one is reporting that rev wright was a Muslim and black nationalist and that is what appealed to obama when he joined TUCC.
Oh, he sealed the deal. There's no question now that I was right. The elite Washington crowd is putting forth, again, a candidate who will have no appeal to a large portion of the country.
Obama will end up being the condescending guy who embraces militant African American ideology and thinks most of Americans are boobs with guns and Bibles.
He's a disaster.
Didn't take you too long to sink into this quagmire of bigoted fear, did it, Ann?
Please do not insult us by putting so much mis-information. It is also extremely rude not to use a capital letter when you write the names of the next President and First Lady. Thank you for considering putting some civility in your comments.
Apparently you don't think we can read?
Obama said that the people in the well defined, and infamous RUSTBELT have been promised help by successive POTUS that did nothing, and have become frustrated and bitter...
(Which a large number of them agree they are)
and they are skeptical of a black man with a funny name
(which some admit)
And would make their voting decisions on the right to bear arms, gay marriage, and invest their time and attention in their church and their family because they no longer expected anything from Washington.
Hillary Clinton with her $108 million, and John McCain with his 8 houses said this product of a mixed race marriage, the son of a single mother who had to resort to food stamps in raising her son,
was 'elitist'.
For which the people of Pennsylvania are rising up and rubbing their faces in it today.
I think you can read just fine . Its the listening part you need to work on . He insinuated they are racist and bigoted toward immigrants . He didn't say illegal immigrants just immigrants. Obama 's problem is he is too smart for his own good. There are more regular folks than latte drinking ultra liberals and as the regular folks learn more about him , they like him less and less. If Bill Clinton had said "America is just downright mean" like Michelle Obama said there would be hell to pay. The press has been in Obamas court for a year now and continue to be . Let me ask you this Why doesn't Obama let people know where he stands. He voted to deny medical care to babies who survive second trimester abortions. I'm pro-choice but that is tantamount to murder and that is an extreme left wing position on the issue.Bob Casey Sr. must be spinning in his grave right now. The obamas are socialists in moderates clothing and slowly they are being exposed whether you like it or not.
trboner, "He insinuated they are racist and bigoted toward immigrants".
He did no such thing. He asked them to vote their interests and not be diverted by corporate scare tactics. Very populist.
Her very unprofessional recording makes it sound like she was an undercover agent recording something sinister and nefarious, which helped contribute to the notion that he was saying something wrong or secretive for the San Fran elitist crowd only.
Please Fowler try being helpful for another candidate and stop making nonsensical remarks by distorting the facts.
Hmmm, would an undercover operative have given over $2000 to Obama's campaign?
Well, this was entirely predictable.
Now Mayhill Fowler goes under the bus, despite her support for Obama and her maxed-out contributions.
As the Good Ship Obama sinks, it pulls the whole cult under.
Sleep with the fishes, Joe.
"Sleep with the fishes, Joe"
It wasn't Barzini, it was Fowler all along.
Fowler is trying to make a name for herself at Obama's expense. She will have her 15 minutes and then disappear. Anyone who reads the full comments and context understand exactly what he meant and it was true. The truth is like kryptomite to the Clintons. As David Geffen said when he left the Clinton camp to raise money for Obama. "I am disturbed by the ease with which they can lie".
Gee, I am glad to read this - I have not been able to wade through the verbose writs of Mayflower -- because the snide and nasty innuendos made me realize she/he was a true Clintonite -- developing as much smut as possible with the audacity of passing her/himself off as a Barack supporter. Where is the integrity of folks who want to be read????? How do people like this Mayflower (can't be a real name by the way and could even be a snippy man working this alias-- who knows??) live with themselves?
It is a bit of a turn off for a lot of us to constantly have to wade through filth just to find real journalistic reviews that let us in how 'how it went' - what was said....et al.
Anyway, thanks for the truth. Barack Obama has substance...something these 'critics' are completely
baffled by.
I'm an Obama supporter. I think he'll be president, and a damn good one. But many of the posts here in response to Joseph Palermo's article have shocked me. The degree of vindictiveness about Mayhill Fowler is way off the scale. Disagree with her yes, but remember to be civilised beings. People, don't you see you are becoming everything Barack is not? Shrill, aggressive, accusatory, personally judgmental, offensive, sarcastic, vindictive and worst of all smearing a reporter's integrity without hard evidence.
If you have evidence that Mayhill wrote this article as an act of pre-meditated sabotage, then put up or shup up, and Joseph, that includes you.
Consider this: the words that caused the controversy were Obama's own. Mayhill did not invent or misquote them. Barack is already defending himself effectively and has turned what could have sunk an ordinary politician into an opportunity to make his transformative points forcibly and potently. He doesn't need you to rush to attack the messenger. I have no doubt he would not condone the viciousness of these attacks on a journalist's integrity.
As I say: if you have evidence Mayhill Fowler did this as an act of sabotage, or that she is a Clinton plant - which accusation I find verging on the delusory world of conspiracy theories - then put up. If not, chill out. When all this blows over, and when Obama is Prez, those of you who have acted like rabid partisan attack dogs may not be proud of it.
To wingman1: I agree with you that I think Obama supporters should take the high road and let this issue play out. Not to let it play out, for one thing, assumes that America's working class areas that Obama is referring to are full of ignorant citizens incapable of discerning Senator Clinton's politiking and pandering to them for votes. I don't believe that. All due respect to Obama'S opponents, but they are just politiking without a thought to the people and their everyday problems. This is exactly what Obama wants to lift us out of and I for one feel much better when I take the high road and not say ugly vicious and vindictive words but rather follow Obama's lead. Let's take the high road and change this ugly discourse in America. We can agree to disagree but not be disagreeable about it And, AND, Obama will be our next President.
Read Mayhill's other blog (under her profile). YOu will see she is NOT an Obama supporter.
wingman:
Be your own judge, and read Fowler's articles on this Huffpo site for yourself. Even before she set off this bomb, she had already written multiple articles labelling Obama as "cock-y".
Actually, wingman, many of the posts over the past months have said that his supporters are a strong reflection of the man. I have wondered what Obama would think if he were to read what his own supporters say.
I hope he would be appalled, ashamed, and disgusted. I know I am.
Many of the Obama supporters who post here are nasty, vituperative,
vicious ill-informed zealots.
They do their candidate a profound disservice.
You could chill out too. Some people may be acting like "nasty vituperative, vicious, ill-informed, zealots", but that doesn't make that the sum total of their lives. Like the diehard Hillary fans I suspect the people who have posted the aggressive comments I was referring to are mostly good people who care deeply about their country, their world and the result of this crunch election, but who are getting carried away and swept up in combativeness.
I've read enough of her articles to not have thought her to be a supporter of Obama, and I've listened to the audio record of what he said, how he said it, and the laughter from the crowd. His ONLY regret is that it got outside the mansions to the people he said it about. Obama never said this to the people he was calling bitter. Obviously, Mr. Palermo is hoping to assist in undoing some of the damage his candidate did to himself.
There are so many photos on the internet, a montage of them on a YouTube video, and easy to pick out moments during TV debates where Obama is literally looking down his nose, head tipped back to make sure there's no mistaking how he feels about the soul he's looking down at.
Actually he said almost exactly the same thing in 2004 in a televised interview with Charlie Rose. You'll be able to tell from his demeanor and tone of voice then that he intended no disparagement of bitterness, nor of seeking refuge in religion or traditions like hunting:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/188674.php
He has bee
Posted April 12, 2008 | 04:37 PM (EST)