Punished for the Truth

Here are the controversial comments Barack Obama uttered in San Francisco. "You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them...And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. 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."

Inartful. That is the only fair criticism of this analysis. Let's ask the voters in Pennsylvania these questions. If the 'distracting' issues of guns, gay marriage and abortion were all resolved to their liking, would their economic lives change? How about immigration? If all illegal aliens were to disappear, would those rust belt jobs return? For so many years, such issues have been used to corral blue collar workers into a party and political philosophy that serves the elites in this country. When someone speaks the truth and acknowledges that this sector of our society has been royally deceived, that issues they rally around have little to do with their ultimate welfare, it is time to banish such a person from the campaign trail.

Heaven forbid we should suggest that bitterness might exist in this country of such optimism or that this emotion might be an appropriate and effective reaction to current circumstances. Hillary Clinton countered with this statement. "Well, that is not my experience," she said. "As I travel around Pennsylvania I meet people who are resilient, optimistic, positive...If we start acting like Americans," she said, "and role up our sleeves, we can make sure that America's best years are ahead of us." McCain's spokesman chimed in. "It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking...It is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans."

Are you kidding me? Pulling the curtain back on a very effective political trick, the old bait and switch, is far from elitist. Americans are working harder than ever. Two job families are the norm. Yet the poor and middle class are falling further behind. What is breathtakingly condescending is watching two candidates stroke this group with platitudes about their being tough and resilient. What exactly has that gotten them? Nada. The real stereotype Clinton and McCain are playing on is that blue collar workers are easily manipulated and will 'stay down' if you just tell them they are hardworking, patriotic, value-driven Americans.

It is time for these people to get mad. Illusion may make us feel better, but it simply serves to keep us tilting at the wrong windmills. It is time to embrace the truth and turn that anger, yes bitterness, on those who created such conditions. The alternative is to pat ourselves on the back for our optimism and 'can-do' attitudes while politicians in Washington laugh at such naivite and continue on their destructive course.

Comments

[MrJoyboy]

We'll see in November if Americans fall into the same trap they fell into the last two elections. Even a small rodent learns to avoid a trap eventually.

[meanguy]

mrjoyboy, my thjoughts exactly...dubya likewise offered tired platitudes about bringing 'change' and 'working in a bipartisan manner'...eerie similarity, just like the fact that neither of them actually had much history of doing nything but working solely at the extrreme end of their respective parties......well, maybe we're smarter than that now...

[carpentero]

Catherine is spot on, and deserves thanks from all of us serving time in blue collar jobs. Obama has it right: blue collar people are bitter because they've been screwed by politicians funded by the elite investor class and corporations. What's so hard to understand is why so many of these hard-working people continue to support Republicans, who are blatently anti working class. Of course, these days the Dems don't offer much of an alternative. Ironically, Ralph Nader is their strongest advocate and best candidate. Unfortunately, the hate-based rhetoric of people like Rush Limbaugh is more appealing to people who are angry and need a target, any target, to aim at.

[TigrisLily]

I suppose it is unAmerican to be angry and bitter about what politicians have done to our nation; to be angry and bitter about a war that is bleeding our military dry; to be angry and bitter about a government that squandered 250 years of American principles and goodwill; to be angry and bitter about an administration that turned us from champions of human rights to one of the world's most infamous violaters of those rights; to be angry and bitter about tax cuts to the wealthy while the poor go without health care and can't afford to heat their homes--if they haven't already lost their homes; to be angry and bitter about constitutional rights being taken from us while the President sends Americans into war to fight for the very liberties he takes from Americans at home. Frankly, I don't know if I trust any politician who is NOT angry and bitter over what has happened to the honor, the tradition and principles for which hundreds of thousands of Americans have fought and died to defend. I am angry and bitter in the name of an America that has been taken from me. If Senator Clinton thinks Obama is condescending and elitist for speaking for people like me, what would she call those of us who truly are angry and bitter? The more she opens her mouth, the more I think McCain can't be any worse. She's beginning to make George W. look good!

[mimsnpips]

Well said TigrisLily.

[SeriousBlack]

Excellent post, Catherine!

[artsandminds]

Very good post, you are so right on. I think Americans are slowly learning not to be so easily taken in by nice words, instead I think they hunger for cold reality, exactly what Obama is giving them.

[DietrichMoody]

81% of the Country, according to a recent survey, thinks that this Country is going in the wrong direction. What more is there to say

[LiamR]

Heaven forbid we should have a President who speaks frankly about the conditions in American society. Small town America may be filled with frustrated, and yes bitter, citizens, but we are not fools that Barack's critics think we are. Hillary and McCain may make some political hay among their respective followers over Barack's comments, but those of us seeking REAL CHANGE are not going to fall for such condescending drivel from their bipartisan anti-Obama tag team.

Thank God that Barack Obama has the guts to acknowledge the dynamics that have been pummeling small town America since the 1980s with a manipulative bait-and-switch process that has the voters supporting the corporatists that have been keeping them down. No matter what the outcome of the presidential races, Barack Obama is waking America up...all of America.

[Redmom]

Hillary Clinton began her speaking career railing at another Black senator. The year was 1969. The place was Wellesley College. Hillary Clinton was the girl picked to give the graduation speech. The senator was Edward Brooke. He was the first black elected to Congress since Reconstruction. He was a republican and yet he was against the Viet Nam War, for the ERA, and asked Nixon to resign. He also had a Bronze Star from WWII. After Sen. Brooke gave his speech, Hillary stomped on the stage. She turned on him, humiliated him. Then she proceeded with a speech that sounded like bad copy from an underground newspaper. She received a standing ovation. A star was born. This was how she first earned her liberal image. By stomping on a good man.

She is doing it again. Stomping back on that stage to ruin another black Senator. This time she wants/demands the White House.
Will you let her do it, again?

[prittfumes]

The Obama campaign has taught you well. When your position is indefensible, pull out the race card.

[RobertArend]

Yes, Mistress Hillary, you is so right. Weeze just a bunch of happy, singin' banjo-playin' folkses, not aworried but nothin' so long as weeze got you, Mistress Hillary, and your fine man, Massah Bill, to keep us safe from trouble makers like that Obama.

We may not have much food. Our houses may be cold in winter. We might not have much money to put in the collection plate on Sunday. We might work plenty jobs from sun to sun so you and your family and your rich friends may not be aworryin' so much about us, but we love you for thinkin' 'bout us from time to time.

That troublemaker came to our small town the other day, and lord didn't he burst in on our supper of hotdogs and, then, want to play bowling with us. I must say, I ne'er seen the like. He acted like he just one of us, but he weren't playin' no banjo and he just couldn't see, like Mistress Hilary, how much happy and peppy we is. He so dumb. But you, Mistress Hillary, you see our joyful lives even when we don't. What, pray tell, makes you so smart?

[meanguy]

just HOW MANY decks of 'race cards' do you obamaniacs have, anyway???? you sound JUST like donna(give me a good candidate and i'll manage him to defeat) brazille...

[AlphaDoc]

A standing ovation for Ms. Crier! Many Americans are indeed bitter. And angry. And frustrated. When the jobs are gone, loved ones are away fighting and dying in a war based on lies, and the Constitution's being treated like so much Charmin, people tend to cling to those few rights which are still considered unalienable--the right to worship, the right to own a gun and the right to be good and goddamned angry. And for Clinton to say that Americans need to "roll up their sleeves" is nothing short of laughable. Is she going to show us all how? LOL! The woman has more money than all of the people she's "empathizing" with combined. If she couldn't hire someone to do her work for her, she'd be shit out of luck.
As for McCain--the "out of touch" statement from his camp is even funnier than Hillary's Americans-­are-plucky crap. The man wouldn't know which state he was in if someone wasn't there to remind him.

[jjc4good]

The main reason he's taking so much heat is that he basically said the truth about both the republicans and the Clinton administration's effect on the financial interests of working class people and the former's appeal to divisive issues that have trivial impact on most people's daily lives. Both push(ed) policies that generally benefit the corporatist and affluent folks. The latter with his laissez-faire trade policies and the former with their laissez-faire everything policies.

Obama is doing what few thought possible. He's against the corporate shill status quo pols on both sides of the isle and thanks to his grass roots movement and fundraising actually has a good shot at becoming a leader of, for, and by the people. About time. If you support a return to government actually looking out for your interest instead of the big money interest, I strongly suggest you donate as much as this notion is worth to you to his campaign. I have.

[Centaur]

Right on Ms Crier! It seems that the only "straight talker" in this campaign is Obama. Some americans would rather believe the "bs" than the actual truth. Haven't they had enough of this for the past 7 plus years? Some poeple have drank so much "kool-aid" that they can't seem to distinguish the truth from the lies and here's a guy telling them what they know is the truth and the other "candidates" saying otherwise just to get votes. Hopefully, there's enough people who can see through this and give us a President that we can believe and trust.

[DietrichMoody]

81% of the Country, according to a recent survey, thinks that this Country is going in the wrong direction. What more is there to say except, these people can argue all they want with what Obama said, but it forces these people into a corner - including these politicians, in defending the circumstances which created these 81% of the Country's population thinking we are going in the wrong direction. But one more thing I love about this issue, as I read Politico or even the New York times or other "oh my god" writers, to what Obama had to say, is that as they categorize this as an "Obama fire" that needs to be put out - which he does himself - I might add, not run away, its forcing these writers to make a up a response and anlalyze it as they go along - looking stupid and looking like they are "projecting" , and realizing 1) he's right and 2) that he is going to follow this issue through, like Obama said, he might have used a different word than "bitter" but the underlying truth is that people are frustrated - Republicans, Democrats and Independents. There is a perfect storm of issues - than ever before in this post 9/11 society, more so than in the 1940's, 1970's or 1992, and I think 81% of this country knows this to be the truth. I hope this story has legs because these Country wants and deserves this conversation right

[longislandlol]

Excellent tome--- It seems that Hillary wants us all to be Pollyannas-- sure optimism is great-- but when these people get laid off because of NAFTA (thanks Bill)-- and their homes get foreclosed (thanks George--) it's time for the bitter- before Pollyanna wants us to have the sweet feeling--

[richsmith]

You join my pantheon of clear minded, enlightened Texans, making a lie of the contention of many from the east and west coasts that all Texans are lower than a rattle snake's belly . You join Bill Moyers, Ann Richards, Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins, my good friend Anna Lomax, and the Dixie Chicks just to mention a few that I know of and have placed there.