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

[pkohan]

Superb post Catherine.­.. not that the MSM will ever appreciate the nuance in Obama's remarks.

[theswirls.blogspot.com]

Hillary Clinton is cheap and despicable. I have lost every single grain of respect I had for her.

She is a liar, a cheat, an opportunist, a phoney, a calculator. I CANNOT believe she actually responded to Obama's comments.

Is this all she can hang on to?

[indeevoter]

I was born in, and grew up in, a small Pennsylvania town (pop. about 9500). My hometown and the sprawling university where I got my undergraduate degree are both in that area of Pennsylvania that James Carville dubbed the Alabama between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Catherine Crier was right. Obama's words were "inartful". But, although there was some truth in what he said, his words were more than inartful. He made a sweeping generalization about small town Pennsylvania - and sweeping generalizations can (and should) ALWAYS be challenged. Everybody in small town Pennsylvania is NOT bitter, everybody does NOT cling to guns, or God, or anti-gay or anti-immigrant sentiments to explain their frustratio­ns...so Obama's going to take a hit for this one. I hope it won't be too bad a hit because I voted for him and I continue to support his candidacy. But Pennsylvanians who don't share those sentiments have a right to be angry - and those who ARE bitter (just as he said) will squeal the loudest about what he said.

Obama, if you want to be the leader of ALL the American people, you need to learn how not to condemn large swaths of the American public with sweeping generalizations about their thoughts and their beliefs, because you haven't been in Pennsylvania long enough to know anything that intimate about anybody. Make your apologies, Senator, and (please) learn a lesson!

[Dave01]

I truly hope that Ms. Crier reads these responses, because I think she absolutely hit the nail on the head with this assessment.

Hillary and John are WAY out of touch with what is taking place in this country! Millions of Americans are VERY bitter about what is taking place in Washington. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs and their homes to the failed "leadership" of the past 25 years.

The only thing that I disagree with in the statement Senator Obama made was it is not just those living in "small-town" America - it is NATIONWIDE! Many people in large cities are just as bitter. Fortunately for those of us in the larger cities have more opportunities than those in smaller areas where the federal government has failed to protect their livelihoods with failed policies like NAFTA, CAFTA, etc.

[politicsnut]

Excellent blog Catherine Crier! Why aren't you being invited by the mass media to state your intelligent opinions and views? We need to listen to people like you more often instead of all the junk we are getting from tabloid news media. You are a bright woman and they just invite bimbos.

[dwayno]

I can not believe you people are blaming the last two admininstrations for the lack of jobs in places
like the midwest and pennsylvan­ia.This trend has been going on since the end of WWWII.
The younger generations have been leaving the small towns becxause the wanted to better their
eduacation and improve their wage earning ability. They journeyed to places like D.C.,Bosto­n,
St.Louis, Chicago, Pittsburg and Kansas City. Do some research and use some common sense
before placing the blame on other people for your own political reasons

[jannielee]

I agree totally with politicsnut. I further suggest that Senator Obama refund Ms. Flower her campaign contribution since she finds his comments so worrisome. I hope she is enjoying her new found infamy. What a rat she is to have caused this tempest in a teapot.

[britethere]

Thank you Catherine Crier
You are a truth teller down to earth no nonsence.
Too bad Cable TV news chanels lacking in any real news this cycle are playing this non-story to the hilt . Clinton trying to move away from the Bosnia flap is working these Obama comments to death. Hillary is so obvious and lacking in finesse and subtlety that her desperate grab to this story is almost laughable.

[MPeter]

Once this campaign is over, the Clintons need to be banished from holding public office under the Democratic Party banner. They have done enough destruction to this party and nation. They need to get out of the Party or get out of public life. They are sleazeballs.

[TigrisLily]

AMEN!

[Clinton]

Good idea

[AnninCA]

Meanwhile, in reality, 43% of Dems have voted for Hillary. Did I get transplanted to a dictatorship while I wasn't looking?

[hopeforchange]

All this shows is how out of touch Obama and his followers are. The idea that Crier would repeat this lie-that people who are economically challenged are bitter twisted people-is just amazing. It just shows how Obama and his followers are really uncomfortable with the poor. I guess thats why they spend so much time courting the republicans.

[Jazzylady26]

That's why I don't want this man as president. You're a liar to say he's inartful. His lack of judgment shows through as it always does. Was he inartful when he didn't go to New Orleans? Jena? Or Memphis? Or when he chose that church? How much of his inartful must we take before he gets it right? I don't want to find out and ain't gonna either, not with my vote.

[mbf]

CC not part of the MSM, that's rich. She wouldn't know the truth if it came up and bit her on the ass.
Who is punishing him, if you are so afraid that people might read (and react) to what he actually says why are you printing it. Why do you have to explain what he really meant? You are part of the problem. And turn your anger and bitterness to the people who really created the mess we are in.
Oh yes, us, the blameless, the ones who elect idiots and get pissed when we have to work two jobs, but won't stop buying the crap the corporations produce. Us, who complain about the price of gas but won't get off our ass to carpool in our SUV's that we had to have in the first place. Us that let elections get stolen. And us who keep reading and watching the drivel that the media spoon feeds us everyday and believe it is gospel.
Us who are stupid enough to think that Obama or Clinton or McCain is going to wave their magic wand and everything will be all right.
We are just reaping what we have sown and that is the bitter truth.

[2351]

Now, that is bitterness!!!!!

[Oldgypsy]

Mizz Mayhill should aspire to another vocation. Truth is hardly a "hold the presses" scoop! Obama spoke the truth and Americans get precious little of that. Hillary is just hoping that people don't catch on to her lobbyinst loyalties before April 22. John McCain...w­ell someone just wokd him up and told him thre was something he need to "pooh-pooh". They'll explain to him why he deeded to respond in a future memo.
Anyone up for Colombian tree trade? Hillary is, no matter what she claims. "Eleteist" is a government that ignores the hopes, needs and concerns of its voters for 3 decades. That would be the same government where Hillary got her HUGE wealth of experience­...all 7 years of it.

[anticon]

The Clinton pimps at CNN are trying to imply Mizz Mayhill is a Obama supporter.­Can't make this shit up!

[2351]

You know, I find it very hard to believe that Ms. Mayhill was a BO supporter. The fact that she would have a recorder and then say that she felt compelled or uncomfortable about what she heard. I just don't buy it. Something does not smell right here.

[wakupmagy]

I wonder if somewhere, deep in the darkest part of her soul--perhaps at 3AM when the phone is not ringing--Hillary Clinton remembers a time when she could elucidate intelligent, thoughtful remarks about our society and what our real problems are. Long before she and her husband became empty husks of human beings, willing to say and do anything to seize power at any cost, she must have had some kind of lively intellignence and some kind of depth of understanding.
I wonder if she mourns for that lost person.
I wonder how it feels to attack Obama for simply speaking honestly and thoughtfully about the human condition, knowing that the Faustian bargain she made is simply deadening her humanity.
There is no road back from the compromise with the truth that the Clintons have made in the name of ruthless ambition.

[rwe]

Well with that being said ,,,, Geraldine Ferraro was punished for the truth.. did I miss your article coming to her defense?

[Tropiholic]

Why would anyone defend an old out of touch yesterday's news Geraldine Ferraro? She didn't say anything true, that's why she was vilified. Obama is young, thoughtful and very smart. He's everything Hillary is not. This all becomes clearer by the day.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Ms. Ferraro said in essence that Sen. Obama got where he is today because of affirmative action.

[thebipolarbear]

yeah, ferraro was sure telling the truth about how easy it was for a black man named barack hussein obama to be elected president, implying he was an affirmative action hire that didn't work for or deserve the presidency- that he was being handed it because he was black.
why don't you hillary supporters just grow up already.

[YankeeCanuck]

Geraldine Ferraro and Rev. Wright both spoke the truth, if a bit intemperately. We have a very competitive race to the nomination and we have some very avid ( to put it delicately) supporters of both of these candidates.

When the dust settles and there is a nominee, by whatever means, we will need to get over it if we hope to move ahead and help make changes. It's going to take more involvement on our parts than just one election.

[Kache]

The ONLY reason Hillary is still in the race is because she's a woman. That's the truth that Geraldine Ferraro can't admit.

[thebirdstheword]

what truth? that blacks have an easier time getting elected than whites in America? only an idiot would believe that. honestly, what "truths" did ferraro speak?

[veritasexmachina]

Indeed the truth can be painful
But at least it's THE TRUTH
And not the cavalcade of lies the clinton,mccain,Rnc machine keep upchucking forth!!!!!!
Time to grow up america and start acting your age!!!!!

[Tumult]

Obama is the only candidate that is counting on, and believes in the American people. Which is why his comments were so scary for McCain, Clinton and the pundits who consistently play upon these issues to distract and fool the people. Clintons history has been on the side that has done nothing for, and consistently worked against middle class America. McCain, Clinton, alot of Republicans and some Democrats use these issues, but always fail to deliver on their campaign promises, and tend to be the opposite of the image they project while seeking office. And while it is not proven that Obama will be any diffrent, that in the minds of these voters he may be all talk and no action, I am alot more willing to bank on the Obama message, of TOGETHER we can turn things around, rather than the Clinon and McCain messages of elect ME and I will take care of it. Sorry the ME people have consistently failed us, I will go with the person that says he CAN'T DO IT ALONE.

[MisterCole]

It's real easy for Sen. Clinton to talk about how positive and resilient people are when she's making $109,000,000. If she doesn't recognize that people are frustrated and bitter about Washington then she is the one out of touch.

[jeffhas]

Does that same logic apply to Oprah? I mean Hill and Bil made $109 mill before taxes and charity over 7 years.... Oprah makes more than twice that every year!... and she preaches to the masses every day how ordinary people can be better in their daily lives... this is why she is supporting Obama.... right?... to help ordinary people.

[jjc4good]

Right on! Or the Saudi Royal family. I mean, they make like 109 million a minute. Is this why they gave $10 million to Clinton's library... right?... to help ordinary people.

Please. This is another one of those guilt-by-a­ssociation attacks. Oprah is not running for office and virtually no one that supports Obama gives a crap if she does or not.

This whole story is pure reaching. They're spinning something that's essentially true, although nuanced and perhaps not articulated precisely, into some sort of attack on the working class. If you look at Obama's policies and everything he's said, this notion is ludicrous.

[Swampfish]

Puh -Pleaase get a brain:Is Oprah running for Prez of the USA ? Sheeesh.Pl­ease try to think for once.

[thebirdstheword]

there is absolutely no logic anywhere in your argument.

[SeriousBlack]

Yes and Oprah does an INCREDIBLE amount of charitable works and other activities whose aim is (and actually accomplishes) inspiring people to better, healthier, more productive lives. If you actually knew anything about Oprah you would know that that is her primary mission in this life.

[Passenger57]

Uh...Oprah ain't runnin' for POTUS,so she can do and say whatever she wants.So,n­o,the logic is flawed there,jeff­has...

[SeriousBlack]

Thus is cogently illustrated the difference between Clinton and Obama.