Elitist My Ass

It has been awhile since I've been back to my hometown near Detroit, Michigan. I took the kids there in early 2007; the cold and unemployment were a stark reminder of why I left.

The abandoned buildings. For Sale signs. The way the road goes from smooth to bumpy when you cross the state line. Boarded up windows, failed 'revitalization' efforts. Friends laid off. Friends looking for work. Friends moving to get work. Family leaving, family staying, family commuting to other states for part-time jobs and part-time pay.

Make no mistake, I LOVE my hometown. I LOVE the Midwest. I think anyone and everyone should live and work and grow in these cities and towns-but understand when I tell you that Senator Barack Obama is DEAD ON when he talks about the bitterness of residents.

Are you hearing me?

This former Midwest girl is telling you Obama is not being 'elite' or 'out of touch' -he could NOT be MORE in touch. He's LISTENING and understanding that many of us who moved away and many of us that stayed are angry, frustrated, disappointed, disillusioned, and UNEMPLOYED.

In what world do Obama's remarks constitute 'looking down on'? I'm sorry, Senator Clinton-but are you HIGH? I am watching you right now, speaking in Indiana on CNN, and you are 'somewhat taken aback' by what Senator Obama said. Are you unaware that when life is as bad as it can possibly be, people turn to religion? Are you unaware that frustrated individuals tend to take up arms when they feel their very well being threatened by their surroundings?

Senator Clinton, let me be as clear as I possibly can here:

Barack Obama is giving voice to millions of us by speaking the TRUTH. He's simply vocalizing exactly what I hear from my uncle, from my high school friend, from my former teacher, from my now re-located parents. He is speaking about what he's heard, what he's been told, what he has seen.

Senator Obama's remarks reminds me yet again that he is one of us. He GETS IT. He knows that I LEFT Detroit. I AM BITTER. I AM PISSED OFF. THERE ARE NO JOBS IN MY HOMETOWN. I couldn't move my family back there if I WANTED TO.

When I do take trips back home it is depressing. My husband NEVER wants to visit because he can't stand how dejected everyone is and how run down the whole place seems. Are there some amazing neighborhoods and jobs-- of course. Is it horrible everywhere -- of course not. Is it worse there than in many other places in the US-damn right.

Do you think I like living 3-thousand miles away from my family and friends? Do you think it's fun for me to watch everyone I know get laid off, go into bankruptcy, lose their house, work two low paying jobs, move into their parents home? Do you think I am NOT bitter about any of this?

Spin it. Go ahead. Talk about how those remarks make him seem elite and condescending. It is so absurd that it only confirms for me that you and Senator McCain are COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH with what REAL Americans think and do and want.

I would suggest, however, that you take your rhetoric elsewhere. Because the more you yap about Obama being 'elite' -- while he's talking about how we really feel and you're releasing $109 million tax returns -- the more stupid you look.

Comments

[AlabamaGunn]

Right fucking on!

[hubbstan]

Bravo, Erin. Excellent post.

[PrdAmerican]

I frankly thought Obama was being kind in saying "bitter"..­.pissed off is more like it! When I think of Clinton's husband raking in 800,000 in Columbia, one does not get much more elitist than that!

To talk from one side of your mouth about labor and then have your husband continue on his warpath against labor is elitist. Hilliary "Evita" Clinton...­.has a nice ring to it.

Obama stands by his remarks and I couldn't agree more....th­is nation is beyond bitter....­we have watched our nation raped and pilliaged by those sworn to protect it and yet they continue to tell us that we are proud Americans.­...to be patriotic we must wave our flags, spend our worthless dollars...­..

[AjicNYC]

if you are going POST hings here, please do it as an ADULT

This is Obama's doing too saying things like "Typical White person" Typical anything is WRONG!

Most people are good in this country and are trying to get ahead and sure the government needs to do somethings to help out society and put some healthy restrictions in place, but It doesn't mean we need to insult people along the way and put huge communities into a box. These communities are not valid African American, Mid WEST, White , Under 30, Over 60, Students, Women, We have plenty of things that we have in common, but we should not try to gather a group of people who have 1 or 2 similar characteristics and throw a bunch of labels on them.

[rosal]

You know what a REAL insult is? To pretend to be for workers, while Hellary and husband promote trade deals that hurt workers. To exchange favors for money, to have $109,000,000 in the bank, and to pay Penn millions out of donations made by decent, hard workers, while he is engaged in promoting Colombia trade, which Hellary claims she is "against".
That's what a real insult is to workers. No wonder they are bitter with this kind of politics.
Disgusting!

[TakeSake]

And I thought that $5,000,000 loan was a lot.

[disgusted48]

All those facts are just too confusing. I just want to jump on the Rev. Wright hate America Band wagon, and the "bitter" comment band wagon, and to the conclusion that Obama is an elitist. I refuse to let the facts get in the way! I will let the media tell me who to vote for, facts don't matter, just spin.

[AjicNYC]

ERIN grow up

People think just because they are black what they say about Obama is more valid, and they think WOMAN have more insight on Hillary , and people from the midwest have the right to validate comments like this. ERIN YOU are and one individual who thinks a certain way. You only represent yourself

YOU guys are all too willing to have people put you in a box.

SINCE WHEN DO POST START OFF

22 yr old WHITE guy for OBAMA
or 30 black guy for Hillary

Listen to guys it makes me sick

I am white /I cant speak for white people
I am gay / I cant speak for gay people
I am a student/I cant speak for students
I an from NY /I cant speak for New Yorkers
Both my parents worked at Factories/ I cant speak for people or the children of Factory workers

I

[rosal]

I will vote for Obama because I don't suffer from an inferiority complex. Proud to be a strong woman!

[cyndeewi]

You go Rosal!!!

[AjicNYC]

problem is obama is not strong anything. how did he get your vote

[qwr]

Yes, but judging from your posts, you have a poor grasp of policy. You think that Clinton's plan is "universal health care," and you have repeated the lie again and again. Whom do you represent other than the ignorant?

[Mojane]

Thank you, and amen. He has more courage and fine character than Hillary will ever hope you have. And she just keeps proving over and over what a real hack she is. Oops, forgot, he cannot make a mistake (not that he did), he has to be perfect. He's judged by a different standard. He's black. She may be a woman, but she wil always have the advantage of being a white in a white-powered, racist country. And, man, is she going to squeeze every bit of spin out of this supposed mis-take of his. She just keeps proving her overriding greed for power.... I have come to loath this Hillary person. She and McCain just might make a perfect ticket....­.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Here in PA, the tire, steel, fabric and helicopter plants, are gone. The children are also gone in many cases, ... to other states, and other lines of work.

There is no safe harbor in America for blue collar workers. Giant pharmaceutical and medical firms advertise for the nursing profession as a second, or third, or end career. Why? To increase the supply of trained nurses, and retard the increase in wages for nurses, ... a major expense for their hospital customers. The more hospitals spend for labor, ... the less medical products they can afford. So the band-age sales folks keep pushing fired factory workers to don scrubs and get a degree in nursing, ... to save the budget for their pacemakers, and heart catheters, ... and artificial knees, ... well, you get the idea. I know, ... I sold them.

Bitter? Damn straight! Obama has the courage to speak the truth, ... and the media, and McCain and the Clintons call him "elitist"?!!!

The way I figure it, if we do not start facing the truth and taking the steps to reverse current trends in our nation and economy, ... we are pretty much toast in 4 to 8 years.

It is clear that a Republican or Democratic Congress alone can not make the changes that will save this Nation. It is even more clear that it was a Republican President and Republican Congress that brought us to this point.

Change is the only option, and Obama is

[RogerHWerner]

The elites of this country, the icons of industry and their bought dogs in government, killed labor in the 1940s when they made it more difficult for unions to organize; it took 30 years for someone to drive home the stake. Without unions, blue collar life is all but finished. Corporations would just as soon work their employees to death rather than pay them a living wage with decent benefits and when these corporations were compelled to treat their workforce fairly, they concocted a system that encouraged moving entire industries overseas..­.we no longer have steel or textile industries but of course that was because they "couldn't compete"--against competition that received massive government subsidies. So rather than develop a sensible policy that offered our industries the same benefits offered by foreign governments, our government let them die and then crowed about how this was good for the world economy. I suspect those people who have lost not just their jobs but their industry understand what has occurred and it's time they started voting in their economic interests rather than permit themselves to be further marginalized by wedge politics.

[disgusted48]

Good post. But when do you think the masses will start voting for their own economic interests, instead of running off to left field to vote against gays, and gun control? I hope it's not when they can't literally put food on their tables. Then it will be too late.

[AjicNYC]

my family is in PA and they are not bitter people who cling to religion and guns.!! and i resnt that he has cast PA in this way to the world!!!

Hillary should come out and say Black people are lazy and walk real slow( bunch of people laugh in the background), what ist true ! no? whats wrong with that?

ALL these statements are wrong. you guys are so blind , please wake up your country needs you

[barackoblogger]

but if he said black people were angry about racial injustice (which he did say in his race speech), he would be dead on.

[Imrightyourewrong]

Man, this gets me hot. You are nothing but an idiot!!! He is right on!!!!! RIGHT ON!!!! People are sick of this shit. People ARE bitter because nobody fucking cares and only feign concern every 2 to 4 years. My God, wake the hell up. Take your bigotry and prejudice elsewhere. Man, you have extra helpings of stupidity!!! His remarks were based upon things people actually said to him...you get that....AC­TUALLY SAID TO HIM!!!!!

[jkpcguru]

oooo. I like this chick.... spit fire Erin... Tell it like it is girl! Barack Obama is as in touch with working family concerns as it gets. No other candidate can reach that. People please remember Obama only made his first 2 million a couple years ago with his book royalties. He only paid back his and Michele's College loans 5 years ago with the book advance money he received. Obama is the most our of any of the candidate who knows the hard life.

[WorkingClass]

I live in the south now but I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids Iowa. So I know all about corn, right? Wrong. The town I grew up in had many heavy and light manufacturing plants. It had wet and dry cereal mills. It had meat packing plants and steel mills. The mid-west is farm country but its cities were industrial centers. Most of that is gone now. Whats left is accurately described as the "rust belt". Yes, the people there are still friendly and helpful. Yes, many are bitter that their livelihood is gone. We are told repeatedly that if we are unhappy about anything in this country, we are unpatriotic. If we criticize anything we are haters and blame America firsters. Its just bull sh*t that people like Hillary spout to suppress dissent and keep us all barefoot and pregnant.

[hubbstan]

Hillary is more like Bush by day - don't you dare to disagree with them or you are labeled as unpatriotic. Bush and Hillary did so that got us in the War. Hillary is doing just that to denounce the right of feeling "bitter" and where can she get us to?

[wm1066]

Well said WorkingClass.
But I bet you know more about corn than you realize.
If you were in your teen years in Iowa you were tooling around the back roads at night with your friends
and eating field corn and hearing it crackle as it grew at night .
That was a right of passage.

[barackoblogger]

Show that you agree wtih Obama's comments. Sign this letter:

http://pa.barackobama.com/page/s/paletter

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Thank you Pennslyvania, now you are thinking, and all small town. Don't let your vote be taken for granted. Let people know you like the rest with you are mad (bitter too) as heel and we don't want that same old bull of divide and conquer crap. We are all bitter how the politics of 2008 and the future should say we want jobs NOW. We are bitter, We want more job Now. It is long over due a politician get its. The candidate is bring it out in the open. The more we make it clear bring jobs back you get my vote. No jobs no votes to your party period.

GREAT LETTER wish we could get it started in all the states.

[barackoblogger]

Ultimately, I think this whole brouhaha will end up working in Obama's favor.

[AjicNYC]

DOESNT EVERYTHING ALWAYS WORK IN HIS FAVOR (sigh) bunch of TARDS

[MidwestMomma]

Yep! That's kinda how the truth works! Big Smile from one of the Tards!

[barackoblogger]

yes, because Obama speaks to us like we're adults.

Hillary, on the other hand, thinks the American people are stupid and easily manipulated and that we'll "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" (NAFTA, voting for stricter bankruptcy laws, voting for the war...)

Hillary just thinks that she should get the vote because she's white and blue-collar voters are racist.

[jeg]

What an eloquent, insightful, and mature post.

I know it's a novel idea... a candidate who speaks truthfully, and doesn't get excoriated by the media.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's because Sen. Obama understands a lot more about this country than you think he does. Incidents like this prove he's not perfect, and his campaign proves people aren't looking for perfect... they're looking for new and different.­.. Not "New and Improved", which is usually the same old @#$% in a different label.

[Imrightyourewrong]

bunch of "tards?" My oh my, who's the elitist? You make me hate the fact I live in New York.

[Syco]

Hes just that lucky.

Probably because hes bi racial

[globalcitizenlinda]

It is laughable that the media and the Clintons expect us to believe that the community organizer, who never moved his family from Chicago to D.C, who just recently paid of his student loans and has a family living in rural Africa, married to a woman whose father was a plumber for the state is out of touch!

The hypocrisy of Obama's criticizers is amazing!

The majority of pundits on the airwaves are very rich and live in self-importance bubble

The Clintons who are $109Million rich, have lived in the governor's mansion or the White House for all these years are somehow more in touch - well if only pigs can fly

[longislandlol]

People turning to guns when they feel frustrated? Sounds familiar these days....

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Obama is talking about the gun law on the voting ballets from time to time that what people are turning out to vote for. Voting on gay rights. It is those smoke screens they put on voting ballets to get you fired up. It truth is hitting the fan. Long over due. Mcain and Jilliary just might be sorry they attacked Obama on this one because to more he talk to the people they get. He is not talking down to people.
He is saying, I understand and I agree with you. We need to turn the page. We the people go to Washington through their voting the congressional people will have to get their act together, because taught them the only way Washington will stop this shit we have to speak up with one vote. That will get their attention. We will have a mandate. We the People. Not the Lobbyist

[jrockbg]

There is a reason why his comments are getting so much press....T­HEY ARE ELITIST COMMENTS! If we're gonna be real let's do that. Had Hillary said the same thing you'd jump down her throat. Just because you're backing Obama doesn't make the comments not elitest.

That said Obama highlighted a weakness of his besides his inexperience: Connecting with small town voters in a general election. I know you'll say that this is a primay race still and that he won Iowa. But those are old laurels. Against a very moderate Republican Obama will need to step up his "small town" game.

[barackoblogger]

Hillary lives an elitist LIFE. She is in no position to call anyone elitist.

[jrockbg]

I assure unless Pat Robertson somehow becomes the nominee for Republicans they'll be getting my vote for prez in November. I think Hillary would be a bad choice and I simply don't know if I trust Obama's limited experience. That said I'd take him over her.

My comment is meant only in the general election context. He'll be the nominee. I think that he'll have trouble connecting on the level McCain does in smaller towns, despite Obama's small town victories. The only reason Obama does better in less population dense areas is because small town folk HATE Hillary. Against one of this country's most famous war vets, Obama will have to get to the next level. If he can't understand how his comments make guns, religion and small town political leanings seem like insipid details, he's not ready for McCain. Keep in mind, the smaller the town, more likely the older average age of the population. Old people will vote for McCain in sweeping numbers over Obama.

[realrick]

You couldn't possibly be more wrong!

First of all, here's a fact, not an opinion--Obama is WINNING! He is ahead in the popular vote and delegates. As for superdelegates, he only has to win 20% more to beat Clinton. That's winning, pal. Simple as that.

And, unless you are going to make the asinine assertion that all of Obama's supporters are "latte-sipping elitists", which you undoubtedly heard from Rush or O'Reilly so it "must be true", you have to concede the fact that Obama HAS connected with average, small-town Americans in places as diverse as WI, VA, ID, and WA.

Second, how is being straight-up, honest with the public, as these remarks and his defense of them reflect, a sign of inexperience? How is tackling tough issues, whether it be race, religion, or the economy a sign of "elitism"? That's ad hominem nonsense.

And, if you think John McSameAsBush with 100 years in Iraq, with more tax welfare for the wealthy, with more Scalitos on the SCOTUS, with no clue about the economy, who has virtually NO health care plan, is a "moderate Republican", then I've got some swampland in FL I'd like you to take a look at.

[DLSteinhardt]

Wow, the TRIPLE POST of your anti-Obama trolling, jrockbg!

And here's my original, non-repetitive post:

You nailed it, Erin!!

[kravitz]

They are getting press from elites in the media who are not out here struggling to keep their homes and paychecks. Most of the CNN NYC airstaff lives on the island of Manhattan in rather expensive real estate, and know their stylists like a small town mechanic knows his engine parts. Most of NYC's broadcasters (who used to be my customers) live in Doorman buildings with security. They are rather well paid. They don't sweat much even at Reebok (a gym near ABC.) In Washington, fewer doormen buildings, but the paychecks aren't that different.

You'll also notice how many pressfolk simply parrot one story. Marc Cooper, the Off The Buss editor, has a list of a handful of media who simply rephrased Ms. Fowler's work. Meaning, they cut, copied and pasted to their own story, and called Arianna to clear the rights. Not too difficult for a story to get a lot of press. Not at all.

[radicaldj]

Step up his "small town game"?

Wonder what you mean by that?

[Rock21]

Erin, millions? I am honestly trying to understand this. This is not about whether Obama is elitist or not. It's about the bitterness thing. I've been in the US for 7 years now. This is the first time I've heard of this acknowledgment that small town Americans and millions of others are bitter and pissed off.

I have not been to a lot of small towns but I've been on the road about 5 times into rural America - Kansas, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa. I have not met unfriendly or bitter people in small towns especially since I am not white. If they were bitter, I would feel it.

In my 7 years here, I would feel it. I've been through a lay-off too and so has my colleagues. I have not heard bitterness.

I come from a third world country. If there should be bitter people based on their economic conditions, it is the rest of the world - people subsisting on 80 cents a day or less; people who scrape landfills for food. Believe me, if every American could only travel to the poorest of the poor countries, they would come back thanking God for their blessings. All that bitterness would go away. They'd thank their elected officials even if they were not that good.

Thanks. I'm just puzzled over all these.

[mamak]

You have not had the experience that the author is trying to convey. You are comparing your 3rd World experience with your perceived short travels ( ...on the roads..") in those areas that you stated. Did you LIVE in the mid-west small town? Travelling is not residencing. Fill your tax forms and you will know that.
Any foreigner who lives in America will say that America is better...o­r else why would you even come here in the first place?? But you are still an immigrant.­..you have no idea how the generational American citizens feel. Finally see if you can understand what "bitter" means...go­ogle...or talk to people (how many of your colleagues are 2/3rd generation Americans?­).....if you are still puzzled about it...then I just hope you will not have the unfortunate time of experiencing what "bitter" is....good luck ...

[TakeSake]

Put another way, bitterness is not something that one brings out to serve a guest during a visit. It's something expressed between long-term friends; disappointments and cast-away dreams are easier when left alone. But the burden is still there, and makes itself expressed in different ways. When channeled properly, it can lead to great things, however when so much has been drained for so long, the framework just isn't there to support it.