Obama: Bitterness? Anger? Yes. And for Good Reason.

Let the facts speak for themselves. Barack Obama told it mostly correctly last week when he said that workers in many towns in America were angry and bitter. For coming closer to telling the unfiltered truth than most politicians, he was lambasted by his political opponents. That he put religious faith in the mix was admittedly an exaggeration and therefore an error. But it shouldn't draw attention from the facts and it is yet another example of how much surer his sense of what has happened to America is that the views of his opponents, Democrat or Republican.

Consider, for example, how male workers with no more than a high school education are doing? They have been clobbered by the economy for a long time, not just in the 2000s.

Here's a brief table put together by Nikos Papanikolaou and me at the New School (the Schwartz Center for Economic Analysis). These are the wages or salaries of the typical, or median, male high school worker, by age group. They come from Census Bureau data.

Males:High School
(12th grade/diploma)

Year            25-34            35-44            45-54

1979        $36,865        $42,358        $44,102

2005        $30,000        $37,550        $39,000

The typical male in the age group 25-to-34 made nearly $37,000 in 1979; the typical male in that age group in 2005 (about the same as in 2008) makes only $30,000. The typical 35-to-44 year-old made 42,300 in 1979, the typical male in that age group today makes 37,550 today. Finally, the typical high school male worker aged 45 to 54 made $44,102 in 1979; the typical male today in that age group makes $39,000. All this despite the Clinton boom, which didn't last long enough to compensate for the long stagnation of earnings that preceded it.

Thus, as others have noted using different data, a typical man with no more than a high school education made much less than his father did thirty years ago.

Bitter? You bet. Once the large majority made gains over time in America. No longer. And it's probably worse in Pennsylvania, with its many lost manufacturing jobs.

College educated workers did much better, right? Yes, there's a sizable gap. But their incomes rose slowly by any standard as well since the late 1960s. In fact, since 1969, there have been long stretches of time in which the incomes of typical college workers did not rise or even fell.

Below is a table to peruse. One example. The typical college worker aged 45-54 made less in 2005 than the typical college worker of that age in 1979. Check the table to see how often such long-term stagnation or even outright declines occurred for the college educated in the past forty years or so.

College
(Four years/degree)

Year             25-34             35-44             45-54

1969        $45,634        $54,760        $52,479

1979        $40,489        $54,816        $64,783

1989        $44,925        $54,731        $66,105

2000        $45,342        $58,945        $63,480

2005        $47,000        $63,000        $64,000

Of course, workers are bitter and angry. That may not explain the rise of evangelicism, though my strong guess is that it is an important factor -- and that is not a put-down of religion.

But it certainly helps explain why workers turned against government and why some like tax cuts more than social spending.

Bitter? Angry? Yes. Let's not tell them they're not, or that they have no reason to be. That's truly condescending.

Comments

[OtayPanky]

C'mon now.

The problem isn't that Barack told the truth about people's being angry over their economic disenfranchisement. It's that he dissed their CULTURE.

Rural white Americans hunt...and fish...and go to church. It's not a bitterness thing...any more than going to church is a bitterness thing for urban blacks.

Barack made a bad mistake here. His best move would be to do what he does best: confront it directly, admit it was wrong to conflate feelings of anger and resentment over economic disenfranchisement with cultural touchstones...and then take the conversation to a new level.

That's exactly what he did when he so brilliantly addressed the words of Rev. Wright. That's what he should do now.

[Tumult]

When I read Obamas remarks I interpreted, the "bitternes­...clingin­g to guns and religion" was a refrence to politics and voting, not to biterness in a persons daily life, or to enjoyment of hunting, or religion. The "wedge" issues are typically "gun-control" or "values" (religious) in nature. Putting same sex marriage amendments on state ballots during the last Presidential election, helped the Republicans. We allow "politics of distraction" and wedge issues, but you cannot give examples of the issues used in the politics of distraction or what the wedge issues are without being labled as elitist, out of touch, and condecending? And remember this was in response to a question about how to approach voters, Obamas was trying to get the people to understand them. I guess the Clinton and McCain supporters are right, Obamas campaign should be over, Empathy in a candidate is not allowed.

[OtayPanky]

Like it or not, elections are often won and lost based on sound bytes. Doubly so in the age of the internet and 24/7 cable TV.

You don't need to convince ME of anything. I'm voting for Barack if I get the chance. But he's got to unscramble his scrambled communication to get all those marginal voters - independents, persuadable republicans, and Reagan democrats.

It's that simple.

[Tumult]

There is a 2004, Charlies Rose interview with Obama, where he talks about this, and shows just where he was comming from.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xkrL0G9wonE

[OtayPanky]

That was then, this is now. Neither you nor I need to preach to the choir - it's those undecided independents and persuadable republicans in the red and purple states that are in play - and at risk - if Barack doesn't mend this verbal gaffe.

[Rule Of Law]

This could be the defining moment of Obama's campaign, where he reaches right into the populist heart of this country and says, "I feel your anger, your disillusion and your fear, and believe me when I say, I know where that comes from and what it will require for all of us to take back this country!" This could be the beginning of a movement that even Obama never considered, one that could have revolutionary consequences for all Americans. A politician who speaks the truth and a people who tell him what their truth is, engaged in a dialogue that has the power to transform this country.

[desmirl]

When a politician tells the truth, he or she is usually lucky to get out of the room with a whole skin. As a public, we enjoy being told fictions about how great things are and how much better they're going to get. At the same time, corporate America is bleeding us dry.

[ryan1016]

Even if true, you don't tell a large portion of the electorate that their interest in religion and guns is because they're bitter at the lousy economy. That's just a huge bone-headed maneuver and should tell us much about Barack (and his general election chances.) Come on people, quit trying to justify his statements as words of truth that need to be told; even he admitted they weren't artful.

[DennyCrane]

Obama said the politically incorrect thing, but that doesn't change that it's true. Ever notice that as income goes up, religiousness goes down? Gee, I wonder why that is.

[Rule Of Law]

Let me guess; If you believe in yourself, you don't need to believe in fairy tales?

[Brainoverbraun]

Why is it even an issue. If you have only a high school education in this day and age of high tech employment, why would you think you should earn more. Times change and so does the needs of the workforce. Americans seem to think the world owes them a living and they shouldn't really have to earn it through training and education. You don't spend on education so you have a poorly educated workforce and they are earning the wages that the market offers. If you want to be among the top paid workers in the world - you need the skills and education to compete. That means university level education in technology, math and science.

I hate to break it to you but the days of having the most successful economy based on manufacturing and resources in long gone - the third world will kick you butt on this front every time. The world is moving on. Maybe you guys should get with the program....or just be bitter and get left behind

[Countess]

The irony in all this is that it is people like Hillary Clinton and her overrated husband who have done much of the damage to these people and are now exploiting their pain.

[ljsfolly]

Like so many other things Hillary has whipped something said that is true into an issue she can sit back and smile at. Kind of like the lying sister in law that causes you marriage trouble she pops up everytime she knows she can do/say something you have to answer for even when it wasn't true. Hillary has used this over and over and MSM plays along. If no one else has noticed the news channels will play small sound bites and disect them until the next sound bite and it's heard over and over again to the point of anger and nausea. But where are the reports on the war? What else is going on in the country besides the sound bites? It's like the world is not supposed to go around while the election and sound bites are seen and heard. If anyone is left in this country who believes the lies Hillary tells them then they deserve the label they will wear.

[Eirikr]

Obama stated a truth that many people don't want to hear. He slipped up a bit, but how many gun-toting rednecks or religious nuts would have voted for him anyway?

[LeftRight]

Obama was RIGHT to include religion in his statements. The fact of the matter is that the republicants have used religion as a wedge issue for decades. They say, "We're the party of morality, we will represent you as you would represent yourselves on morality issues!" all the while carrying on WORSE than the democrats!!

Obama simply pointed out the fact that the republicants have been using such issues as "god, gays, and guns" to get people to vote against their own best interests for YEARS!!

[WASanford]

How long is it going to take you guys to realize that the more you spin this the worse it looks? Barrack was talking "off script" and what he said was very revealing. As I've pointed out before, he essentially accused this nation's working class of being bible thumping and gun toting bigots. My way of saying it is nastier sounding than his actual words, but the meaning is the same and demonstrates how America’s working class is so easily dismissed.

But what he revealed about himself is even worse! He has no intention of changing the paradigm that has so disabled working people in our society. He has no intention of curing the peonage growing like a cancer beneath our very feet. He doesn’t recognize how dangerous that is to our society.

He doesn’t realize that as our education systems fail; our communities also flounder and fail, placing our very way of living in mortal danger. He doesn’t realize the damage done to our economy by “free” trade agreements because he hasn’t had to live with it and his imagination is too limited to understand what they’ve meant to that substantial portion of our population.

If you’ve liked the last seven years, then vote for Obama because he’s not very likely to change anything.

[MThomasinNC]

Your comments illustrate the lack of understanding of the Obama platform. That you can write that Obama doesn't know or doesn't realize indicates you've gotten your talking points from FOX News as oppose to Obama's speeches or his web site. It saddens me that you want to continue to live in a country where politicans lie to you with promises of creating more jobs while they 'behind our backs' vote for trade deals to send jobs overseas. Obama knows about our failed education system where 'no child left behind' was designed to leave just that child behind by not providing funds for our most vulnerable schools in rural and urban areas.
Where did Obama go when he finished law school? He could have gone to any number of law firms but he chose to go into the community to help the poor and middle class to retrain for new jobs when businesses closed down. And you say he doesn't know, doesn't realize... Get real!!

[2bhumble]

he essentially accused this nation's working class of being bible thumping and gun toting bigots. My way of saying it is nastier sounding than his actual words, but the meaning is the same and demonstrates how America"s working class is so easily dismissed.


Wrong, you and many other pundits are the ones labelling the working class this manner. It's sad when people will take someone elses words and make them be what they want them to be. I see many failed in communication, for if you passed you who ask the person making the statement what they meant instead of making conjecture based on perceived knowledge of what someone is saying or meaning. Oops I forgot he did state what he meant, but of course, you know better. it has fell on a dead ear. Well that's your opinion of how you fell about and see the working class and you want to inject that perception upon others. Yes may work for some, but those who read and understand beyond a sound-bite will understand his meaning. The fact remain that those they trusted to change their plight didn't. Shame on them that now they have to face the for not acting and now have to face the TRUTH!!! THEY DID NOTHING AND DIDN"T CARE!!! That's what they fail to understand.

[SeriousBlack]

"My way of saying it is nastier sounding than his actual words".

That's all we need to know about YOUR post.

[jhamm1]

"Bitter? Angry? Yes. Let's not tell them they're not, or that they have no reason to be. That's truly condescending. "

Whether they have the right to be bitter or not, the fact remains that far too many of these individuals are scapegoating athiests, homosexuals, and immigrants, rather than focusing on the real culprits in the REpublican party who have left them with the sh*t end of the economic stick.

"Condescending?"

Here's some advice: once the people within these working class towns learn to grow up and stop behaving like toddlers, than Obama and others will refrain from addressing them as such.

[MzTexas]

People are bitter, that's not what was offensive about Obama's remarks. Those "bitter" people have, most likely, ALWAYS been religious and some have, most likely, ALWAYS been gun owners. And, being bitter about the economy does NOT make a person a bigot. Obama's remarks were condescending and stereotypical.

Like many Americans, I'm not revved up by any of the three media-created candidates that we've been left with . . . I will vote for anyone but McCain . . . but I'm not sure which of the Democratic candidates is the lesser of two evils. Another Clinton (heaven help us all) or a condescending, inexperienced, sweet talking Obama.

[Norbrook]

It's not a case of whether they've always owned guns, or been religious. It's that when there is little economic hope, when not only have things gotten bad, but they never seem to get better, people will tend to become much more strident on other issues important to them, and, yes, bitter.

I've heard many people in my area say they voted for Bush because "he won't take away our guns," or "He's a god-fearing man, a good Christian." Never mind that his policies have either given them no benefit, or made their life worse. They don't expect any politician to do anything but lie to them about how they're going to make the economy better for them - just like Hillary did here when she was running for Senate.

He's not condescending - he's got it right.

[PoliticalEnnui]

Thank you. From the minute I heard HRC's rebuke that working-class Americans aren't angry and bitter, but rather eager and hopeful, I've wanted someone to point out the condescension of that argument. I don't need either Clinton telling me how I feel, especially when it contradicts my experience. I get the feeling that Obama knows a lot more about Middle-America than Clinton. If she had half a brain, she would have qualified her statements along the lines of, "Yes, they are angry and bitter at what has happened over the last eight years, but it's nothing that can't be overcome by the optimism and eagerness to change it." By going for a cheap jab, she simply sounds dismissive.

[RabidRightRebel]

It is not the bitter remark that is the issue it is the cling to remark. That being said it is amazing how determined Clinton is to damage Obama. It is as if she thinks that if she can't have it she will make damn sure that Obama loses the General election. Talk about bitter she could sure show an unempolyed factory worker who's job has been shipped off shore the meaning of the word.

[Gma11]

Barack's religious tradition, like my own, cherished the old hymn, "Still I CLING to the old rugged cross." It is a primary component of our religious socialization.

As I was walking into my office today I passed a vehicle in the parking lot with a bumper sticker that read, "In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

For a politician to speak the truth IS revolutionary!!

[2bhumble]

So true and that's what politicians fear- Truth.

[jmpurser]

Personally I don't get why there's an issue at all except as a political attack. "Cling" means to hold tightly. Any religious types out there want to stand up and affirm that they DON'T hold tightly to their religion? And does "...pry it from my cold dead hands" sound like a loose affiliation to you?

Obama spoke the truth in an election year and is getting pounded for it. Shame on us.

[RabidRightRebel]

Don't get me wrong I don't think it is an issue. I just think that, that is what is being over re-acted too.